New England Colonies - Quick Reference

Geography of the New England Colonies

• The New England Colonies: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island.
• Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
• Geography:
  • Atlantic coast: flat and rocky, with protected harbors for shipbuilding and trading ports.
  • Inland: gently rolling hills suitable for farming and livestock.
  • Rivers enabled travel and trade.
  • Dense forests provided lumber for building and export.

Who were the Puritans?

• Puritans were a religious group who settled in New England hoping to find religious freedom.
• They disagreed with many teachings of the Church of England and aimed to purify the church.
• Massachusetss Bay Colony founded; Governor John Winthrop; vision of a "City Upon a Hill".
• Life in the colony was strict; leaders demanded conformity to Puritan teachings.
• Irony: sought religious freedom for themselves but not for others.
• Dissent faced harsh consequences, including expulsion from Massachusetts Bay.
• Two notable dissenters:
  • Anne Hutchinson: born $1591$ in England; held women’s prayer meetings; banished; settled in Rhode Island; killed in a conflict around $1643$.
  • Roger Williams: born $1603$; Puritan minister who argued for separation of church and state; banished; founded Providence, Rhode Island, in $1636$; religious freedom guaranteed there.

Who lived and worked in the New England Colonies?

• Social and economic roles varied widely:
  • Large landowners: wealthy, powerful, with many workers (indentured servants and enslaved people).
  • Artisans: cooper (barrels), cobbler (shoes); usually shop-based.
  • Free African Americans: existed but lacked full rights.
  • Women: few rights; upon marriage, husbands gained control of money and property.
  • Native Americans: often treated unfairly; land use beliefs differed from English.
  • Merchants: ran stores with goods imported from England.
  • Farmers: rocky soil and short growing season limited profitability; relied on imports.
  • Enslaved individuals and indentured servants formed part of the labor force; indentured contracts typically lasting $4-7$ years.

Education in the New England Colonies

• Puritans emphasized literacy to read the Bible.
• Towns with more than $50$ families required elementary schools; all children attended to learn reading, writing, arithmetic, and religion.
• Grammar schools were required in towns with more than $100$ families; boys could prepare for college; girls generally not allowed.
• Some boys pursued trades through apprenticeships; others supported family businesses.
• Girls typically worked at home; education varied by family wealth.
• Schools were paid for by families or through providing goods/lodging for teachers; not universally free.
• Hornbooks were early learning tools (letters, Lord’s Prayer) used around $1700$–$1800$.
• Primer and copybooks were common for advancing literacy and handwriting.

Economic Activities of the New England Colonies

• Economy based on local resources:
  • Fishing and whaling; fish exported.
  • Shipbuilding due to long coastline and timber resources.
  • Lumber from dense forests; used locally and exported.
  • Fur-bearing animals harvested for export.
  • Agriculture existed but was limited by rocky soil and cool climate; imports necessary for many foods.
• Waterways and the Atlantic Ocean supported trade and transport.
• Whale oil and fish were major money makers.

Town Meetings in the New England Colonies

• Towns practiced self-government; each town created its own laws.
• Voting generally limited to eligible men: male, white, free, and a property owner.
• Meetings held in the meetinghouse; the town common centered the town.
• Meetinghouse served for church services and town meetings.
• The town meeting was a form of direct democracy in which eligible men voted.

Life in a New England Town

• Towns were small and close-knit communities.
• Centered around the town common (grazing, selling excess crops) and the meetinghouse.
• Artisans sold handmade goods near the town common.
• Religion and church held significant influence; church leaders involved in governance; laws reflected religious beliefs.
• Family life:
  • Women managed homes, cooking, sewing, storing food, milking livestock; daughters aided mothers.
  • Men worked outside the home: hunting, clearing land, building, etc.
  • Children often helped with family tasks; many had small personal gardens and kept some livestock.

King Philip’s War

• Metacom (King Philip) was the son of Massasoit, leader of the Wampanoag.
• Initial peaceful attempts were followed by resentment over land takeovers.
• Tensions escalated after executions on both sides (Sassamon’s execution by the Wampanoag; Plymouth leaders’ execution of three Wampanoag men).
• War broke out in $1675$ and lasted until the death of Metacom in $1676$.
• Conflict involved Wampanoag, Narraganset, and Nipmuc groups across much of the New England colonies.