CHAPTER

2 1605–1774

The English
Colonies
California Standards
History–Social Science
8.1 Students understand the major events preceding the founding
of the nation and relate their significance to the development of
American constitutional democracy.
8.2 Students analyze the political principles underlying the U.S.
Constitution and compare the enumerated and implied powers of
the federal government.

Analysis Skills
CS 2 Students construct various time lines of key events, people,
and periods of the historical era they are studying.

English–Language Arts
Writing 8.2.4.b Present detailed evidence, examples, and reasoning
to support arguments.
Reading 8.1.3 Use word meanings within the appropriate context.

FOCUS ON WRITING
Writing an Infomercial What if television had been
invented during the time that the English colonies were
being founded in North America? Instead of relying on
printed flyers and word of mouth to attract settlers, the
1620
founders of colonies might have made infomercials. In The Pilgrims sign
this chapter you will read about life in the American the Mayflower
colonies during different times. You will choose one time Compact.
period and colony and write an infomercial encouraging 1620
English citizens to settle in the colony of your choice.
1648
Work is
finished on
India’s Taj
Mahal.

Mayflower Compact courtesy of the Pilgrim

32 CHAPTER 2 Society, Plymouth, Massachusetts.
 HOLT
History’s Impact

▲
video series
Watch the video to under-
stand the impact of freedom of
religion in North America.

What You Will Learn…

Plymouth Colony thrives again in this highly
accurate re-creation. The original colonists came
to North America in 1620 in search of religious
freedom. By 1627, the year this scene re-creates,
the colonists were well established. Their success
encouraged others. In this chapter you will learn
about English settlements that dotted the east
coast of North America.

1763
1681 Pontiac, an 1773
William Penn American Indian, Patriots stage
establishes the colony leads a rebellion on the Boston
of Pennsylvania. the western frontier. Tea Party.
1670 1720 1770
1682 1768
Peter the Great British explorer James
becomes czar Cook sets sail on his first
of Russia. trip to the South Pacific,
meeting people like this
Sandwich Islander.
THE ENGLISH COLONIES 33
Reading Social Studies by Kylene Beers
Society Science and
Geography Religion and Culture Technology
Economics Politics

Focus on Themes In this chapter you will read settled political differences (sometimes peacefully,
about the people who settled the early colonies of other times not) and learned how to trade goods
North America. You will learn about the problems and grow crops to establish a thriving economy. You
they faced as they felt the tug between their home- will discover that the economy often influenced
land and their new land. You will see how they their politics.

Vocabulary Clues
Focus on Reading When you are reading your history textbook,
you may often come across a word you do not know. If that word isn’t
listed as a key term, how do you find out what it means?

Using Context Clues Context means surroundings. Authors often

include clues to the meaning of a difficult word in its context. You just
have to know how and where to look.

Clue How It Works Example Explanation

Direct Includes a definition in In the late 1600s England, like The phrase “the practice of
Definition the same or a nearby most western European nations, creating and maintaining wealth
sentence practiced mercantilism, the practice by carefully controlling trade”
of creating and maintaining wealth defines mercantilism.
by carefully controlling trade.
Restatement Uses different words The British continued to keep The word permanent is another
to say the same thing a standing, or permanent, army way to say standing.
in North America to protect the
colonists against Indian attacks.
Comparisons Compares or contrasts Unlike legal traders, smugglers did The word unlike indicates that
or Contrasts the unfamiliar word not have permission to bring goods smugglers are different from
with a familiar one into the country. legal traders.

