Massachusetts
A Land of Religion
The Founding of Massachusetts
Massachusetts was founded by the pilgrims of the Mayflower when they landed in Plymouth Bay in the year 1620. The reason the pilgrims journeyed to the new lands of America was to escape religious prosecution as they wanted to defect from the religion of England and create there own. Shortly after, a group of Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, above Plymouth. The Puritans also wanted to slightly change the English religion, so they sought land in Massachusetts.
Geography of Massachusetts
The coast of Massachusetts was jagged with jutting points and rolling hills past that. Further inland Massachusetts becomes the typical New England backdrop with mountains thick with trees and rivers flowing down into the Atlantic. The soil in Massachusetts was poor in nutrients and did not support crops well.
Climate of Massachusetts
Massachusetts has a very similar climate to most of the other colonies in the New England region. This means that winters are long and harsh, while summers are short and mild. Although the winter is grueling the short and mild summer does not provide a good breeding ground for infection unlike the warmer colonies.
The Economy of Massachusettes
Massachusetts was a land with myriad economic opportunities. With plenty of forests in the region, lumbering and shipbuilding were big fields of work for the incoming pilgrims. Along with shipbuilding, fishing was also a major part of the Massachusetts economy and provided the pilgrims with an immediate source of food because the soil of early Massachusetts was infertile and not suit to support crops such as wheat. Livestock was also a good field to work in as the desire for horses spread throughout the colonies and cows became good investments and meals.
Fun Facts About Massachusetts
1. 16 short years after the Colony of Massachusetts was established, Harvard, became the first upper class college in the colonies.
2. Massachusetts held the first thanksgiving.
3. The pilgrims were taught how to farm crops in the rocky soil by Squanto an Indian tribe leader.