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New Colonies Guide to Reading Main Idea Reading Strategy Read to Learn Settlers begin to form the New Eng- Classifying Information As you read •why the Pilgrims and the Puritans land Colonies. Section 2, re-create the diagram came to America. below and explain why different •how the , , Key Terms colonies in New England were settled. and New Hampshire colonies began. dissent, persecute, Puritan, Separatist, Pilgrim, Mayflower Reasons the colony Section Theme Colony Compact, toleration was settled Civic Rights and Responsibilities Puritan and Pilgrim colonists settled in Connecticut America in search of religious freedom. Rhode Island Preview of Events ✦1620 ✦1630 ✦1640 1620 1630 1636 1638 Pilgrims land at Puritans settle the Thomas Hooker Plymouth founds Hartford founds Portsmouth

The young man looked around at the other passengers aboard the Mayflower. He and the other passengers sailed to the not knowing what they would find. Shoes, They had muskets but knew little about shooting. They planned to fish but knew noth- ing about fishing. They had hoped to settle in but instead landed in New Eng- land without enough supplies to last the winter. The only thing these people had plenty of was courage. They would need it. Religious Freedom Unlike the Jamestown settlers, the next wave of colonists would arrive in search of religious freedom. England had been a Protestant country since 1534, when King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman and formed the Anglican Church. Not everyone in England was happy with the new church, however. Many people dissented—they disagreed with the beliefs or practices of the Anglicans. English Catholics, for example, still considered the pope the head of the church, and they were often persecuted, or treated harshly, for that reason.

76 CHAPTER 3 Colonial America At the same time, some Protestants wanted to The New England In change—or reform—the Anglican Church, while Motion Colonies others wanted to break away from it altogether. The Protestants who wanted to reform the Angli- can Church were called Puritans. Those who MAINE wanted to leave and set up their own churches Area claimed (part of Mass.) were known as Separatists. by New York and New The Separatists were persecuted in England, Hampshire and some fled to the . Though they 44°N . R found religious freedom there, the Separatists t u c i t N had difficulty finding work. They also worried c e n n E that their children were losing their religious o W

C values and their English way of life. NEW S HAMPSHIRE Portsmouth

The Pilgrims’ Journey Salem Atlantic Some Separatists in the Netherlands made an MASSACHUSETTS Ocean arrangement with the Virginia Company. The Plymouth Separatists could settle in Virginia and practice CONNECTICUT their religion freely. In return they would give Newport the company a share of any profits they made. New Haven 0 100 miles The Separatists considered themselves RHODE Pilgrims because their journey had a religious ISLAND 0 100 kilometers Lambert Equal-Area projection purpose. Only 35 of the 102 passengers who 40°N boarded the Mayflower in 1620 were Products Pilgrims. The others were called “strangers.” Grain Fish Ships They were common people—servants, crafts- Cattle Whales Iron people, and poor farmers—who hoped to find a better life in America. Because Pilgrim beliefs Lumber Furs Rum 68°W shaped life in the Plymouth colony, however, all the early settlers are usually called Pilgrims.

The Mayflower Compact The Atlantic waters and thick forests proved valuable for The Mayflower’s passengers planned to settle fishing and shipbuilding in New England. in the Virginia colony. The first land they sighted 1. Region What were the four New England Colonies? What did Connecticut was Cape Cod, well north of their target. 2. Analyzing Information produce? Because it was and winter was fast approaching, the colonists decided to drop anchor in Cape Cod Bay. They went ashore on a ordering and preservation.” The signers also cold, bleak day in December at a place called promised to obey the laws passed “for the Plymouth. William Bradford, their leader and general good of the colony.” The Mayflower historian, reported that “all things stared upon Compact was a necessary step in the develop- them with a weather-beaten face.” ment of representative government in America. Plymouth was outside the territory of the Vir- ; (See page 612 of the Appendix for the entire text of the Mayflower ginia Company and its laws. Before going ashore, Compact.) the Pilgrims drew up a formal document called the Mayflower Compact. The compact pledged Help From the Native Americans their loyalty to England and declared their inten- Their first winter in America, almost half tion of forming “a civil body politic, for our better the Pilgrims died of malnutrition, disease, and

