New England Colonies

Essay text:

Crops like corn and wheat grew in large numbers, and much was shipped to England. • Foods that didn't grow in America were shipped from England. • Boston was the major New England port. • The farms were almost always self-sufficient farms. • Fishing off of the Great Banks of Canada was an important part of the economy. • Lumbering and ship building made use of the forests of New England. • Commerce and shipping were very important The Mayflower • Plymouth, England • 102 Passengers on the Mayflower • The Puritans were seeking new life of religious freedom in America • All the passengers were called Pilgrims • Among their advisors was Captain John Smith • It took 66 days to reach New England, and the journey was very hard for the people who weren’t used to sailing Massachusetts • Before they even set foot on shore, they wrote an agreement called the ‘Mayflower Compact’ that would set the rules to guide them through the early, hard times of establishing a new community • This was signed on November 21, 1620, which served as the official constitution of the colony for many years • Massachusetts was founded by a group of English colonists • The Puritans came to Massachusetts in 1628 • The relationship between the native On September 16, 1620 the ship ‘Mayflower’ set off for tribes and the colonists in New England was always strained, but generally didn’t result in much bloodshed • The colony was one of the most important that ever settled in this country...