Graphic organizers
are available
in the

34 CHAPTER 2
ELA Reading 8.1.3 Show ability to verify word meanings by
Key Terms
definition, restatement, example, comparison, or contrast.
and People
Chapter 2
You Try It! Section 1
The following sentences are from this chapter. Each uses a definition Jamestown (p. 36)
or restatement clue to explain unfamiliar words. See if you can use John Smith (p. 37)
the context to figure out the meaning of the words in italics. Pocahontas (p. 37)
indentured servants (p. 38)
Bacon’s Rebellion (p. 38)
Toleration Act of 1649 (p. 39)
Context Clues Up Close Olaudah Equiano (p. 41)
slave codes (p. 41)
1. In 1605 a company of English merchants From
Chapter 2
asked King James I for the right to found, Section 2
or establish, a settlement. (p. 36) Puritans (p. 42)
Pilgrims (p. 42)
2. The majority of these workers were immigrants (p. 42)
indentured servants, people who recieved Mayflower Compact (p. 43)
a free trip to North America by agree- Squanto (p. 43)
John Winthrop (p. 45)
ing to work without pay for a period of
Anne Hutchinson (p. 46)
years. (p. 38)
Section 3
3. In New England the center of politics Peter Stuyvesant (p. 49)
was the town meeting. In town meet- Quakers (p. 50)
ings people talked about and decided on William Penn (p. 50)
issues of local interest, such as paying staple crops (p. 51)
for schools. (p. 55) Section 4
town meeting (p. 55)
English Bill of Rights (p. 55)
Answer the questions about the sentences you read. triangular trade (p. 57)
Middle Passage (p. 58)
1. In example 1, what does the word found mean? What hints did Great Awakening (p. 58)
you find in the sentence to figure that out? Enlightenment (p. 59)
Pontiac (p. 61)
2. In example 2, where do you find the meaning of indentured
servants? What does this phrase mean?
Section 5
Samuel Adams (p. 65)
3. In example 3, you learn the definition of town meeting in the Committees of Correspondence
(p. 65)
second sentence. Can you combine these two sentences into Stamp Act of 1765 (p. 66)
one sentence? Try putting a dash after the word meeting and Boston Massacre (p. 67)
replacing “In town meetings” with “a place where . . .” Tea Act (p. 68)
Boston Tea Party (p. 68)
Intolerable Acts (p. 68)

Academic Vocabulary
In this chapter, you will learn the
As you read Chapter 2, look for context following academic words:
clues that can help you figure out the
authority (p. 37)
meanings of unfamiliar words or terms.
factors (p. 38)

THE ENGLISH COLONIES 35

 SECTION
1 The Southern
Colonies
What You Will Learn… If YOU were there…
Main Ideas A year ago, in 1609, you moved to the colony of Virginia. But life
1. The settlement in Jamestown here has been hard. During the winter many people died of cold
was the first permanent or sickness. Food is always scarce. Now it is spring, and a ship has
English settlement in
America. come from England bringing supplies. In a week it will sail home.
2. Daily life in Virginia was chal- Some of your neighbors are giving up and returning to England.
lenging to the colonists.
3. Religious freedom and eco- They ask you to come, too.
nomic opportunities were
motives for founding other Would you take the ship back to England?
southern colonies, including

Topography and Earl

Maryland, the Carolinas, and
Georgia.
4. Farming and slavery were
important to the economies BUILDING BACKGROUND Several European nations took part
of the southern colonies. in the race to claim lands in the Americas. Their next step was to
establish colonies in the lands that they claimed. The first English
The Big Idea colonies were started in the late 1500s but failed. Even in success-
Despite a difficult beginning,
ful colonies, colonists faced hardships and challenges.
the southern colonies soon
flourished.
Settlement in Jamestown
Key Terms and People In 1605 a company of English merchants asked King James I for the
Jamestown, p. 36 right to found, or establish, a settlement. In 1606 the king granted
John Smith, p. 37
the request of the company to settle in a region called Virginia.
Pocahontas, p. 37
indentured servants, p. 38
Bacon’s Rebellion, p. 38
Founding a New Colony
Toleration Act of 1649, p. 39 The investors in the new settlement formed a joint-stock company
Olaudah Equiano, p. 41 called the London Company. This allowed the group to share the
slave codes, p. 41 cost and risk of establishing the colony. On April 26, 1607, the first
105 colonists sent by the London Company arrived in America.
On May 14, about 40 miles up the James River in Virginia, the
colonists founded Jamestown, the first permanent English settle-
ment in North America.
A lack of preparation cost a lot of the colonists their lives. Most
of the men who came to Jamestown were adventurers with no
HSS 8.1 Students understand the farming experience or useful skills such as carpentry. Jamestown
major events preceding the founding
of the nation and relate their signifi- was surrounded by marshes full of disease-carrying mosquitoes.
cance to the development of American By the time winter arrived, two-thirds of the original colonists
constitutional democracy. had died.

36 CHAPTER 2
Jamestown Colony Williamsburg

Williamsburg was
The forest could founded in 1633 as
provide wood for Middle Plantation by

C h esap
building and for fuel. settlers from Jamestown.

e ak
Jam The waters provided

e Ba y
es R
ive fish for food. But the
r
water, so near the
Jamestown
sea, was salty.
ATLAN
OCEA Jamestown
1607

Ja
Roanoke Marsh

m
es
Jamestown was located with defense in
mind. Enemy Spanish ships would have to

R
ve

i
pass through a narrow channel to reach
r
Jamestown, making the ships easy marks GEOGRAPHY
for the settlers’ cannons. SKILLS INTERPRETING MAPS
Smith's Fort 1. Human-Environment Interaction What were the
advantages and disadvantages of locating
Jamestown on a river?
2. Human-Environment Interaction What do you think
would have been a commonly used method of trans-
portation for people in this region?