CHAPTER 3 Colonial America 77 The First Thanksgiving In the autumn of 1621 the Pilgrims invited the Native Americans to celebrate the peace between them. After the struggle through the first winter, the Pilgrims also felt relieved to be raising food. During the feast the Pilgrims thanked God for the harvest and for their survival. First Thanksgiving by Jennie A. Brownscombe

Who took part? About 50 men, women, and chil- What did they do? Dancing, singing, and playing dren colonists and 90 Wampanoag Native Americans games were part of the celebration. The Wampanoag took part in the three-day feast. demonstrated their skills with the bow and arrow.

When was it held? Exactly when the festival took What did they eat? They most likely ate wild fowl, place is uncertain, but it is believed the celebration duck, and shot by the colonists and deer pro- occurred sometime between and vided by the Wampanoag. .

cold. In the spring a few Native Americans New Settlements approached the settlement. Two of them, Squanto and Samoset, befriended the colonists. In 1625 the English throne passed to Charles I. Squanto was a Pawtuxet who had been kid- Charles objected to the Puritans’ calls for reform napped to Europe and had learned English. in the Anglican Church, and persecution of Puri- Squanto and Samoset showed the Pilgrims tans increased again. Some Puritans looked for a how to grow corn, beans, and pumpkins and way to leave England. where to hunt and fish. Without their help the In 1629 a group of Puritans formed the Pilgrims might not have survived. Squanto Massachusetts Bay Company and received a and Samoset also helped the Pilgrims make a royal charter to establish a colony north of treaty with the Wampanoag people who lived Plymouth. This was the Puritans’ chance to cre- in the area. Massasoit, a Wampanoag leader, ate a new society in America—a society based signed a treaty with the Pilgrims in 1621, on the Bible. and the two groups lived in harmony. The company chose a well-educated Puritan named to be the colony’s gover- Summarizing Why was the nor. In 1630 Winthrop led about 900 men, Mayflower Compact an important step toward represen- women, and children to Massachusetts Bay. tative government? Most of them settled in a place they called Boston.

78 CHAPTER 3 Colonial America Citizenship than was the stony soil around Boston. In the Growth and Government 1630s colonists began to settle in this area. Aminister named Thomas Hooker became During the 1630s, more than 15,000 Puritans dissatisfied with Massachusetts. He did not like journeyed to Massachusetts to escape religious the way that Winthrop and the other Puritan persecution and economic hard times in Eng- leaders ran the colony. In 1636 Hooker led his land. This movement of people became known congregation through the wilderness to Con- as the Great Migration. necticut, where he founded the town of Hart- At first, John Winthrop and his assistants ford. Three years later Hartford and two other made the colony’s laws. They were chosen by the towns, Windsor and Wethersfield, agreed to General Court, which was made up of the form a colony. They adopted a plan of govern- colony’s stockholders. In 1634, settlers demanded ment called the Fundamental Orders of Con- a larger role in the government. The General necticut. This was the first written Court became an elected assembly. Adult male in America, and it described the organization of church members were allowed to vote for the representative government in detail. governor and for their town’s representatives to Good land drew colonists to Connecticut, but the General Court. In later years, they also had to Rhode Island was settled by colonists who were own property to vote. forced out of Massachusetts. The first of these was The Puritans came to America to put their , a minister. Williams felt that peo- religious beliefs into practice. The Puritans had ple should not be persecuted for their religious little toleration—they criticized or persecuted practices. In his view the government should not people who held other religious views. This lack force people to worship in a certain way. Williams of toleration led to the creation of new colonies. also believed it was wrong for settlers to take land away from the Native Americans. Connecticut and Rhode Island The ideas of Roger Williams caused Massa- The fertile Connecticut River valley, south of chusetts leaders to banish him in 1635. He took Massachusetts, was much better for farming refuge with the Narraganset people, who later

