Who discovered Massachusetts and why?
One of the original 13 colonies and one of the six New England states, Massachusetts (officially called a commonwealth) is known for being the landing place of the Mayflower and the Pilgrims. English explorer and colonist John Smith named the state for the Massachuset tribe.
Why did the Puritans found Massachusetts?
Why did the Puritans settle the Massachusetts Bay Colony quizlet? They wanted to change some religious practices to purify the Church of England. The Puritans founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony so they could freely practice their religious beliefs and live by their Christian ideals.
Is Massachusetts Rich why?
People coming from Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine commute into Boston. Going back to Colonial America, Massachusetts was the most economically powerful colony. Yes, The reason why we are rich is because we have good schools, good public transportation, and we weren't really hit that hard by the rust belt years.
What are some historical facts about Massachusetts?
What are some fun facts about Massachusetts? The Commonwealth of Massachusetts became the sixth state to join the new independent union in 1788. It was the first state to write and adopt a constitution (1780), which served as a model for the U.S. Constitution.
Why did the Massachusetts Bay colony leave England?
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by religious dissenters who wanted to leave England because of the persecution they were experiencing while Charles I was on the throne.
What was the Puritan project?
In 1628, a group of Puritans was able to secure a land grant through the Council of New England and pursued a for-profit project called the Governor and Company of Massachusetts Bay. By 1629 there were small colonies at Cape Ann and Salem, and the group of Puritan businessmen received a charter from Charles I. It began as a trading company run by Puritans who established a theocratic government.
Why was Massachusetts founded?
Like many of the early American colonies, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, founded in 1630, has its roots in the search for religious freedom. The Puritans of England came to Massachusetts in hopes of living free from persecution for their religious beliefs. However, the Massachusetts colonists were ...
Why were the Massachusetts colonists so unique?
However, the Massachusetts colonists were unique in America because they were not only religious , but well-educated and wealthy. This distinctive combination eventually made Massachusetts one of the more influential colonies of early America.
What was the name of the city that the Puritans founded?
They founded the city of Boston as the Massachusetts Bay Company. As Boston grew, the Puritans became more self-sufficient and less dependent on England. The Puritans' church became more local and self-sufficient as well; each Puritan church soon began selecting its own ministers.
How many colonists came to Massachusetts?
Of the 1,000 colonists in the first migration to Massachusetts, 100 of them had received degrees from Cambridge or Oxford in England. John Harvard, a Puritan colonist and Cambridge-educated minister, came to Massachusetts but died shortly thereafter from tuberculosis.
What did the Puritans do to promote religious tolerance?
With the benefits of wealth and education, the Puritans instituted a freeman’s government that promoted religious tolerance and included a court and the election of a governor. The Puritans quickly established a reputation for their hard-working diligence and their religious devotion.
What was the largest migration of the 1600s?
3 The Founding of Boston. Over 1,000 Puritans traveled to the New World in what would be the largest migration of the 1600s. They came to America well-educated, well-funded, and well-equipped with supplies. They founded the city of Boston as the Massachusetts Bay Company. As Boston grew, the Puritans became more self-sufficient ...
Where did the Puritans seek to find freedom?
In 1630, the pursuit of religious freedom drove a large group of Puritans from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony .
What state is Massachusetts?
Lists of United States state symbols. Massachusetts ( / ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsɪts / ( listen), /- zɪts / ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous state in the New England region of the United States.
What is the official name of Massachusetts?
The official name of the state is the " Commonwealth of Massachusetts". While the designation "Commonwealth" forms part of the state's official name, it has no practical implications. Massachusetts has the same position and powers within the United States as other states. John Adams in 1779 may have chosen the word for the second draft of what became the 1780 Massachusetts Constitution because unlike the word "state", "commonwealth" at the time had the connotation of a republic, in contrast to the monarchy the former American colonies were fighting against. (The name "State of Massachusetts Bay" appeared in the first—rejected—draft.)
What is the Massachusetts Bay colony?
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was named after the indigenous population, the Massachusett , whose name likely derived from a Wôpanâak word muswachasut, segmented as mus (ây) "big" + wach8 "mountain" + -s "diminutive" + - ut "locative" (the '8' in these words refers to the 'oo' sound according to the Wôpanâak orthographic chart). It has been translated as "near the great hill", "by the blue hills", "at the little big hill", or "at the range of hills", referring to the Blue Hills, or in particular the Great Blue Hill, which is located on the boundary of Milton and Canton. Alternatively, Massachusett has been represented as Moswetuset —from the name of the Moswetuset Hummock (meaning "hill shaped like an arrowhead") in Quincy, where Plymouth Colony commander Myles Standish (a hired English military officer) and Squanto (a member of the now disappeared Patuxet band of the Wampanoag peoples) met Chief Chickatawbut in 1621.
