Title: Main Reasons New England Colonies Were Formed | Synonym
Headings: Main Reasons New England Colonies Were Formed
Main Reasons New England Colonies Were Formed
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1 Pilgrims and Puritans in Massachusetts
2 Thomas Hooker's Puritans
3 Rhode Island Dissenters
4 New Hampshire's Fisheries

Content: Later, a similar religious group -- the Puritans -- sought refuge from the harassment they also experienced in England. In 1630, more than 1,000 Puritans arrived just north of Plymouth and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Unlike the Pilgrims, the Puritans merely wanted to "purify" the Anglican church, not separate from it. 2 Thomas Hooker's Puritans
The Puritans were not a uniform group of religious, and within a decade a separate group of Puritans settled the Connecticut Colony south of Massachusetts Bay. Founded by the Rev. Thomas Hooker, the Connecticut colony allowed non-Puritans to vote in elections. This was different from Massachusetts, where Puritan Church membership was a requirement for the franchise. Connecticut enacted its constitution, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, in 1639. The orders allowed voters to elect both legislators and the colony's governor, which created a highly democratic society. 3 Rhode Island Dissenters
Unlike Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth, Rhode Island was founded by people who did not come directly from England. In 1636, Roger Williams was banished from Massachusetts for his unorthodox beliefs -- religious tolerance, separation of church and state, and opposition to stealing American Indian lands.