The New England Colonies (Massachusetts)

Massachusetts

The New England Colonies

New England Colonies

The colonies of Spain in North America were called “New Spain.”  The colonies of France were called “New France.”  But for some reason, only a few of the colonies of England were called “New England.”  They were the colonies at the northern end of the 13 English colonies.  That region is still known as “New England” today.

New England: Geography & Economy

New England’s soil is rocky and not good for farming.  As a result, farms were usually just subsistence farms, which means they were growing just enough to live on and not much else to sell.  Instead of farming, many New Englanders made a living by:

Fishing - lots of it.  Cod, oysters, crabs, & lobsters from the Atlantic Ocean.

Whaling - for the oil.

Lumbering - from the many forests.

Ship Building - using the lumber that was available.

Many New Englanders were traders who shipped goods to and from all parts of the world. 

New England: Religion

Plymouth was settled by Puritans initially. They got their name because they wanted to “purify” the Church of England. When they were not allowed to worship the way that they wanted to in England, they joined the colonists who had come to Plymouth These people wanted freedom of religion for themselves, but they did not want it for everyone else.

Salem Witch Trials

They wanted their colony to be pure, made up only of church members.  The laws in the colony of Massachusetts were very strict.  The church was running the government and only church members could vote.  If you disagreed with the church you could be run out of the colony.  The famous “Witch Trials” of Salem, Massachusetts, came about in part because people were so fanatical about keeping their colony pure.

New England: Towns & Villages

Most New Englanders lived in towns. In the center of the town was a meeting house.  This building is what the Puritans used for their church. However, it was used for more than just a church. It was also used as a place to vote on issues that affected the whole town. Thus, New England began the important tradition of holding meetings, where colonists got used to having a say in how their colony was run.

2001 NYS Test CRQ New England Town

Analyze the document below before answering the questions on your notes.

New Colonies Form Over Religious Differences