New England

New England Vocabulary

Anne Hutchinson

Felt that a relationship with God was a personal one and that you didn’t need to go to church to maintain that relationship.

Boston

The English Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Company settled the region for religious and political reasons.

Colony

An area of land or a settlement that is ruled by another country.

Great awakening

Was a religious revival that took place in the U.S. colonies, especially New England, from the 1720s to 1740s.

John Winthrop

Sailed to the New World in 1630 with a charter to start a new colony. Moved to Salem, a town north of Plymouth, and later moved to present-day Boston where they began building their colony.

Johnathan Edwards

Considered the greatest Puritan theologian and philosopher. he played a major role in advancing the Great Awakening.

Massasoit

A tribal Chief who helped make peace between the Pilgrims and the native Americans. He was the leader of the Wampanoag, a group of Native American tribes that lived in Massachusetts and Rhode island.

Metacom

Frequently called king Philip, was a Native American leader of the Wampanoag tribe in New England. While his father helped make peace between the Pilgrims and Native Americans, King Philip grew to see the hardships that the colonists caused for the Native Americans.

New England Colonies

- Included Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine (which was originally part of Massachusetts). These colonies began with the establishment of the Plymouth Colony in 1620, expanded with the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and lasted until the United States declared independence from Britain in 1776.

Pequot War

A full-on, armed conflict between the settlers and tribes. Hostilities grew between the Natives, Dutch fur traders, and Puritan colonists. All three groups wanted control of the land surrounding the Connecticut River.

Pigrims

Means someone who takes a long journey, usually to a religious site—a journey known as a pilgrimage. In U.S. history this group refers to the English men, women, and children who sailed from England to the Netherlands and then to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They were also known as Separatists because when they were in England, they wanted to separate from the established Anglican Church and form new churches.

Plymouth

Was founded in 1620 by an English group known as the Pilgrims.

Rodger Williams

Was an English colonist who founded the colony of Rhode Island. He was born in England and came to America in 1631.

Thomas Hooker

Was a pastor who came to America in 1633, landing in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He disagreed with the rules in the Bay Colony that restricted voting rights to members of the church. He believed that all people should be able to have a say in who was elected leader, regardless of their religious views.

Town meeting

Is an assembly of qualified voters. The assembly is a governing body where ordinances, or laws, can be proposed and either adopted or rejected. Issues of taxation and expenses are also discussed and voted on.