Massachusetts Colony
Region: New England
Massachusetts: The Puritan Colony
The Massachusetts area was first settled by Pilgrims fleeing from England due to religious reasons. But the Colony itself was founded by other less extreme Puritans as well as John Winthrop. There reasons for founding it included religious freedom and economic gain. By 1720 the population of this colony was 91,000. It had become one of the biggest colonies.
Colonial Conflicts and Slavery:
In general, the Colony enjoyed stable unity. But there were some people who threatened this unity. They were Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams, who both had extreme ideas about things. Another conflict Massachusetts endured was the Pequot war in which the Puritans totally annihilated the Pequot tribe. Slavery was somewhat practiced in the earlier years of the colony, but was abolished in 1777.
Fun Fact: The Pilgrims were the first to survive in the New World without reinforcements!
John Adams
2nd President
John Quincy Adams
6th President
John F. Kennedy
35th President
Government and Economy
Economy relied mostly on trade, shipping, manufacture, and lumber. Before the American Revolution, was a royal colony. Inside the royal colony they held town meetings in which Colonists could speak up and represent themselves. After the American Revolution, Massachusetts helped contribute to the American Constitution with the precedent they set with their constitutional convention, and they became a democratic self-govrening state like all other states.
Typical Person and Role in American Revolution
The typical person in the Massachusetts Colony would be a poor farmer who worked a small farm and owned no slaves. They were typically devout puritans as well. Many of the Colonists in Massachusetts at the time of the Revolution were greatly angered by different bills that were being placed upon them. This led sayings such as "no taxation without representation" to be brought about. That is what Massachusetts did. The Colonists stirred up revolution in the other thirteen colonies and it also housed many of the rebellious extremists at the time.