Powhatan Confederacy War in Virginia

Jamestown fared better under John Smith, John Rolfe married Pocahontas, daughter
who took control of the colony in 1608 and of the Powhatan leader, in 1614. Their mar-
built a fort. He forced the settlers to work riage helped the colonists form more peaceful
harder and to build better housing by creat- relations with the Powhatan. However, Poca-
ing rules that rewarded harder workers with hontas died three years later in England,
food. The Jamestown colonists received help which she was visiting with Rolfe.
from the powerful Powhatan Confederacy In 1622, colonists killed a Powhatan
of Indians after Smith made an agreement leader. The Powhatan responded by attack-
with them. The Powhatan brought food to ing the Virginia settlers later that year. Fight-
help the colonists, and then taught them ing between the colonists and the Powhatan
how to grow corn. continued for the next 20 years. Because
In 1609 some 400 more settlers arrived the London Company could not protect its
in Jamestown. That winter, disease and fam- colonists, the English Crown canceled the
ine once again hit the colony. The colonists Company’s charter in 1624. Virginia became ACADEMIC
called this period the starving time. By the a royal colony and existed under the VOCABULARY
spring of 1610, only 60 colonists were still authority of a governor chosen by the king. authority
alive. Jamestown failed to make a profit until power, right
to rule
colonist John Rolfe introduced a new type of READING CHECK Finding Main Ideas
tobacco that sold well in England. What problems did the Jamestown colonists face?

THE ENGLISH COLONIES 37

 Daily Life in Virginia Labor in Virginia
In early Virginia, people lived on scattered Colonists in Virginia faced a hard life. They
farms rather than in towns. Tobacco farmers suffered very high death rates, which led to
soon began establishing large farms called labor shortages in the colony. The majority of
plantations. workers were indentured servants, people who
received a free trip to North America by agree-
Headright System ing to work without
without pay for a period of years.
These plantations were made possible in part
by the headright system, which was started
Expansion of Slavery
by the London Company. Under this system, Not all laborers in Virginia came from
colonists who paid their own way to Virginia Europe. A Dutch ship brought the first
received 50 acres of land. A colonist could Africans to Virginia in 1619. Some Africans
earn another 50 acres for every additional were servants; others had been enslaved. Some
ACADEMIC person brought from England. Rich colonists African servants became successful farmers
VOCABULARY when their contracts ended.
factors who brought servants or relatives to Virginia
causes gained large amounts of land. The demand for workers was soon greater
than the supply of people willing to work as
indentured servants. Over time, the cost of
slaves fell. These factors led some colonists
Primary Source to turn to slave labor. By the mid-1600s most
Africans in Virginia were being kept in life-
LETTER long slavery.
A Note from Virginia
In this 1619 letter, the secretary of the Virginia colony, Bacon’s Rebellion
John Pory, encouraged people to move to Virginia. As plantations grew, the economy of James-
town began to expand. Soon, colonial offi-
cials began to ask for more taxes. During the
“As touch ing the qual ity of this coun try, mid-1600s poor colonists protested the higher
three thin gs there be , whic h in few years may taxes. They were also upset about the gover-
nor’s policies toward Native Americans. They
bring this colon y to perfe ction ; the Engl ish thought the colony was not well protected
plow , vine yard s, & cattl e . . . All our riche s against attack from Indians. In 1676 a group of
for the prese nt do consi st in tobac co, wher ein former indentured servants led by Nathaniel
one man by his own labor has in one year, Bacon attacked some friendly American Indi-
ans. Bacon opposed the governor’s policies pro-
raise d to hims elf to the valu e of 200 poun ds moting trade with American Indians. He also
sterl ing; and anot her by the mean s of six thought the colonists should be able to take
serva nts has clear ed at one crop a thou sand the Indians’ land. When the governor tried to
poun d Engl ish . Thes e be true , yet inde ed rare stop him, Bacon and his followers attacked and
burned Jamestown in an uprising known as
exam ples, yet possi ble to be done by other s.”
Bacon’s Rebellion.
At one point, Bacon controlled much of
—from The Power of Words, edited by T. H. Breen
the colony. He died of fever, however, and
ANALYSIS the rebellion soon ended.
SKILL ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
How does this letter indicate the importance of READING CHECK Analyzing What factors led
tobacco in Virginia? to the increased use of slave labor in Virginia?