How many interstates are there in Massachusetts?
There are a total of 36,800 miles (59,200 km) of interstates and other highways in Massachusetts. Interstate 90 (I-90, also known as the Massachusetts Turnpike), is the longest interstate in Massachusetts. The route travels 136 mi (219 km) generally west to east, entering Massachusetts at the New York state line in the town of West Stockbridge, and passes just north of Springfield, just south of Worcester and through Framingham before terminating near Logan International Airport in Boston. Other major interstates include I-91, which travels generally north and south along the Connecticut River; I-93, which travels north and south through central Boston, then passes through Methuen before entering New Hampshire; and I-95, which connects Providence, Rhode Island with Greater Boston, forming a partial loop concurrent with Route 128 around the more urbanized areas before continuing north along the coast into New Hampshire.
What was the cause of the Native Americans' death in the 1600s?
In the early 1600s, after contact had been made with Europeans, large numbers of the indigenous peoples in the northeast of what is now the United States were killed by virgin soil epidemics such as smallpox, measles, influenza , and perhaps leptospirosis. Between 1617 and 1619, what was possibly smallpox killed approximately 90% of the Massachusetts Bay Native Americans.
How many metropolitan planning organizations are there in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has 10 regional metropolitan planning organizations and three non-metropolitan planning organizations covering the remainder of the state; statewide planning is handled by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions by economic sector in Massachusetts.
How many gates does Boston Logan have?
Boston Logan International Airport served 33.5 million passengers in 2015 (up from 31.6 million in 2014) through 103 gates. Logan, Hanscom Field in Bedford, and Worcester Regional Airport are operated by Massport, an independent state transportation agency. Massachusetts has 39 public-use airfields and more than 200 private landing spots. Some airports receive funding from the Aeronautics Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration; the FAA is also the primary regulator of Massachusetts air travel.
What was the role of Massachusetts in the American Revolution?
Massachusetts played a key role in the American Revolution. In December 1773, Boston was the site of the famous Boston Tea Party in reaction to the Tea Act that had been passed by the British. Parliament reacted by passing acts to control the colony, including a naval blockade of the harbor.
When was Boston the capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony?
In 1632, Boston was made the capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. By 1640, hundreds more English Puritans had joined Winthrop and Blackstone in their new colony. By 1750, more than 15,000 colonists lived in Massachusetts.
Why did the Puritans emigrate to the New World?
While they emigrated to the New World to be able to freely practice their religion, they did not espouse freedom of religion for other settlers.
What did Eliot set up in the colony?
Eliot set up "praying towns" in the colony, isolated settlements such as Natick (established 1651), where newly converted people could live separated from both English settlers and independent Indigenous peoples. The settlements were organized and laid out like an English village, and the residents were subject to a legal code that required that traditional practices be replaced by those proscribed in the Bible.
What was the first major political crisis in Massachusetts Bay?
One of those is known as the "Antinomian Crisis" which resulted in the departure of Anne Hutchinson (1591–1643) from Massachusetts Bay.
What was the purpose of the grant issued by King Charles I to the colonists?
A grant issued by King Charles I empowered the group to create a colony in Massachusetts. While the company was intended to transfer the wealth of the New World to stockholders in England, the settlers themselves transferred the charter to Massachusetts. By so doing, they turned a commercial venture into a political one.
Where did the first shots come from in the Revolutionary War?
On April 19, 1775, Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, were the sites of the first shots fired in the Revolutionary War. After this, the colonists laid siege to Boston, which the British troops held. The siege eventually ended when the British evacuated in March 1776. Signers of the Declaration of Independence from Massachusetts on July 4, 1776, were John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, and Elbridge Gerry. The war continued for seven more years with many Massachusetts volunteers fighting for the Continental Army.
What is Massachusetts known for?
One of the original 13 colonies and one of the six New England states, Massachusetts (officially called a commonwealth) is known for being the landing place of the Mayflower and the Pilgrims. English explorer and colonist John Smith named the state for the Massachuset tribe. Boston, the state capital, was a hotbed of activity, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, during the American Revolution. In addition to its revolutionary spirit, the state is known for sparking the American Industrial Revolution with the growth of textile mills in Lowell, and for its large Irish-American population.
Where is Boston located?
Boston, the largest city in New England, is located on a hilly peninsula in Massachusetts Bay. The region had been inhabited since at least 2400 B.C. by the Massachusetts tribe of Native Americans, who called the peninsula Shawmut. Captain John Smith in 1614 explored the ...read more
What did the Pilgrims learn from the Mayflower?
After a harsh winter that claimed the lives of half of the Mayflower’s original immigrants from England in 1620, the Pilgrims were taught to plant corn and survive in the wilderness by Native American Indians.
How many miles is Rhode Island?
