New England Colonies facts for kids

"Anglia Nova" redirects here. For the medieval Black Sea colony, see Nova Anglia.

Quick facts for kids New England Colonies
1620–1776
Map of the New England Colonies in 1755
Historical era	British colonization of the Americas Puritan migration to New England American Revolution

• Popham Colony	1607
• Council for New England founded	1620 the New England Colonies were established 1620
• Landing of the Mayflower	1620
• Founding of Boston	1630
• Providence Plantations	1636
• New England Confederation formed	1643
• Dominion of New England	1686-1689
• British troops leave Boston	1776
• Reorganized as part of the United Colonies	1776

The New England Colonies were a group of early English settlements in North America. These colonies included Connecticut Colony, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, and the Province of New Hampshire. They were part of the larger Thirteen Colonies that later formed the United States.

Over time, Plymouth Colony joined with Massachusetts. Today, these areas make up five of the six states in the region known as New England. Maine also became a separate state from Massachusetts much later. The name "New England" was first used in 1616 by Captain John Smith to describe the coast from Long Island to Newfoundland.

Early European Settlements in New England
Founding the New England Colonies
- New Settlements Emerge
Colonial Trade and Economy
Native Americans and Forced Labor
Education in the Colonies
Colonies and Their Status
Images for kids
See also

Early European Settlements in New England

In the early 1600s, countries like England, France, and the Netherlands tried to start colonies in New England. They often argued over who owned the land. For example, a French group tried to settle on Saint Croix Island, Maine in 1604. Many settlers died during the harsh winter, so the survivors moved north to Nova Scotia.

King James I of England wanted a lasting English settlement. He gave land grants to two companies: the Plymouth Company and the London Company. In 1607, the Plymouth Company started the Popham Colony in what is now Maine. The colonists faced a very cold winter and lost supplies in a fire. Relations with local Native American tribes were also difficult.

After their leader died and another decided to return home, all the colonists left in 1608. They sailed back to England on two ships, one of which, the Virginia of Sagadahoc, was the first ocean-going ship built in North America.

Other European groups also tried to settle. The French built Fort Pentagouet in Maine in 1613. This fort was a trading and fishing post and was held by the English, French, and Dutch at different times. Dutch explorer Adriaen Block explored the Connecticut River in 1614. By 1623, the Dutch West India Company had a trading post there, which they called "House of Hope."

Founding the New England Colonies

A group called the Pilgrims arrived on the ship Mayflower in 1620. They came from England and the Netherlands to create Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. This was the second successful English colony in America, after Jamestown, Virginia. About half of the 102 passengers died during their first winter due to sickness and the cold.

In 1621, a Native American named Squanto helped the colonists greatly. He taught them how to grow corn and find food like eels and fish. His help was vital for their survival. The Pilgrims settled on the land where Squanto's Patuxet tribe had lived before a disease wiped them out.

The Plymouth settlement faced many challenges and didn't make much money. However, it gained a good reputation in England. This encouraged more Puritans to move to New England between 1620 and 1640, a period known as the Great Migration.

Other Puritans started arriving in the mid-1620s. They learned from the Pilgrims' hard first winter. In 1623, a small fishing village was set up at Cape Ann. Later, a larger group of Puritans arrived in 1630. They left England because they wanted to worship God in their own way, different from the official Church of England.

These early colonies were governed separately. But in 1691, Plymouth Colony joined with the Massachusetts Bay Colony to form the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

New Settlements Emerge

The Puritans also started the first public school system in America. They wanted everyone to be able to read the Bible for themselves. However, people who disagreed with Puritan laws were sometimes forced to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony. For example, John Wheelwright and his followers moved to New Hampshire and then Maine.

