Title: Massachusetts Bay Colony | Facts, Map, & Significance | Britannica
Headings: Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
American history
Top Questions
When was the Massachusetts Bay Colony founded, and how long did it last?
What was the purpose of the Massachusetts Bay Colony?
What is the importance of the Massachusetts Bay Colony?
Top Questions: Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony

Content: The charter was revoked in 1684, and two years later all the New England colonies were united into the Dominion of New England. A new charter was issued in 1691 that joined the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Plymouth Colony, and the Maine Colony as the Province of Massachusetts Bay and placed it under a royal governor. Charles I
Learn more about Charles I.
What was the purpose of the Massachusetts Bay Colony? The Puritans who settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony intended to set up a society that would accord with what they believed to be God’s wishes. Only those who could testify to a “work of grace” in their lives were permitted to choose the governor and the members of the lawmaking council, and those whose religious beliefs did not conform to the Puritans' were expelled. The self-governing, self-reliant colony was first governed by John Winthrop and organized under principles laid out by John Cotton . The colonists made their living through farming, fishing, and trade. Puritanism
Learn more about Puritanism. What is the importance of the Massachusetts Bay Colony? By moving the Massachusetts Bay Company’s General Court from England to America, the Puritans converted it from an instrument of the company to a legislative and administrative assembly free from royal oversight.