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: A few log cabins were constructed, but shelters were often far more rudimentary. Some colonists had to make do with little more than a hole in the ground covered with timber. Others copied designs of the wigwams used by the natives, adding a few touches from home like covering the floors with straw or rushes. Though better prepared than previous colonies and supported with the frequent arrival of supply ships, the initial days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony were as arduous as the colonies founded in Virginia and Maryland. Many perished during the first winter, but by the following summer the colony had a population of about 2,000. The colonists had considerable resources and a stout determination to establish a permanent colony free of outside influence. From the outset, the colony was technically independent in all but name; the New World was of little real importance to a succession of English monarchs concerned with more pressing matters at home. In October of 1630, 8 senior Puritans declared themselves magistrates and established the General Court. A ruling council, The Governor’s Court of Assistants, acted as executive, legislative, and judiciary branches at once.