Massachusetts Colonies
Early Settlement
Plymouth Colony was settled in 1630 by Puritans who sought freedom to practice their religion in the colonies. They were sent by England after receiving a charter from the Massachusetts Bay Company. Puritans imposed a strict form of Puritanism in the colonies. The government is a self ruled government in which only the men are allowed in. Trade with the Wampanoag natives helped support the colonists. Harvard was the first American university and it was established in Massachusetts.
Colonies of Massachusetts
This map shows the location of both the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colonies.
City Upon A Hill
This picture shows the ambition of Governor John Winthrop and his desire to make New England, "a City Upon a Hill."
Wampanoag
This picture shows the friendly relations between the Massachusetts Bay colonists and the Wampanoag Natives.
About the Colonies
The Massachusetts Bay colony is the perfect place to start a new life. Its location along the coast is perfect for fishers and shipbuilders. Resources here such as fish, timber, and furs allow for constant development of the colony. Massachusetts is the northern most colony being right next to New Hampshire. John Winthrop and William Bradford led the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies as the respective governors. Thomas Dudley was later elected governor of Massachusetts Bay, was reelected 4 more times afterwards, and is regarded as the founder of Cambridge. In Plymouth, Bradford and the colonists' relations with the natives led to the first Thanksgiving.