The Thirteen Colonies This chapter is about the formation of the thirteen colonies

The Puritans - The migration to the New England colonies was led by the Puritans. - The Puritans were another religious group that came to the new world. They didn’t want to separate from the Church of England, they only wanted to reform it. After much persuasion, the puritans finally got their charter and headed off to Massachusetts to start a colony that was supposed to change the world.

Two’s Company, 45,000’s a Crowd - Between 1629 and 1640, Massachusetts prospered. Some 15,000 people moved into the colony. - Life didn’t stay perfect for the people in Massachusetts. By 1670, more than 45,000 people had moved onto Wompanoag (a Native tribe) lands. The Chief of the Wompanoags, whose name was Metacom, Led raids on the English villages throughout New England.

Growing Democracy - The puritans became increasingly democratic. At first, only investors in the Charter got to vote. Soon, though, voting rights were given to many more men. This led to the people having town meetings to vote on issues. This is another baby step toward representative government.

And You Thought Your Church Service was Long!! Puritans took Sunday, or the Sabbath very seriously. Many towns in New England had laws that forced people to go to church. Most times, church would last the entire day.

Poor Farming - New England land did not make for great farming, although the Indians were able to teach them how to grow corn, beans, and pumpkins. New England made their money in the forests. They cut down trees and made them into usable lumber. The people of New England also started a very successful whaling economy.

Puritan Decline - During the 1700’s, puritan traditions declined. Fewer people were coming to the new world for religious reasons. However, puritans will forever be remembered for stamping New England with their distinctive customs and their dream of a religious society.