The Northeastern Colonies
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
Massachusetts
- The Massachusetts Colony was founded in 1630 by John Winthrop and other Puritans, at Massachusetts Bay.
- Name of an Algonquian tribe meaning “At the Great Hill.”
- The first maps and records were made by John Smith in 1614. Permanent occupation of the colony dates from the voyage of the "Mayflower," which brought over a hundred men, women and children.
- Natural Resources: Fish, whales, forests. Imported agricultural products from other colonies. Farming was difficult for crops like wheat because of the poor soil but corn, pumpkins, rye, squash and beans were raised.
Rhode Island
- The Rhode Island Colony was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams and other colonists, such as Anne Hutchinson at Providence.
- Named "Roodt Eylandt" by Adrian Block, the Dutch explorer. The meaning of the name is "red island" referring to the red clay that lined the shore.
- There was no religious freedom in the areas inhabited by the Puritans as they did not tolerate any other form of religion. Refer to Religion to the colonies.