38 CHAPTER 2
 Southern Wealth
Colonists overcame tough begin-
nings to create large and wealthy
settlements like this one in
Virginia. Churches were often the
first major buildings in a growing
town.
How does the large church in the
picture show Virginia’s wealth?

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Other Southern Colonies This meant that the colony’s proprietors, or

As Jamestown was developing in Virginia, owners, controlled the government.
new groups of colonists began planning their In 1634 a group of 200 English Catholics
move to America. Many English Catholics came to Maryland. Included in the group were
came to America to escape religious persecu- wealthy landowners, servants, craftspeople,
tion. English Catholics had long been against and farmers. Settlers in Maryland benefited
England’s separation from the Roman Cath- from the lessons learned by the Jamestown
olic Church. For this reason they were not colonists. They spent their time raising corn,
allowed by the Church of England to worship cattle, and hogs so that they would have
freely. English leaders also feared that English enough to eat. Before long, many colonists
Catholics would ally with Catholic countries also began growing tobacco for profit.
such as France and Spain in conflicts. Although Catholics founded Maryland,
a growing number of Protestants began mov-
Maryland ing there in the 1640s. Soon, religious conflicts
In the 1620s George Calvert, the first Lord arose between Catholics and Protestants in the
Baltimore, asked King Charles I for a char- colony. To reduce tensions, Lord Baltimore
ter establishing a new colony in America for presented a bill to the colonial assembly that
Catholics. In 1632 Charles issued the charter became known as the Toleration Act of 1649.
to Calvert’s son, Cecilius, who took over the This bill made it a crime to restrict the reli-
planning of the colony. Cecilius, known as gious rights of Christians. This was the first
the second Lord Baltimore, named the colony law supporting religious tolerance passed in
Maryland in honor of England’s queen, Henri- the English colonies.
etta Maria. It was located just north of Virginia The Toleration Act did not stop all religious
in the Chesapeake Bay area. Calvert intended conflict. However, it did show that the govern-
for the colony to be a refuge for English ment wanted to offer some religious freedom
Catholics. It would also be a proprietary colony. and to protect the rights of minority groups.

THE ENGLISH COLONIES 39

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Economies of the colonies. One former slave named Olaudah
Equiano recorded his experiences.
Southern Colonies
The economies of the southern colonies “Tortures, murder, and every other imaginable
depended on agriculture. They also exported barbarity . . . are practiced upon the poor slaves
materials for building ships, such as wood with impunity [no punishment]. I hope the
and tar. Some colonies traded with local
slave-trade will be abolished. ”
—Olaudah Equiano, from The Interesting Narrative
Indians for deerskins to sell. of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African
The economies of the colonies were
Most of the southern colonies passed
agrarian—that is, based on farming. They had
slave codes, or laws to control slaves.
slaves Colonies
many small farms and some large plantations.
with large numbers of slaves had the strictest
Farms did well because the South enjoyed a
slave codes. For example, South Carolina’s
warm climate and a long growing season.
slaveholders feared that slaves would revolt.
Many farms grew cash crops that were sold
As a result, South Carolina’s code said slaves
for profit. Tobacco, rice, and indigo—a plant
could not hold meetings or own weapons.
used to make blue dye—were the most
Some colonies did not allow slaveholders to
important cash crops.
free their slaves.
The southern colonies’ cash crops
required a great deal of difficult work to grow READING CHECK Summarizing What role did
and harvest. This meant a large workforce slavery play in the southern plantation economy?
was needed. By the 1700s enslaved Africans, How was it regulated?
rather than indentured servants, had become
the main source of labor.
Slavery was a viciously brutal condi- SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
tion for many inhabitants of the southern you read about life in the southern colo-
nies. In the next section you will learn
about the New England colonies.

Online Quiz
Section 1 Assessment KEYWORD: SS8 HP2

Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People HSS 8.1 Critical Thinking

1. a. Describe How did John Smith improve condi- 5. Contrasting Using a chart like the one below,
tions in Jamestown? identify when and why each of the southern
b. Explain What events led to a conflict between colonies was founded.
the Jamestown settlers and the Powhatan Confed-
Colony Year Founded Reason for
eracy? Establishment
2. a. Recall Why were indentured servants neces-
sary in Virginia?
b. Evaluate What do you think was the most seri-
ous problem faced by settlers in Virginia? Why?
3. a. Identify Which colony was the first to promote
FOCUS ON WRITING
religious tolerance? 6. Gathering Some Ideas As you read this section,
b. Analyze Why did more enslaved Africans live in take notes on the early colonies of Virginia, Mary-
South Carolina than did white settlers? land, the Carolinas, and Georgia. Be sure to note
c. Predict How might the colony of Georgia have what advantages they offered to settlers and what
been different if Oglethorpe’s plan had succeeded? difficulties settlers faced. Start to think about the
4. a. Recall What was the purpose of slave codes? people who would be most likely to settle in the
b. Analyze Why were slaves in high demand in southern colonies.
the southern colonies?