Rhode Island, measuring only about 48 miles long and 37 miles wide, is the smallest of the U.S. states. Despite its small area, Rhode Island, known as the “Ocean State,” boasts over 400 miles of coastline. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams in 1636, who had been banished ...read more
What was the Boston Massacre?
Boston, the state capital, was a hotbed of activity, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, during the American Revolution. In addition to its revolutionary spirit, the state is known for sparking the American Industrial Revolution with the growth of textile mills in Lowell, and for its large Irish-American population.
When did the Dutch settle in New York?
The Dutch first settled along the Hudson River in 1624; two years later they established the colony of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. In 1664, the English took control of the area and renamed it New York. One of the original 13 colonies, New York played a crucial political ...read more
Where is Connecticut located?
One of the original 13 colonies and one of the six New England states, Connecticut is located in the northeastern corner of the country. Initially an agricultural community, by the mid-19th century textile and machine manufacturing had become the dominant industries. The home of ...read more
Who founded the self-governing colony of Massachusetts?
John Winthrop & the Puritans Founded the Self-Governing Colony of Massachusetts
Who was the first king to establish the colony of Massachusetts?
In 1629, King Charles in England granted the Puritans a royal charter to plant the colony of Massachusetts Bay in America. The charter granted authority to the Massachusetts Bay Company, a commercial venture overseen by Puritans, to govern the colony. The Puritans —about 700 to 1000 on eleven ships—set sail to America and arrived in Massachusetts, near Plymouth, in 1630. The Puritans founded the colony of Massachusetts which would eventually absorb the Pilgrims’ colony of Plymouth.
Why did the Puritans bring their charter to America?
In bringing along their charter, the Puritans contributed to the creation of a self-governing colony because the charter became the basis for the colony’s first laws. Since the British Crown did not closely supervise activities in America, but allowed for self-government through local governors, the colony operated independently of England.
Who was the first Puritan to come to America?
Puritan John Winthrop, a lawyer with strong beliefs, led this first group of Puritans who migrated to America. During his trip on the vessel Arbella, Winthrop delivered his famous 1630 sermon, A Model of Christian Charity, exhorting the Puritans to fulfill their purpose to become a “city on a hill”—a godly example of a colony for the world to see. Winthrop’s Model sermon would become one of the most well-known sermons of American history.
Overview
Massachusetts Bay Colony: 1628–1686
The Pilgrims were followed by Puritans who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony at Salem (1629) and Boston (1630). The Puritans strongly dissented from the theology and church polity of the Church of England, and they came to Massachusetts for religious freedom. The Bay Colony was founded under a royal charter, unlike Plymouth Colony. The Puritan migration was mainly from East …
Before European settlement
Massachusetts was originally inhabited by tribes of the Algonquian language family such as the Wampanoag, Narragansetts, Nipmucs, Pocomtucs, Mahicans, and Massachusetts. The Vermont and New Hampshire borders and the Merrimack River valley was the traditional home of the Pennacook tribe. Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and southeast Massachusetts were the home o…
Pilgrims and Puritans: 1620–1629
The first settlers in Massachusetts were the Pilgrims who established Plymouth Colony in 1620 and developed friendly relations with the Wampanoag people. This was the second permanent English colony in America following Jamestown Colony. The Pilgrims had migrated from England to Holland to escape religious persecution for rejecting England's official church. They were allowed religiou…
Dominion of New England: 1686–1692
In 1660, King Charles II was restored to the throne. Colonial matters brought to his attention led him to propose the amalgamation of all of the New England colonies into a single administrative unit. In 1685, he was succeeded by James II, an outspoken Catholic who implemented the proposal. In June 1684, the charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was annulled, but its government continued to rule until James appointed Joseph Dudley to the new post of President …
Royal Province of Massachusetts Bay: 1692–1774
In 1691, William and Mary chartered the Province of Massachusetts Bay, combining the territories of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Maine, Nova Scotia (which then included New Brunswick), and the islands south of Cape Cod. For its first governor they chose Sir William Phips. Phips came to Boston in 1692 to begin his rule, and was immediately thrust into the witchcraft hysteria in Salem. …
Revolutionary Massachusetts: 1760s–1780s
Massachusetts was a center of the movement for independence from Great Britain, earning it the nickname, the "Cradle of Liberty". Colonists here had long had uneasy relations with the British monarchy, including open rebellion under the Dominion of New England in the 1680s. The Boston Tea Party is an example of the protest spirit in the early 1770s, while the Boston Massacre escalated th…
Federalist Era: 1780–1815
A Constitutional Convention drew up a state constitution, which was drafted primarily by John Adams, and ratified by the people on June 15, 1780. Adams, along with Samuel Adams and James Bowdoin, wrote in the Preamble to the Constitution of the Commonwealth:
We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hear…