In 1636, Roger Williams was banished from Massachusetts Bay because of his beliefs. He thought that government and religion should be separate. He also believed that colonists should buy land fairly from the Wampanoag and Narragansett tribes. He escaped and traveled through deep snow. Native American tribes helped him survive and sold him land. He named his new colony Providence Plantations, which offered religious freedom and separation of church and state. Other settlements on Aquidneck Island and in Warwick later joined to form the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

Thomas Hooker also left Massachusetts in 1636 with his followers. They founded a settlement that became Connecticut Colony. This community was first called Newtown, then Hartford. Hooker believed that all adult male property owners, not just church members, should be able to vote. He helped create the Fundamental Orders, which is considered one of America's first constitutions. Other colonies, like New Haven Colony and Saybrook Colony, later joined Connecticut.

Colonial Trade and Economy

The first New England colonies were often fishing villages or farming communities near rivers. The soil in New England was rocky and not as fertile as in other colonies. However, the land had valuable resources like lumber, which was needed in England. Hunting also provided furs for trade and food.

New England's location along the Atlantic coast meant there was plenty of sea life. Good harbors and rivers protected ships and offered freshwater fishing. By the late 1600s, New England colonists had a trade network. They traded with England, the Slave Coast of West Africa, the West Indies, and the Iberian Peninsula. They imported items like glass, linens, and tools from Britain and Europe.

Unlike the Southern Colonies, which produced tobacco and rice, New England mainly offered fish, furs, and lumber to England. This sometimes caused economic challenges. In the 1700s, shipbuilding became very important. It used the abundant lumber and helped the economy grow, often with support from the British Crown.

In 1652, the Massachusetts colony started making its own coins, like shillings. This was to help with a shortage of money. The English government saw this as a challenge to their authority. The colony continued making coins until 1682, which was one reason why Massachusetts Bay Colony's charter was later taken away in 1684.

Native Americans and Forced Labor

During conflicts in New England, such as the Pequot War (1636–1638) and King Philip's War (1675–1678), some Native Americans who were captured were forced to work for the colonists. This was a difficult practice where people were made to labor against their will. Sometimes, these captured individuals were sent to other places, like the West Indies, to work on plantations.

Some colonists, like Benjamin Church, spoke out against forcing Native Americans into labor. However, many colonists, including Church, owned black slaves. Historians estimate that hundreds, possibly over a thousand, Native Americans from New England were forced into labor during these colonial conflicts.

Education in the Colonies

In the New England Colonies, education was very important. The early Pilgrims and Puritans wanted their children to learn to read and write. This was so they could read and study the Bible for themselves. Children were taught at home by their parents, in public grammar schools, or by private teachers. They learned subjects like reading, writing, Latin, and Greek.

Colonies and Their Status

New England Colonies
Coat of Arms/Seal	Name	Capital	Years Active	Colony Type	Notes
	Plymouth	Plymouth	1620–1691	Self-governing	Later merged into Massachusetts.
	Massachusetts Bay	Boston	1628–1691	Self-governing	Later dissolved and reformed as the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
	Saybrook	Saybrook	1635–1644	Self-governing	Joined the Connecticut Colony.
None	New Haven	New Haven	1638–1664	Self-governing	Joined the Connecticut Colony.
	Connecticut	Hartford	1636–1776	Self-governing	Became the State of Connecticut in 1776.
	New Hampshire	Portsmouth	1629–1776	Self-governing	Declared independence in 1776.
	Rhode Island and Providence Plantations	Providence	1636–1776	Self-governing	Became the State of Rhode Island in 1776.
	Dominion of New England	Boston	1686-1689	Direct rule	A temporary government that combined several colonies.
Royal Seal	Province of Massachusetts Bay	Boston	1691–1780	Self-governing	Became the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1780.

Images for kids

The English royal charters granted land in the north to the Plymouth Company and land in the south to the London Company
Major boundaries of Massachusetts Bay and neighboring colonial claims in the 17th and 18th centuries; modern state boundaries are partially overlaid for context
Map of the Connecticut, New Haven, and Saybrook colonies