THE ENGLISH COLONIES 41

 SECTION
2 The New England
Colonies
What You Will Learn… If YOU were there...
Main Ideas You live in a town near London in the early 1700s. Some of your
1. The Pilgrims and Puritans neighbors are starting new lives in the American colonies. You
came to America to avoid
religious persecution. would like to go with them, but you cannot afford the cost of the
2. Religion and government trip. There is one way you can go, though. You can sign a paper
were closely linked in the
New England colonies. promising to work as a servant for five years. Then you would be
3. The New England economy free—and in a new country!
was based on trade and
farming. Would you sign the paper and go to America?
4. Education was important in
the New England colonies.

The Big Idea BUILDING BACKGROUND England’s first successful colonial

English colonists traveled to settlements were in Virginia. They were started mainly as business
New England to gain religious ventures. Other colonists in North America had many different reasons
freedom.
for leaving their homes. Many, like the Pilgrims and Puritans, came to
have freedom to practice their religious beliefs. Others, like the person
Key Terms and People above, simply wanted a new way of life.
Puritans, p. 42
Pilgrims, p. 42
immigrants, p. 42
Mayflower Compact, p. 43 Pilgrims and Puritans
Squanto, p. 43 Religious tensions in England remained high after the Protestant
John Winthrop, p. 44 Reformation. A Protestant group called the Puritans wanted to
Anne Hutchinson, p. 46 purify,, or reform
purify reform,, the Anglican Church
Church.. The Puritans thought that
bishops and priests had too much power over church members.

Pilgrims on the Move

The most extreme English Protestants wanted to separate from the
Church of England. These Separatists formed their own churches
and cut all ties with the Church of England. In response, Anglican
leaders began to punish Separatists.
The Pilgrims were one Separatist group that left England in
the early 1600s to escape persecution. The Pilgrims moved to the
Netherlands in 1608. The Pilgrims were immigrants —people who
have left the country of their birth to live in another country.
HSS 8.2.1 Discuss the significance The Pilgrims were glad to be able to practice their religion
of the Magna Carta, the English Bill of freely. They were not happy, however, that their children were learn-
Rights, and the Mayflower Compact.

42 CHAPTER 2
ing the Dutch language and culture. The Pil-
Primary Source
grims feared that their children would forget
their English traditions. The Pilgrims decided HISTORICAL DOCUMENT
to leave Europe altogether. They formed a
joint-stock company with some merchants
The Mayflower Compact
In November 1620, Pilgrim leaders aboard the Mayflower
and then received permission from England
drafted the Mayflower Compact. This excerpt from the
to settle in Virginia.
Mayflower Compact describes the principles of the Pilgrim
On September 16, 1620, a ship called the colony’s government.
Mayflower left England with more than 100
We whose names are underwritten . . . having The Pilgrims
men, women, and children aboard. Not all of
undertaken, for the glory of God, and advance- describe the
these colonists were Pilgrims. However, Pil- reasons they
ment of the Christian faith, and the honour of
grim leaders such as William Bradford sailed want to form
our King and country, a voyage to plant the
a colony in
with the group. first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, North America.
do by these presents solemnly and mutually
The Mayflower Compact
in the presence of God, and one of another,
After two months of rough ocean travel, the covenant and combine ourselves together
Pilgrims sighted land far north of Virginia. into a civil body politic for our better ordering
The Pilgrims knew that they would thus be and preservation and furtherance of the ends
outside the authority of Virginia’s colonial aforesaid; and by virtue hereof, to enact, The Pilgrims
promise to
government when they landed. Their charter constitute, and frame such just and equal
obey laws that
would not apply. So, they decided to establish laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and of- help the whole
fices . . . as shall be thought most meet and colony.
their own basic laws and social rules to govern
convenient for the general good of the colony
the colony they would found.
unto which we promise all due . . . obedience.
On November 21, 1620, 41 of the male
passengers on the ship signed the Mayflower by these presents: by this aforesaid: mentioned above
document virtue: authority
Compact, a legal contract in which they agreed
covenant: promise ordinances: regulations
to have fair laws to protect the general good. The civil body politic: group meet: fitting
Compact represents one of the first attempts organized to govern
at self-government in the English colonies.
ANALYSIS
In late 1620 the Pilgrims landed at Plym- SKILL ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
outh Rock in present-day Massachusetts. The
1. Why do you think the colonists felt the need to
colonists struggled through the winter to establish a government for themselves?
build the Plymouth settlement. Nearly half of 2. How do you think the Mayflower Compact influenced
the tired Pilgrims died during this first winter later governments in America?
from sickness and the freezing weather.

