<P> Massachusetts was first colonized by principally English Europeans in the early 17th century , and became the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the 18th century . Prior to English colonization of the area , it was inhabited by a variety of mainly Algonquian language indigenous tribes . The first permanent English settlement in New England came in 1620 with the founding of Plymouth Colony by the Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower . It set precedents but never grew large . A large - scale Puritan migration began in 1630 with the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony , and spawned the settlement of other New England colonies . Friction with the natives erupted in the high - casualty King Philip 's War in the 1670s . Puritanism was the established religion and was strictly enforced ; dissenters were exiled . The Colony clashed with Anglican opponents in England over its religious intolerance and the status of its charter . Most people were farmers . Businessmen established wide - ranging trade links , sending ships to the West Indies and Europe , and sometimes shipping goods in violation of the Navigation Acts . These political and trade issues led to the revocation of the Massachusetts charter in 1684 . </P>
<P> Massachusetts was first colonized by principally English Europeans in the early 17th century , and became the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the 18th century . Prior to English colonization of the area , it was inhabited by a variety of mainly Algonquian language indigenous tribes . The first permanent English settlement in New England came in 1620 with the founding of Plymouth Colony by the Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower . It set precedents but never grew large . A large - scale Puritan migration began in 1630 with the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony , and spawned the settlement of other New England colonies . Friction with the natives erupted in the high - casualty King Philip 's War in the 1670s . Puritanism was the established religion and was strictly enforced ; dissenters were exiled . The Colony clashed with Anglican opponents in England over its religious intolerance and the status of its charter . Most people were farmers . Businessmen established wide - ranging trade links , sending ships to the West Indies and Europe , and sometimes shipping goods in violation of the Navigation Acts . These political and trade issues led to the revocation of the Massachusetts charter in 1684 . </P>
when did the first settlers come to massachusetts
when did the first settlers come to massachusetts
1620
1620