Old Planters (Massachusetts) facts for kids
The Old Planters were some of the very first English settlers in what is now Massachusetts. They arrived in the Massachusetts Bay area before the two larger and more famous colonies were fully established: the Plymouth Colony (which started in 1620) and the Massachusetts Bay Colony (which began in 1628 and grew a lot from 1630). These early settlers worked hard to make homes and farms, showing that it was possible for English people to live and thrive in this new land.
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Who Were the Old Planters?
The Old Planters were the pioneers who settled parts of Massachusetts before the big waves of new colonists arrived. Their efforts proved that living in this area was possible. After they showed the way, many more settlers, called 'new planters,' came over the next ten years. These early settlements grew around places like Plymouth and what is now Essex County, Massachusetts.
Early Settlements in Plymouth Area
Two of the first places where English settlers made their homes were Plymouth (around 1620) and Nantasket (around 1621). The story of Plymouth Colony, starting with the Mayflower ship, is very famous. The Nantasket settlement, which is now part of Hull, Massachusetts, began soon after Plymouth. A key figure named Roger Conant lived in both these places before moving north to Cape Ann.
Settling Cape Ann and Salem
The Essex area, specifically Cape Ann, saw its first English settlers in 1623. A group led by Thomas Gardner and John Tylly arrived on two ships with 32 people. Their goal was to start a business settlement. About a year later, Roger Conant and his group from Plymouth joined them.
These early efforts were funded by the Dorchester Company. However, the company stopped its funding after 1625. In 1626, some of the original settlers, hoping for more success, moved their settlement to a place called Naumkeag. This new location worked out well and later became the famous town of Salem.
Important Old Planters of Salem
According to historical records, some of the Old Planters who were at Cape Ann before the move to Naumkeag in 1626 included:
- Roger Conant - He was the Governor of the settlement.
- John Woodbury
- Humphrey Woodbury
- John Balch
- Peter Palfray
- Walter Knight
- William Allen
- Thomas Gray
- John Tylly
- Thomas Gardner
- Richard Norman (and his son)
- William Jeffrey
- Captain William Trask
Some of these individuals, like Woodbury, Trask, Balch, and Palfrey, along with Conant, are often called the 'Old Planters' of Salem. These early groups, led by Gardner and then Conant, were known for being independent and tolerant.
The Massachusetts Bay Colony Arrives
A major change came to the Massachusetts Bay area in 1630 with the arrival of John Winthrop. He brought about 700 people and many ships full of supplies. This was a huge increase in settlers!
In June 1630, Winthrop's ships, known as the Winthrop Fleet, first arrived in Salem. However, they found there wasn't enough food, so they moved on to Charlestown. There, they didn't have enough fresh water. Finally, they were shown the Shawmut Peninsula, which they liked, and this is where they established the city of Boston.
Some of the Old Planters, like Conant and Gardner, chose to stay in the Salem area. Others who arrived with Winthrop also settled there, such as Major William Hathorne, who was the father of John Hathorne and an ancestor of the famous writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Winthrop's arrival and the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony greatly changed how things were run for the few people who had settled the area earlier. A proper government was organized, and within just four years, Harvard College was founded. Even though Boston became the center of government, the population of the Cape Ann area (which became Essex County, Massachusetts in the 1640s) also grew very quickly. The total population of New England soared from less than 500 people in 1629 to over 26,000 by 1640!
