Study Notes on Colonial Developments in Rhode Island and Connecticut

Chapter 3: Creation of Rhode Island

Roger Williams, a religious leader, advocated for more freedom and religious tolerance.
- Exiled from Massachusetts for his radical views.
- Established a settlement called Providence in 1636 after negotiating for land with local Narragansett sachems Canonicus and Miantonomi.
- Williams and his fellow settlers agreed upon an egalitarian constitution, establishing political and religious freedoms.
- Important Date: 1636 - Foundation of Providence.
In 1637, Anne Hutchinson and her followers, also exiled from Massachusetts, joined the settlement near Providence.
Other settlers arrived, leading to the colony being granted a charter by Parliament in 1644.
The settlers consistently resisted governance, electing a president and council instead of appointing a governor.
The communities enacted laws abolishing:
- Witchcraft trials.
- Imprisonment for debt.
- Chattel slavery in 1652.
Due to its policy of religious toleration, Rhode Island became a refuge for various persecuted groups, including Quakers and Jews.
In 1663, a royal charter was granted by Charles II, solidifying the establishment of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

Connecticut emerged from the settlements of Saybrook and New Haven, founded as a response to the overcrowding in Massachusetts.
- Key Figure: Thomas Hooker, who left Massachusetts with a congregation in search of more agricultural land.
- Settled near the Connecticut River, leading to the establishment of Newtown (later Hartford) in June 1636 with 100 individuals and livestock.
The New Haven Colony was founded on religious principles in 1638 by John Davenport, Theophilus Eaton, and followers seeking to promote Puritan ideals.
- Officially organized in 1643, with Eaton as governor.
The New Haven Colony eventually struggled economically, partly due to its historical association with figures like those who signed Charles I's death warrant, leading to its absorption into Connecticut in 1665.
Despite its absorption, New Haven maintained its religious tradition through the founding of Yale College.

The English initially neglected the Mid-Atlantic region despite its favorable climate and resources.
- The climate was healthier than Virginia's and more temperate than New England.
The Dutch and Swedes pursued colonization in this area, establishing:
- New Sweden in the Delaware Valley.
- New Netherland in the Hudson Valley.
The Dutch West India Company recognized the need for a stronger presence for the fur trade in New Netherland and created New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island in 1625.
Despite allowing religious tolerance, the small population rendered New Netherland vulnerable to English attacks.
In 1664, the English seized New Netherland and renamed it New York, in honor of James, Duke of York, who was behind the military takeover.