Massachusetts Bay ColonyNew England Mona Hajijoo

Basic Information✣ The location of the Colony✣ Three geographic areas ✣ The establishment of the Massachusetts Bay ✣ First exploratory in 1498✣ In 1620 the Mayflower ship transported 102

English Puritans✣

Basic Information

✣ Origin of the Name✣ Massachusetts Nickname✣ Names meaning✣ Natural resources ✣ The social status of these people ✣ The Native American Indians of Massachusetts

John Winthrop ✣ He was one of the leading figures in the founding of the Colony

✣ led the first large wave of immigrants from England in 1630✣ His writings and vision of the colony as a Puritan "city upon a

hill" dominated New England colonial development.

Climate & Geology✣ Colonists in the New England colonies endured

bitterly cold winters and mild summers. ✣ According to the documents Black Death rates in

Massachusetts were twice as whites.✣ Race slavery was not feasible on a large scale✣ Cold winters reduced the spread of disease. ✣ Land was flat close to the coastline but became

hilly and mountainous farther inland. ✣ Soil was generally rocky, making farming difficult.

Puritans

✣ Pilgrims came for religious freedom and purification ✣ They did not tolerate any other form of religion✣ The Puritans of Massachusetts rejected of those

Anglican ideas✣ Very strict rules✣ Town centered around the church✣ No celebrations of holidays/weddings✣ Heavy emphasis on reading the Bible, so education

was important✣ Religious freedom was virtually non-existent✣ Anyone who believed differently could be

persecuted

Government✣ Colonial Massachusetts

became a Charter Colony✣ The charter established the

rules of government✣ John Haynes was elected as

the first Governor✣ The Governor of Colonial

Massachusetts held the executive power

Interesting facts:

✣ Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith in Springfield.

✣ Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William Morgan in Holyoke.

✣ The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) invented the first computer in Cambridge in 1928

✣ The first public school system was founded in Boston in 1635

✣ The first American lighthouse was built in the Boston Harbor in 1716

✣ Harvard University was founded in 1636

Womens Situation in Massachussetts Bay Colony

The male was the head of the house holdWomen did not have the vote and could not, in most cases,

hold property. Their opportunities were severely restricted.

Some practiced a trade, such as blacksmithing or printing, but almost none made a name in business.

Women were in great demand, not only as companions or to satisfy sexual appetites, but as partners in the enterprise of

settlement.

Sources✣

The History of Massachusetts, Volume I; Thomas Hutchinson; 1764The Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company; Barbara A. Moe; 2003Disguised as the Devil: A History of Lyme Disease and Witch Accusations; M. M. Drymon; 2008Politics and Religion in the United States; Michael Corbett, Julia Corbett-Hemeyer, J. Matthew WilsonMassachusetts: Mapping the Bay State Through History : Rare and Unusual Maps; Vincent Virga, Dan Spinella; 2011Building the Bay Colony: Local Economy and Culture in Early Massachusetts; James E. McWilliams; 2007Encyclopedia Britannica: Massachusetts Bay Colony: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/368431/Massachusetts-Bay-ColonyCitizen Information Service: Historical Sketch: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cismaf/mf2.htm