new england colonies

The New England Colonies were a group of English colonies located in the northernmost part of what would become the United States, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. They were primarily founded between 1620 and 1642, largely by Puritans seeking to escape religious persecution in England. These colonies were shaped by Puritan religious doctrine, which influenced their social norms, economics, and politics. Notably, Rhode Island was founded by religious refugees from Massachusetts who rejected Puritan rigidity. Key early settlements included Plymouth Colony established by the Pilgrims in 1620 and Massachusetts Bay Colony founded by the Puritans in 1630. The New England economy centered around timber, fishing, and small-scale farming, reflecting the region's geography of dense forests and rocky soil. Education was highly valued in New England, seen as essential to religious practice and societal order. The colonies often cooperated, forming alliances like the New England Confederation in 1643 for mutual defense. These colonies eventually formed part of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted from British rule to form the United States. The New England colonies were distinct for their religious motivations, early democratic forms of government, town-based community organization, and strong emphasis on education and industry over plantation agriculture common in southern colonies.