The Puritans in New England
Focus Colonies: The New England Settlements
Students can copy this information into their Colonial America organizer before beginning the lesson.
Rhode Island Colony
- Colony: Rhode Island
- Founder: Roger Williams
- Date: 1636
- Reason: Religious freedom
Rhode Island at a Glance
- Roger Williams believed church and government should be separate.
- He believed Native Americans should be paid for their land.
- He was banished and founded Rhode Island.
- People could practice any religion in this colony.
Connecticut Colony
- Colony: Connecticut
- Founder: Thomas Hooker
- Date: 1636
- Reason: More political freedom
Connecticut at a Glance
- Thomas Hooker led 35 families from Massachusetts.
- They settled in what is now Hartford.
- They wrote the first written constitution in the New World.
New Hampshire Colony
- Colony: New Hampshire
- Leader: John Mason
- Date: 1630s
- Reason: Better farmland & religious freedom
New Hampshire at a Glance
- John Mason led settlers north to find better farmland.
- Some Puritans wanted more religious freedom.
- They settled in Portsmouth.
Roger Williams and Rhode Island
Roger Williams was a Puritan minister who believed that church leaders should not also be the colony’s leaders. He also argued that Native Americans should be paid for the land the colonists were taking. Because of these beliefs, the Puritan leaders wanted to send Williams back to England. Williams escaped in 1636 and founded the Rhode Island Colony. He bought the land from the Native Americans, and everyone living there was allowed to practice their own religion.
The Puritans in Massachusetts Bay
The Puritans wanted to “purify” the Church of England. Unlike the Pilgrims, they did not want to separate from the church — they wanted to change some of its practices. The Puritans were treated badly in England because of their beliefs, so they came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 and settled in Boston. Over time, some people felt the Puritan leaders were acting unfairly, so they chose to leave the colony.
Thomas Hooker and Connecticut
Thomas Hooker, a Puritan minister, left the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 with 35 families. They traveled for two weeks before reaching the area that is now Hartford. There, the settlers wrote a plan for their government — the first written constitution in the New World. This became the foundation of the Connecticut Colony.
John Mason and New Hampshire
John Mason led a group of settlers north in search of better farmland. The soil in Massachusetts was too rocky, and many Puritans also hoped for more religious freedom. They settled in Portsmouth and founded the New Hampshire Colony.
Word Match
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Vocabulary Words
Definitions
Puritans Quiz
Activities & Extensions
Students make their own hand-dipped candles just as colonial families did. Melted wax is placed in a container, and students dip a wick repeatedly, allowing each layer to cool before dipping again. This activity helps students understand how time-consuming everyday tasks were in the 1600s.
Students learn how colonial Americans sealed letters with wax. After folding a letter, melted wax is dripped onto the seam. A “family seal” — often a ring or small stamp — is pressed into the wax before it hardens. Students can create their own simple seal using clay or a small carved design.
Students create a pomander ball, a fragrant colonial air freshener used to mask unpleasant odors. Using an apple or orange, students prick holes with a toothpick and insert cloves until the fruit is covered. The pomander is rolled in cinnamon, wrapped in cheesecloth, tied with ribbon, and left to dry for several weeks.
Students create their own page inspired by The New England Primer, the first textbook used in the American colonies. They write a short rhyme or poem for a chosen letter of the alphabet using berry ink and a quill. The final page is written on coffee- or tea-stained paper to give it an authentic colonial appearance.
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