Pilgrims and Native Americans From Squanto the Pilgrims learned to

In March 1621 a Native American named fertilize the soil with fish remains. Squanto also
Samoset walked boldly into the colonists’ helped the Pilgrims establish relations with
settlement. He spoke in broken English. the local Wampanoag Indians. Conditions in
Samoset had learned some English from the the Plymouth colony began to improve.
crews of English fishing boats. He gave the The Pilgrims invited Wampanoag chief
Pilgrims useful information about the peoples Massasoit and 90 other guests to celebrate
and places of the area. He also introduced their harvest. This feast became known as the
them to a Patuxet Indian named Squanto. first Thanksgiving. For the event, the Pilgrims
Squanto had at one time lived in Europe and killed wild turkeys. This event marked the
spoke English as well. survival of the Pilgrims in the new colony.

THE ENGLISH COLONIES 43

 Pilgrim Community Puritans Leave England
Although the Pilgrims overcame many prob- During the 1620s England’s economy suf-
lems, their small settlement still struggled. fered. Many people lost their jobs. The Eng-
Most Pilgrims became farmers, but the farm- lish king, Charles I, made the situation worse
land around their settlement was poor. They by raising taxes. This unpopular act led to a
had hoped to make money by trading furs political crisis. At the same time, the Church
and by fishing. Unfortunately, at first fish- of England began to punish Puritans because
ing and hunting conditions were not good they were dissenters, or people who disagree
in the area. Some colonists traded corn with with official opinions. King Charles refused
American Indians for beaver furs. The Pil- to allow Puritans to criticize church actions.
grims made little money but were able to
form a strong community. The colony began
Great Migration
to grow stronger in the mid-1620s when new These economic, political, and religious prob-
settlers arrived and after colonists began to lems in England led to the Great Migration.
gain more rights to farm their own land. Between 1629 and 1640 many thousands
The Pilgrims’ settlement was different of English men, women, and children left
from Virginia’s in that it had many families. England. More than 40,000 of these people
The Pilgrims taught their children to read and moved to English colonies in New England
offered some education to their indentured and the Caribbean. In 1629, Charles granted
servants. Families served as centers of religious a group of Puritans and merchants a charter
life, health care, and community well-being. to settle in New England. They formed the
All family members worked together to Massachusetts Bay Company.
survive during the early years of the colony. In 1630 a fleet of ships carrying Puritan
Women generally cooked, spun and wove colonists left England for Massachusetts to
wool, and sewed clothing. They also made seek religious freedom. They were led by John
soap and butter, carried water, dried fruit, and Winthrop. The Puritans believed that they
cared for livestock. Men spent most of their had made a covenant, or promise, with God
time repairing tools and working in the fields. to build an ideal Christian community.
They also chopped wood and built shelters. A New Colony
The Puritans arrived in New England well pre-
Women in the Colony pared to start their colony. They brought large
In Plymouth, women had more legal rights amounts of tools and livestock with them. Like
than they did in England. In England women the Pilgrims, the Puritans faced little resistance
were not allowed to make contracts, to sue, or from local American Indians. Trade with the
to own property. In America, Pilgrim women Plymouth colony helped them too. In addi-
had the right to sign contracts and to bring tion, the region around Boston had a fairly
some cases before local courts. Widows could healthful climate. Thus, few Puritans died
also own property. from sickness. All of these things helped the
From time to time, local courts recog- Massachusetts Bay Colony do well. By 1691,
nized the ways women helped the business the Massachusetts Bay Colony had expanded
community. Widow Naomi Silvester received to include the Pilgrims’ Plymouth Colony.
a large share of her husband’s estate. The court
called her “a frugal [thrifty] and laborious READING CHECK Summarizing What role did
[hardworking] woman.” religion play in the establishment of the Massa-
chusetts Bay Colony?

44 CHAPTER 2
History Close-up

Plymouth Colony Several years

later, the second
Plymouth colony, Duxbury,
N
Colony was founded. E
W

New
England
Colonies

70°W P l y m o u t h B a y
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
The Pilgrims landed
in a region of forests,
streams, and rocky soil.
Plymouth Colony was
IND

surrounded by stakes
IAN

that formed a wall of

TRA

protection. Outside the

wall were colonists’
IL

crop fields.

