New England Colony Massachusetts Founded in 1630 Founded by John Winthrop

1. New England ColonyMassachusettsFounded in 1630Founded by John Winthrop Presented by Amanda Dern and Zoe Schroeder

2. Geographical Characteristics & Climate • Was rocky and had lots of sand. • Was shaped by glaciers and covered with ice. • The ice took away all the rich soil and it left a thin rocky layer of dirt. • It was too sandy for farming so it was hard for them to farm. • Summers were steamy hot and winters were bitterly cold. • The growing season was short because it lasted from late May to early October. • They had thick trees in the forests.

3. Reason For Settlement • A place were they could serve their god and follow the rules of their bible. • So they could have a fair vote in their laws. • They wanted to form good communities.

4. Religious Beliefs • They were Puritans • Only Puritans could come to the church. • Everyone could attend a town meeting. • One law required all people to attend church services. • They believed that they should set a good example for other people by following laws based on the bible.

5. Government • They had self-government. • Everyone could attend a town meeting, but only men who owned property could vote. • They had more self government than people in most other European colonies. • The puritans had some experience with self-government in England, Massachusetts.

6. Education • Puritans wanted people to read the bible. • Fifty or more families had to build a school to teach reading and writing. • Parents thought that their children should learn about Christianity. • Parents taught their children to read so then they could read the Bible. • Once the kids knew how to read they could also read school books too. • New England villages had more than 100 families build grammar schools.

7. Agriculture/Manufacturing • The Agriculture was fishing and the food was livestock and corn and also lots of fish. • The manufacturing was lumbering and ship building. • They caught whales for whale blubber to use for the oil in lamps. • The most common fish they caught was cod. • Whaling was one of the most important industries in New England.

8. Settlements/Homes • They lived in small wooden houses with few rooms or windows. • Homes just had one main room, with a huge fireplace. • A table stood in the middle of the room for meals. • At night families slept on mattresses near the fire to keep warm. • Wealthier families might have a second story or loft, where there would be more room for sleeping.

9. Towns/Cities • Some major cities in Massachusetts were Boston, Quincy, Plymouth, Salem, Lexington, And Concord. • A settlement first started in Plymouth and so went on. • In 1620, the pilgrims set up a colony at Plymouth, what is now Massachusetts.

10. Other Interesting Facts • Massachusetts children don’t have to go to school, they just have to go to the church meeting every Sunday. • Massachusetts was named for “Large Hill Place”. • Puritan religion shaped the government of Massachusetts Bay colony. • The meeting house was the most important building in the puritan community. • Puritans banished Roger Williams from Massachusetts.

11. Important People To Know • Roger Williams • Anne Hutchinson • The Narragansett Indians • The Wampanoag Indians • Metacomet the leader of the Wampanoag Indians • King Phillip • Pequot Indians • William Bradford