Anne Hutchinson came colony’s stability. In 1637 God spoke only through to Massachusetts with the Massachusetts lead- the Bible. Her accusers her husband in 1634. ers put her on trial for found her guilty and She began questioning speaking false ideas. ordered her to leave the the religious authority of Hutchinson defended colony. With her family the colony’s ministers. herself well, but she and some followers, As Hutchinson gained claimed God spoke to her Hutchinson moved to followers, she was seen directly. This disagreed Rhode Island. as a danger to the with Puritan beliefs that

CHAPTER 3 Colonial America 79 sold Williams land where he founded the town of In 1636 war broke out HISTORY Providence. Williams received a charter in 1644 between the settlers and for a colony east of Connecticut called Rhode the Pequot people. After Student Web Activity Island and Providence Plantations. With its pol- two traders were killed Visit tarvol1.glencoe.com icy of religious toleration, Rhode Island became a in Pequot territory, and click on Chapter 3— safe place for dissenters. It was the first place in Massachusetts sent Student Web Activities for an activity on King America where people of all faiths—including troops to punish the Philip’s War. Jews—could worship freely. Pequot. The Pequot Others followed Williams’s example, forming then attacked a town in colonies where they could worship as they Connecticut killing nine people. In 1637, pleased. In 1638 John Wheelwright led a group of troops from Connecticut attacked the main Pequot dissidents from Massachusetts to the north. They fort with the help of the Narraganset people. They founded the town of Exeter in New Hampshire. burned the fort, killing hundreds. The same year, a group of Puritans settled Hamp- In 1675 New England went to war against the ton. The colony of New Hampshire became fully Wampanoag people and their allies. Metacomet, independent of Massachusetts in 1679. the Wampanoag chief, was known to settlers as King Philip. He wanted to stop the settlers from Conflict With Native Americans moving onto Native American lands. The war Native Americans traded with the settlers, began after settlers executed three Wampanoags exchanging furs for goods such as iron pots, for murder. Metacomet’s forces attacked towns blankets, and guns. In Virginia the colonists had across the region, killing hundreds of people. frequent encounters with the many tribes of the The settlers and their Native American allies Powhatan confederacy. In New England the set- fought back. King Philip’s War, as the conflict tlers met the Wampanoags, Narragansets, and was called, ended in defeat for the Wampanoag other groups. and their allies. The war destroyed the power of Conflicts arose, however. Usually settlers the Native Americans in New England, leaving moved onto Native American lands without the colonists free to expand their settlements. permission or payment. Throughout the colo- nial period, English settlers and Native Ameri- Evaluating Describe the signifi- cans competed fiercely for control of the land. cance of the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut.

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Checking for Understanding Critical Thinking Analyzing Maps 1. Key Terms Write a short paragraph 4. Comparing What did the Mayflower 6. Geography Skills Study the map in which you use the following terms: Compact and the Fundamental on page 77. What products came dissent, persecute, Puritan, Orders of Connecticut have in from New Hampshire? Separatist, Pilgrim, Mayflower common? Compact, toleration. 5. Determining Cause and Effect 2. Reviewing Facts Identify the rea- Re-create the diagram below and sons why the Separatists left Europe describe the effects as colonists inter- Government Research and write for the . acted with Native Americans. a one-page paper about the life of Reviewing Themes The colonists interact Roger Williams. Explain why he left Massachusetts to found a new 3. Civic Rights and Responsibilities with the Native Americans colony. Describe how his religious What freedom did Rhode Island offer ideals contributed to the growth of that other colonies did not? the representative government in Rhode Island.

80 CHAPTER 3 Colonial America