How Did Plymouth Colony Dominate New England

Settling New England

Plymouth Colony

One of the most famous colonies, founded in December of 1620, Plymouth was the first permanent Puritan Settlement in America. Its colonists consisted of English Puritans who, on December 16 of 1620, set out on the Mayflower to find religious freedom, and a better life. These settlers are known as the Pilgrim Fathers. After 65 days at sea, land was finally sighted, and the Mayflower landed at modern day Plymouth Massachusetts. Legend says that the pilgrims stepped on land at Plymouth Rock, although records make no mention of this. The colonists promptly began putting up buildings and shelters, to prepare for winter, but climate and disease mercilessly began to work against them. By Spring, half the colonists had died. Around this time the Indians met a native Indian named Samoset, who introduced them to his tribe, the

Wampanoag Indians, who signed a peace treaty with them. The Indians taught the settlers many things, including how to plant corn, catch fish, and gather fruit. The pilgrims were so appreciative, they invited the Indians to celebrate the first harvest with them in 1621. This day is now known as Thanksgiving Day.Thus, the colony grew, also keeping its independence for 70 more years, and reaching more than 7000 colonists by 1691.

Massachusetts Bay
In 1628, a group of Puritan businessmen made a venture called the Governor Mode and Company of Massachusetts Bay.

Originally, it was meant to be a profit making venture in the New World, and was stationed on North America’s East Coast, around the modern cities of Boston and Salem. Eventually, people started arriving there. In the 1630s alone, 20,000 people migrated to the new colony of Massachusetts Bay. Since the population was mostly all Puritan, the government consisted of religiously biased people. Thus, the colonial government was intolerant of any other religions, including the Baptist, Quaker, and Anglican religions. The colony also happened to be very economically stable, as it traded with England and the West Indies frequently. Eventually, King James II established new laws which gave him more control of all New England colonies. After the Glorious Revolution, and after these laws collapsed, a man named Sir William Phips came with a charter of the Province of Massachusetts. This charter merged the Massachusetts Bay Lands with the territories of the Plymouth Colonies, making the state of

Massachusetts.

Rhode Island
This colony was founded in 1636 by a man named Roger Williams, who had suffered banishment from the Massachusetts colony for supporting religious liberty. In a two year span, he was joined by some friends from there, and their community gradually began to grow. This colony was the first example of perfect religious freedom that the world had ever seen. In addition, all Rhode Island’s settlers had to sign papers saying they would obey all orders made for the common good. Democracy and religious liberty were the very foundations and basis of this young colony’s government. In 1638, nineteen colonists from Massachusetts, who were being persecuted for their religious beliefs, bought a few islands in Narragansett Bay, and started the Portsmouth colony. This colony was soon joined to that of Rhode Island.

Connecticut
This colony was first settled by the Dutch in 1633, when a little fort at Hartford was erected, then named New Hope. Many settlers along the Connecticut River were actually looking for fertile farmlands, as opposed to many other colonists, who were searching instead for religious freedom. Eventually a man named Thomas Hooker obtained permission to head a migration west, to look for a better environment. As a result, he left for the Connecticut Valley with about 100 other settlers.After this, a small group of Puritans arrived, and established a trading post at the mouth of the Connecticut River.