Plymouth Colony
(1620)
Abandoned
Indian
Village

ANALYSIS
SKILLS ANALYZING VISUALS
In what ways were Plymouth Colony and the Indian
village similar and different?

governor and his assistants. In 1644 the Gen-

Religion and Government eral Court became a two-house, or bicameral,
in New England legislature.
Massachusetts Bay Colony had to obey Eng- Politics and religion were closely linked
lish laws. However, its charter provided more in Puritan New England. Government lead-
independence than did the royal charter of ers were also church members, and ministers
Virginia. For example, it created a General often had a great deal of power in Puritan
Court to help run the Massachusetts colony. communities. Male church members were
The Puritan colonists turned this court the only colonists who could vote. Colonists
into a type of self-government to represent became full members in the church by becom-
the needs of the people. Each town sent ing what the Puritans called God’s “elect,” or
two or three delegates to the Court. After chosen. Reaching this status was a difficult
John Winthrop served as the colony’s first process. Individuals had to pass a public test
governor, the General Court elected the to prove that their faith was strong.

THE ENGLISH COLONIES 45

 BIOGR APHY In 1636 minister Thomas Hooker and his
followers left Massachusetts to help found
Anne Hutchinson Connecticut, another New England colony.
1591–1643 In 1639 Hooker wrote the Fundamental
In 1634 Anne Hutchinson emigrated Orders of Connecticut. This set of princi-
with her family from England to the ples made Connecticut’s government more
Massachusetts Bay Colony. After set- democratic. For example, the Orders allowed
tling in Boston, she worked as a nurse men who were not church members to vote.
and midwife. She also hosted a Bible-
As a result, some historians call Hooker the
study class that met in her home. Over
father of American democracy. The Funda-
time, Hutchinson began to question
the teachings of the local ministers. mental Orders of Connecticut also outlined
Meanwhile, her popularity grew. the powers of the general courts.
After being banished from the colony,
Not all Puritans shared the same religious
Hutchinson settled in Rhode Island and, views. Minister Roger Williams did not agree
later, Long Island. She died in an Ameri- with the leadership of Massachusetts. He
can Indian attack. Today we remember called for his church to separate completely
her as a symbol of the struggle for from the other New England congregations.
religious freedom. Williams also criticized the General Court for
taking land from American Indians without
Drawing Conclusions Why do paying them.
you think church leaders disliked
Puritan leaders worried that Williams’s
Hutchinson’s ideas?
ideas might hurt the unity of the colony.
They made him leave Massachusetts. Wil-
liams took his supporters to southern New
England. They formed a new settlement called
Providence. This settlement later developed
into the colony of Rhode Island. In Provi-
dence, Williams supported the separation of
the church from the state. He also believed
in religious tolerance for all members of
Church and State
the community.
In Boston, an outspoken woman also
Religion Affected Government angered Puritan church leaders. Anne
• Government leaders were Hutchinson publicly discussed religious ideas
church members. that some leaders thought were radical. For
• Ministers had great authority. example, Hutchinson believed that people’s
relationship with God did not need guidance
from ministers.
Hutchinson’s views alarmed Puritans
such as John Winthrop. Puritan leaders did
Government Affected Religion not believe that women should be religious
• Government leaders outlawed leaders. Puritan leaders put Hutchinson on
certain religious views. trial for her ideas. The court decided to force
• Government leaders punished her out of the colony. With a group of fol-
dissenters.
lowers, Hutchinson helped found the new

46 CHAPTER 2
colony of Portsmouth, later a part of the col- hunting for whales that swam close to shore.
ony of Rhode Island. Whales were captured with harpoons, or
Perhaps the worst community conflicts spears, and dragged to shore. Whaling pro-
in New England involved the witchcraft tri- vided valuable oil for lighting.
als of the early 1690s. The largest number of
trials were held in Salem, Massachusetts. In Shipbuilding
Salem a group of girls had accused people Shipbuilding became an important industry
of casting spells on them. The community in New England for several reasons. The area
formed a special court to judge the witch- had plenty of forests that provided materi-
craft cases. The court often pressured the sus- als for shipbuilding. As trade—particularly in
pected witches to confess. Before the trials slaves—in the New England seaports grew,
had ended, the Salem witch trials led to 19 more merchant ships were built. The fish-
people being put to death. ing industry also needed ships. New England
shipyards made high-quality, valuable ves-
READING CHECK Identifying Cause and
sels. Ship owners sometimes even told their
Effect What led to religious disagreements
captains to sell the ship along with the cargo
among the Puritans, and what was the result?
when they reached their destination.

