Title: Did the Puritans Settle the Massachusetts Bay Colony?
Headings: Why Did the Puritans Settle the Massachusetts Bay Colony?
Why Did the Puritans Settle the Massachusetts Bay Colony?
The Puritans – Massachusetts Bay Colony

Content: We’ll examine how the colony functioned on a day to day basis and its contentious relationship with the English crown. Let’s get started! Let’s start by taking a quick look at early English colonization to see how this colony came to be. English colonization of North America began towards the end of the 16th century without much success. Two attempts were made to establish permanent colonies at Roanoke; the first was evacuated after less than a year while the second disappeared without trace in 1587. The first permanent settlement, Jamestown, was founded two decades later in Virginia. The settlers who established Jamestown suffered heavy losses during the first winter but the colony survived and others were established over the course of the 17th century. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded in 1628 by members of the Massachusetts Bay Company, a joint stock trading company chartered by the English crown. The company was composed of Puritans who wanted to pursue religious freedom in the New World.