Puritan migration to New England (1620–1640) facts for kids
The Great Migration was a time when many English Puritans moved to New England between 1620 and 1640. This movement had a big impact on history. These Puritans were families, not just single people, and they mostly moved to find freedom to practice their religious beliefs. They settled in places like Massachusetts and the Caribbean, especially Barbados.
Contents
Why Did the Puritans Leave England?
Religious Troubles in England
The Puritans were a group of people who wanted to make the Church of England simpler. They believed in a type of Christianity called Calvinism. They did not like many of the church's traditions and rituals, which they felt were too much like the Roman Catholic Church. They wanted more focus on preaching and a different way of organizing the church.
Kings and Parliament Disagree
Things got worse for the Puritans when King Charles I became king in 1625. He often disagreed with Parliament, which was England's law-making body. Many Puritans were part of Parliament. In 1629, King Charles I closed Parliament and did not plan to open it again for a long time. This made the Puritans feel that their religious and political future in England was not good.
Leaving for a New Life
Because of these problems, many Puritans decided to leave England. Some had already left for the Dutch Republic years before, but now even more wanted to go. In 1630, a group of 11 ships, led by the Arbella, carried about 700 passengers to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. This was part of the Winthrop Fleet. People continued to move until 1640, when Parliament was called back together.
Who Moved and Where Did They Go?
About 80,000 people left England during the Great Migration. Roughly 20,000 people went to each of four main places: Ireland, New England, the West Indies, and the Netherlands. Most of the people who came to New England were families. They often had some education and were doing well in England. About 7 to 10 percent of these colonists later returned to England after 1640.
Building New Communities in New England
The First Settlements
A group of Puritans, known as Separatists, had already left England for the Netherlands because they were unhappy with the church. But they worried their children would lose their English ways. So, in 1620, they sailed to the New World and started Plymouth Plantation.
These early settlers and the later Puritan immigrants created a very religious and close-knit society. They hoped to build a "nation of saints" in America. This was meant to be a very religious and good community that would be an example for the rest of the world.
New Ideas and New Colonies
Not everyone agreed on everything, even among the Puritans. Roger Williams believed that people should have religious freedom. He also thought that the church and the government should be separate. He was asked to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635. He then founded Providence Plantations, which became the Rhode Island Colony.
Rhode Island became a safe place for people who were not welcome elsewhere. For example, Anne Hutchinson was also asked to leave Massachusetts Bay in 1638 for her beliefs. She found a home in Rhode Island. Quakers, another religious group, were also not allowed in Massachusetts but were welcomed in Rhode Island. In 1658, a group of Jewish people fleeing the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal settled in Newport. Their congregation, called Jeshuat Israel, is one of the oldest Jewish groups in the United States.
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In Spanish: Migración de puritanos a Nueva Inglaterra (1620-1640) para niños