New England Economy Skilled Craftspeople

Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hamp-
The northern economy needed skilled crafts-
shire, and Rhode Island were very different
people. Families often sent younger sons to
from the southern colonies because they
learn skilled trades such as blacksmithing,
emphasized manufacturing. The often harsh
weaving, shipbuilding, and printing. The
climate and rocky soil meant that few New
young boys who learned skilled trades were
England farms could grow cash crops. Most
known as apprentices.
farming families grew crops and raised ani-
Apprentices lived with a master craftsman
mals for their own use. There was thus little
and learned from him. In exchange, the boys
demand for farm laborers. Although some
performed simple tasks. Apprentices had to
people held slaves, slavery did not become as
promise the craftsmen that they would work
important to this region.
for them for a set number of years. They
Merchants learned trades that were essential to the sur-
Trade was vital to New England’s economy. vival of the colonies. Apprentices received
New England merchants traded goods locally, food and often clothing from the craftsmen.
with other colonies, and overseas. Many of Gabriel Ginings was an apprentice in Ports-
them traded local products such as furs, pick- mouth, Rhode Island. He received “sufficient
led beef, and pork. Many merchants grew in food and raiment (clothing) suitable for such
power and wealth, becoming leading mem- an apprentice,” as his 1663 contract stated.
bers of the New England colonies. After a certain amount of time had THE IMPACT
passed, apprentices became journeymen. TODAY
Fishing They usually traveled and learned new skills Fishing remains
Fishing became one of the region’s leading in their trade. Eventually they would become an important
industries. The rich waters off New England’s a master of the trade themselves. industry in New
England, earning
coast served as home to many fish, includ-
hundreds of
ing cod, mackerel, and halibut. Merchants READING CHECK Categorizing What types of millions of dollars
exported dried fish. Colonists also began jobs were common in the New England colonies? each year.

THE ENGLISH COLONIES 47

 Education in the Colonies elementary grades. Many went to work, either
on their family farm or away from home.
Education was important in colonial New
England. Mothers and fathers wanted their Higher Education
children to be able to read the Bible. The
Higher education was also important to the
Massachusetts Bay Colony passed some of
colonists. In 1636 John Harvard and the
the first laws requiring parents to provide
General Court founded Harvard College.
instruction for their children.
Harvard taught ministers and met the colo-
Public Education nies’ need for higher education. The second
To be sure that future generations would have college founded in the colonies, William and
educated ministers, communities established Mary, was established in Virginia in 1693.
town schools. In 1647 the General Court of By 1700 about 70 percent of men and 45
THE IMPACT
TODAY Massachusetts issued an order that a school percent of women in New England could read
be founded in every township of 50 families. and write. These figures were much lower
Public schools
remain the Schoolchildren often used the New Eng- in Virginia, where Jamestown was the only
primary source land Primer, which had characters and stories major settlement.
of education
for most U.S.
from the Bible. They learned to read at the
READING CHECK Analyzing Why was
children. Total same time that they learned about the com-
enrollment to- munity’s religious values. education important to the New England colonies?
day is around 50
million students.
The availability of schooling varied in
the colonies. There were more schools in
New England than in the other colonies SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
where most children lived far from towns. you learned about the role that religion
These children had to be taught by their played in the New England colonies. In
parents or by private tutors. Most colonial the next section you’ll learn about New
children stopped their education after the York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Online Quiz
Section 2 Assessment KEYWORD: SS8 HP2

Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People HSS 8.2.1 Critical Thinking

1. a. Recall Why did the Pilgrims and Puritans leave 5. Categorizing Copy the chart below and use it to
Europe for the Americas? identify the characteristics of the New England
b. Elaborate Do you think the Pilgrims could have colonies.
survived without the assistance of Squanto and
Massasoit? Explain your answer. Role of Church Economic Activities Education
2. a. Describe What role did the church play in
Massachusetts?
b. Analyze Why did some colonists disagree with
the leaders of Massachusetts?
3. a. Identify Describe the economy in the New FOCUS ON WRITING
England colonies. 6. Comparing Colonies Take notes on the early
b. Analyze Why do you think New England mer- New England colonies. Be sure to note what
chants became leading members of society? advantages they offered to settlers and what dif-
4. a. Describe What steps did the Massachusetts Bay ficulties settlers faced. Put a star beside the colony
Colony take to promote education? or colonies you might use in your infomercial.
b. Predict What are some possible benefits that
New England’s emphasis on education might bring?

48 CHAPTER 2