The New England Colonies
By: Isabel, Chase, Kara, Michael and Claire
List each colony in your region, year founded, and the founder below.
- Rhode Island was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams and others, at providence
- Connecticut was founded also in 1636 by Thomas Hooker and others, at Hartford
- Massachusetts was founded in 1630 by John Winthrop and others, at Massachusetts Bay
- New Hampshire was founded in 1638 by John Wheelwright and others.
Give a brief description of why these colonies were founded.
The people who settled in the New England Colonies wanted to keep their families together and practice their own religions. The were used to doing many things themselves and not depending on other people for much. Some of these people came to the New England Colonies to make money, but they were not the majority.
List three geographical characteristics of each colony.
- Connecticut is about 110 miles long and 70 miles wide. The states that border Connecticut is Massachusetts, Long Island sound, Rhode Island, and New York. 4,845 of Connecticut is land and 698 miles is water.
- Rhode Island is 40 miles long and 30 miles wide. The states that border Rhode Island is Massachusetts, the Atlantic Ocean, and Connecticut. 1,045 miles of Rhode island is land and 500 miles is water.
- Massachusetts is 190 miles long and 50 miles wide. New Hampshire, Vermont territory, Connecticut, Rhode Island, the Atlantic Ocean, and New York border Massachusetts. 7,838 miles of Massachusetts is land and 2,717 miles is water.
- New Hampshire is 190 miles long and 70 miles wide. Canada, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, the Atlantic Ocean, Maine, and the Vermont territory all border New Hampshire. 8,969 miles of the New Hampshire is land and 382 miles is water.
What role did religion play in the development of your region?
Most New Englanders went for a church service to the meetinghouse, where they were often used for other things as well. The meetinghouse was a large building in the center of a town area and was used for town meetings as well as religious services.
How did colonist deal with illness? Describe the economic conditions of the region.
Illness: When the child got sick the mother would make the medicine. They would also move their beds closer to the fire so they could have heat. Herbs were thought to cure almost anything so every family had a garden with herbs to make their own medicines.
The New England Colonies were largely farming and fishing communities. The people made their own clothes and shoes. They grew much of their own food. Crops like corn and wheat grew in large numbers, and were shipped to England. Food that didn't grown in America were shipped from England.
TIMELINE:
Virginia: 1607
Massachusetts: 1620
New Hampshire: 1623
Maryland: 1632-1634
Connecticut: 1635
Rhode Island: 1636
Delaware: 1638
North Carolina: 1653
South Carolina: 1653
New York: 1664
New Jersey: 1664
Pennsylvania: 1682
Georgia: 1732