New England Colonies

Names of the New England Colonies

• Massachusetts• Maine (part of

Massachusetts)• Connecticut• Rhode Island• New Hampshire

Reasons for moving to New England

• Puritans, English colonists who settled in New England in the 1600s, moved because they wanted to form communities where they could follow the rules of the Bible and serve their God.

Puritan Religion

• Religious freedom in Puritan communities did not exist and they did not tolerate other religions.

• They lived quiet lives in simple houses. They did not have parties, listen to music, or dance.

• They did not even celebrate holidays, including Christmas and Easter.

Government

• The Puritan religion shaped the New England colonies government.

• Only male church member could vote or serve in town government.

• Town leasers made law to control how people worshipped.

• One law required all people to attend church services.

Meetinghouse

• The meetinghouse was the most important building in Puritan communities.

• It typically stood in the center of the town.

• Everyone had to come to the meetinghouse at least once a year for a town meeting.

• A town meeting is when community members gathered to hold elections and vote on laws.

New England’s Land

• Rocky, sandy soil• Forests and rugged

mountains• Near the coast• Very hilly• The cold climate

helped prevent the spread of diseases but the severe winters killed many people.

New England’s Climate

• Summers were warm• Winters were long and

bitterly cold• Short growing season

(late May to early October)

• Plenty of rainfall• Very little farmland• Most farmers could only

grow enough for their family, with a little left over to sell.

Natural Resources

• Large variety of seafood, including fish, lobster, and whales.

• There are wild deer and hogs for food.

• Many forests• Maple trees which

provide wood and sap for syrup.

• Granite

Farming• Because of the cold weather

and poor soil farms in New England were small. The colonists planted: corn, rye, oats, barley, peas, squash, onions, and turnips. Corn had been a staple crop since the pilgrims.

• Since there was not a lot of farming New England’s natural resources were relied on more than the crops.

• The Massachusetts towns of Salem and Boston were the main seaports. Ships brought supplies from the other colonies through those ports.

Coastal Jobs

On the coast:• Fisherman or whalers• Many had jobs in the

shipping industry. In fact, Massachusetts was the center of shipbuilding.

Inland Jobs

On the land:• Loggers – chopped down

trees. • Craftsman – Made

cabinets and tables from wood.

• Fur traders – trapped animal skins then sold and traded hides. Skins from beavers, minks, raccoons, muskrats, and rabbits were in demand within the colonies and in England.

When Colonists Moved Away From Massachusetts…

• it was because they wanted religious freedom from the Puritans.

• Roger Williams was a dissenter, a person who does not agree with the beliefs of his leaders, that wanted religious freedom. He took other dissenters with him and founded the colony of Rhode Island. In Rhode Island people were allowed to worship freely and government was kept separate from the church.

Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine

• Thomas Hooker was another dissenter. He wanted a community where all men could vote. Hooker gathered about 100 colonists who wanted the same things as him and they founded the colony of Connecticut. As more people moved away from Puritan communities New Hampshire and Maine became colonies.