The New England Colonies

The people of the New England colonies were Puritans. Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans in England were unhappy with the Church of England. They felt that they weren’t able to practice their religion freely and live the life they desired. They wanted to travel to America to live this life. The Puritans formed their own stock company. More than a thousand men, women, and children left England to begin their new life in America.

The Puritans built their settlement in Boston, Massachusetts. Unlike many other newcomers, the Puritans were very successful. They didn’t come with a plan to get rich from gold. They came prepared to plant crops and build homes. They arrived in America at a good time in the year so that their crops could grow strong. They had plenty of food to last throughout the winter. Few Puritans died as a result of the winter.

People back in England learned how successful the Puritans were, so more and more people came to set up colonies. For many of these people, life was a struggle in England. They wanted to come to America for a better life. The Puritans set up laws for the colony. They were very religious people. Not all of the newcomers agreed with the Puritan way of life. Some of these people were forced to leave, and they set up new settlements. More and more people continued to travel to America. The colonies continued to grow.