The New England Colonies
Voyage to New England
Two groups, united by a common ancestry divided in its religious views, settled Massachusetts. After King Henry VIII split from the Roman Church in the 1530s, his daughter Elizabeth I formed the Anglican Church, or the Church of England. Many members of the new church believed that the Church still contained too many of the traditions and rituals of the Catholic Church. One group of separatists believed that reforming the Church of England was impossible. Another group believed that it could and should be reformed. Both of these groups would voyage to New England seeking religious freedom. In this interactivity, learn about the colonization of New England. Click the player button to begin.
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As you explore this topic, fill out the Quick Facts about the Colonies Template to help you organize your ideas. You will need to reference this document again in the module assessment.
Religious Influence on Government and Society
Religion had a major influence on the Puritan government. The active members of the government were also the active members of the Puritan church. Any man who was a member of the Puritan church was allowed to vote, and therefore, granted a voice to speak at meetings of the government. Religion influenced the government, which impacted the role of the family and women in northern society. In this interactivity, learn how religion impacted the government and society of New England. Click the player button to begin.
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Dissent of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson
Not everyone agreed with the Puritan way of life and social structure. Two dissenters, Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, eventually separated from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Roger Williams was described as an extreme separatist. He felt that the colonists had no right to claim land from the American Indians. He even went as far to say that the royal charter granted to form the Massachusetts Bay Colony was a “National Sinne.” Williams disagreed with the punishment of settlers based on their religious beliefs. Williams felt that all people should be free to worship. He became one of the first American colonists to argue in favor of a separation of church and state. The General Court ordered Williams to be arrested. Before he could be captured, Williams fled to Rhode Island. Along the banks of the 
Narragansett Bay, Williams negotiated with the local American Indians for land to begin a new colony. Williams promised the separation of church and state in the colony he named Providence. Providence would later become the capital of Rhode Island.
Soon after Williams began the colony of Providence, another dissenter was banished. Anne Hutchinson posed an even greater threat to the Massachusetts Bay colony than Roger Williams. Hutchinson conducted Bible readings at her home. In her readings, Hutchinson taught that worshipers did not need the church or ministers to interpret the Bible. In 1638, she was banished. Together with a group of followers, Hutchinson fled to Rhode Island. Later she would move to New Netherland (New York) to continue pursuing religious freedom.
Economy of the New England Colonies
The economy of the New England colonies differed from the economy of the Southern colonies. In the Southern colonies, the geography was ideal for growing crops, which required slave labor to be productive. In the New England colonies, the geography was more diverse leading to a variety of economic activities. In addition, the Puritans' religious beliefs of individual hard work and thrift caused them to be less reliant on slave labor. The diversity of the New England colonies helped them to prosper. In this activity, learn about the agriculture, industry, and use of slaves in the New England colonies. Click the player button to begin.
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Disputes Over Land
As colonists arrived from European countries like England, Spain, and France to the New World, they encountered American Indians, also referred to as Native Americans. Different interactions between colonists and American Indians led to different outcomes. The Spanish took control of areas in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, using force to conquer the native peoples they encountered. In contrast, the French maintained more cooperative relations with the American Indians in Canada because there was never any large-scale immigration of colonists. In the English colonies, relations among the colonists and the American Indians usually ended in violence. Furthermore, millions of American Indians died from European diseases and epidemics, such as influenza, measles, and smallpox, because they had not built-up sufficient immunities against these diseases.
During the time that Roger Williams was creating a colony in Rhode Island, other colonists were beginning to settle in the states of New Hampshire, Connecticut, and western Massachusetts. As the settlers expanded, the American Indians saw their lands decrease. This threatened the way in which they lived their lives. In this interactivity, learn about two wars that arose between the Puritans and American Indians. Click the player button to begin.
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Witchcraft, Enlightenment, and The Great Awakening
In February of 1692, several Puritan girls from Salem, Massachusetts accused a slave girl of practicing witchcraft. In the small town of Salem, this accusation drew a great deal of attention. The people of Salem were already preoccupied with the idea of death from the fear of being attacked by American Indians. As the attention continued to grow, more girls were accused of practicing witchcraft. Many accused girls tried to save themselves by revealing the name of other “witches.” Eventually the court stopped the false claims, but not before 20 citizens were executed, five died in jail, and another 150 were placed in jail.
The Salem Witch Trials changed people’s views of the world. Questioning the existence of witchcraft, many people started to gain different ideas about nature. This intellectual movement was called Enlightenment. Enlightenment involved seeking truth through experimentation and reason. Leaders such as Benjamin Franklin proved that people could use their intellect to improve their lives. Enlightenment also had an impact on political 
thinking. Political leaders such as Thomas Jefferson eventually concluded that people have natural rights. Political thoughts about Enlightenment caused colonists to question the authority of the British. This type of questioning led to the American Revolution.
As the colonists' views of the world changed, the membership of the Puritan church experienced a sharp decline. In an effort to save the Puritan church, a charter in 1691 forced Puritans to allow freedom of worship. This allowed non-Puritan church members to vote. Puritans preachers like John Edwards (shown in the image to the right) sought to increase the membership of the Puritan church by preaching from town-to-town. These traveling preachers would hold outdoor revivals that attracted thousands of people. This “Great Awakening” lasted more than a decade.
The New England Colonies Review
Now that you have explored the New England colonies, it is time to review what you have learned. In this non-graded interactivity, read each statement and decide if it is true or false. Click the player button to get started.