Settling The Northern Colonies : Big Picture Themes

After the first few struggling settlements in the New World progressed, more and more colonies sprung from the untested North American soil. Eventually, there were three main categories to the European colonies. They were each unique, although one certain class stood in stark contrast to the other two. This group, the Middle colonies, was a halfway point between the New England and Southern colonies – and not just geographically. The Middle colonies extracted parts of its neighbors, like farming habits and spiritual sects, but the middle group managed to retain its own flavor.

Geographically the New England colonies were the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire; the Southern colonies were Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. These two regions were on opposite sides of America so naturally, they had

Thomas Gage—the honest,honorable British commander.The most powerful official in the colonies,Gage found himself cast as villain by the colonists and scapegoat by George III for his efforts to cope with an

These colonies all had economic factors that contributed to their founding. These factors later developed into different customs and traditions which led to the varied differences between the New England and Chesapeake colonies.

Martin Luther .  He declared that the Bible alone was the source of God's words.  He started the "Protestant Reformation."

What religious turmoil in the Old World resulted in the little colony of Plymouth in the New World?

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many English colonists settled into colonies in America, otherwise known as the “New World”. There were many reasons to do so, whether it be for economic benefit or to avoid religious persecution. These original 13 colonies began developing fast with the help from the English, growing population wise and government wise. Two specific areas included the New England and Chesapeake colonies. The Chesapeake colonies included Maryland and Virginia, while the colonies of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and the Massachusetts Bay colony were part of the New England colonies. These two colonial societies shared a few similarities regarding the development of their religion and economy, they also had a few differences.

James Otis: He coined the phrase “taxation without representation,” which was very popular. He was a lawyer and politician. He revolted against and challenged the British Parliament and their crude

Although New England, primarily Massachusetts, and the Chesapeake, primarily Virginia, were settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700 they evolved into two distinct societies. This occurred because of their motivations for settlement and the climate of the settlements. In the early seventeenth century, the Puritans settled in New England, founding the Massachusetts Bay area. The Puritans primarily settled for religious reasons, as they were hoping to separate themselves from the Church of England.

Although New England, primarily Massachusetts, and the Chesapeake, primarily Virginia, were both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. This difference in development occurred for the following three reasons: the geography, purpose of both colonies, and the priorities. The geography of each region was vastly different. In the New England colonies, the rocky landscape resulted in a short growing season.

Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams in 1636. He was exiled from Massachusetts so he began the wonderful state of Rhode Island. Benedict Arnold was the first governor; he was also the grandfather of Benedict Arnold, the traitor in the Revolutionary war. It will appear that the apple fell far from the tree.

The Massachusetts colony, otherwise known as the ‘Massachusetts Bay colony’ was originally settled by Puritans in 1630. They were plagued by the religious persecutions of King Charles I and the Church of England. Weary from this dogged torment, they left England under the leadership of John Winthrop. These original colonists quickly established many small towns in the name of high religious ideals and strict societal rules. They also planted churches, spread Puritanism and religiously educated the masses, as these were some of their goals. A utopian society that other colonies looked upon with high regards was the ultimate goal.

During the 17th century, many Puritans set sail for New England in order to escape religious persecution and re-create an English society that was accepting of the Puritan faith. John Winthrop, an educated lawyer from England who later became governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was one of the first in North America to advocate Puritan ideals and lifestyle. Winthrop delivered his sermon A Model of Christian Charity, in hopes of encouraging his shipmates to establish a truly spiritual community abroad. Almost fifty years later, a Puritan named Mary Rowlandson, daughter of a wealthy landowner and wife of a minister, wrote A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, describing her 11-week captivity by native

The European conquest for establishing North American colonies began with various motivations, each dependent on different, and/or merging necessities: economics, the desire to flee negative societal aspects, and the search for religious freedoms. Originally discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 in search for a trade route to Cathay (China), North America remained uninhabited, excluding the Native American establishments. Following this discovery, Spain –along with other European nations such as France, England, Sweden and the Netherlands– soon began the expedition to the new land with vast expectations. Driven by economic, societal, and religious purposes, the New World developed into a diversely structured colonial establishment

“William Bradford, One of the Mayflower Pilgrim Fathers, Governor of the Jurisdiction of Plymouth.” The William and Mary Quarterly, vol. 4, no. 1, 1895, pp. 63–64., www.jstor.org/stable/1916188.