Massachusetts

 Massachusetts Colony A Royal Colony

Settlement:

 * The Massachusetts Colony was founded in 1628 after the first colonists arrived in 1620.
 * The first settlement was the Plymouth Colony.
 * They were founded by Pilgrims who came from England.

Reasons for Coming to New World:

 * The Puritans or otherwise know as the Pilgrims wanted to escape from England's persecution and sought to seek freedom in the New World in religious ways as well as personal reasons.
 * Puritans were a group of strict Christians who believed that Jesus died because of the sin of Adam and Eve.

John Winthrop: [[image:USAwinthrop.jpg align="right"]]

 * John was born in Groton, Suffolk, England in 1588. He was educated at Cambridge University where he practiced law. He was practicing law in London but was persecuted for his Puritan religious beliefs. He thought that the Church of England was corrupt and saw the New World as an opportunity to experience religious freedom. After being granted a charter for the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Winthrop and 700 settlers arrived in the New World. He was the first governor and served as a good governor for twelve terms. He was later banished from the colony. He later went on to die in 1649.



Massachusetts:

 * The colony was a royal colony which means they were governed by the king back in England. This made it harder for settling issues and conflicts.
 * The major economic activity of Massachusetts was shipbuilding, whaling as well as fishing, general farming and rum.
 * The present day capital of Massachusetts is Boston.

 Fun Facts:
 * 1) Nickname: Bay State, Old Colony State
 * 2) State Bird: Wild Turkey
 * 3) State Flower: Mayflower