New England Colonies Land Rocky soil not ideal

New England Colonies

Land • • Rocky soil – not ideal for farming Dense forests Rolling hills Rocky shoreline

Climate • Bitterly cold winters • Mild summers • All 4 seasons

Religion • Mostly Puritans – wanted to create communities that served each other and God • Rhode Island had true religious freedom

Major Events • Salem Witch Trials • Puritan hold on religion was weakening – new people were arriving in the colonies – people began to distrust one another – neighbors were not as close as they once were- people began accusing one another of being witches • 1692 Trials became a central part of Salem, Massachusetts • Some young girls began acting strangely – a doctor thought they were victims of witchcraft – neighbors started accusing each other of being witches – hundreds of people were put on trial – 20 people were killed -the witch trials lasted only a year but shocked the Puritan Community • Great Awakening • 1730’s young ministers began preaching fiery sermons – these ministers and their followers were called New Lights (traditional Puritans were called Old Lights) – children of many Puritans felt less connected to the Church and ministers asked people to renew their faith – this led to the Great Awakening (a waking up to new faith) – The Great Awakening spread throughout the colonies – though they still believed in religion – most people could not accept the strict ways of the Puritan church • King Philips War • Metacomet and other Native Americans attacked colonial settlements all across New England • The Native Americans took the Puritans by surprise and they captured and killed hundreds of colonists • Colonists had more soldiers and better weapons so they were able to defeat Native Americans • The Wampanoag and their friends were forced to give up their land

Industry • Trading - Triangular Trade made New England Merchants rich • Wood/Lumber – first product the colonists sold for money, many rivers and streams running through forests helped with transportation - tall white pines used for shipbuilding, cedars used for shingles, willow branches used for barrels, maple trees used to get sap to turn into sugar • Shipbuilding – largest industry in colonial New England , turned out 150 ships per year, sold some ships in Europe but mostly in New England • Fishing – fishermen called the fish the “mighty cod” – dried and smoked colonists shipped cod by the ton to England the Caribbean – 1700 Boston was center of fishing and trade – one of wealthiest cities • Whaling – catching whales for the products that could be made from them – blubber for oil in lamps – 1712 first whalers hunt at sea – colonists built whale watching towers to spot the huge creatures

Farming • From spring to fall men and boys walked to the fields at dawn and worked to sundown • Planted crops in the spring and harvested them in the fall • Women would join in the fieldwork in busy times of planting and harvesting • Your children would bring lunches of cheese, bread and cider to the fields • During the winter men worked at home

Towns • Were strictly planned • Meant to serve others and God • Each family was given a plot of land for a house and a farm – the size of plot depended on the size of family and their importance in the community • At the crossroads of the town stood the meeting house – people gathered here to worship , use as a school or to discuss government and town life • Harvard College was built in 1636 to educate ministers but in 1642 a law for universal education was passed • Towns were supposed to be self sufficient • Families traded candles , soap, cloth , dried beef, maple syrup and more with neighbors and sold the rest in the towns • Families could not make some things and needed money to buy these imports (coffee, tea, sugar, ribbons and guns)

Homes • • Were dark and cramped Few windows since glass was expensive Not just places to live but also workshops (especially during cold weather Except for metal pots and pans-everything was made at home • • Women and girls wove cloth for family’s clothes preserved fruit and vegetables for winter • Center of house was an enormous fireplace • One large room called the “hall” • At mealtime a large table was pulled out -Parents sat on chairs and children stood up to eat • Tick mattresses were laid on the floor for bed (tick was a mix of cloth scraps and straw) • Wealthy families might have houses with lofts and children would climb ladders to sleep on mattresses above • Puritan families had 4 -8 people and some households included enslaved or indentured servants who lived with the family

Native American Tribes and Conflicts • Tribes in the area Narragansett, Pequot, Nipmuck, Wampanoag, Penobscot • Conflict between Native Americans and Colonists • Small conflicts over land gave way to larger battles • 1637 the Puritans attacked and burned the Pequot fort • Wampanoag chief Metacomet (known as King Philip in English) decided his people had to fight back • 1675 he began attacking Puritan villages –at first other tribes wanted to stay out of it but then saw Metacomet’s success so the Narragansett, Pequot and Nipmuck tribes joined him • This led to King Philip’s War

4 New England Colonies • • Massachusetts New Hampshire Connecticut Rhode Island 1629 1623 1635 1636 John Winthrop Wanted Religious Freedom John Mason farming and trade Thomas Hooker Wanted Religious Freedom Roger Williams Wanted Religious Freedom