Eighth graders will analyze the nine reasons Puritans had for immigrating to New England and discuss the meaning of John Winthrop's message to the Puritans.

Primary source material with modernized spellings. Passage written by John Winthrop defending the right of Puritans to settle in Massachusetts Bay territory which was already occupied by Native Americans, 1629.

John Winthrop (12 January 1588 - 26 March 1649) led a group of English Puritans to the New World, joined the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1629 and was elected their governor in October 1629. Between 1639 and 1648 he was voted out of...

An image of "Mrs John Winthrop", created by John Singleton Copley in 1773 (Oil on canvas, 90,2 x 73 cm).

The governor of the Massachusetts colony, born in Groton, England, Jan. 12, 1588; died in Boston, Mass., March 26, 1649.

A facsimile of a map by John Winthrop (1633) of the Boston area, including the Merrimac and Concord Rivers, Plum Island, and roads leading to Saugus, Salem, Winesemett, and Meadford. The map is oriented with north to the left.

The Charter of Massachusetts Bay, digitized by the Avalon Project at Yale Law School.

In this lesson, 5th graders learn about the people who founded the New England colonies and the role that religion played in shaping them. Includes background information for the teacher. Students explore primary resource readings on the...

Learn a little about Puritan beliefs and see the importance of religion and the clergy in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

An overview of the Puritans who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the New Haven Colony and Rhode Island. The internal and external struggles with these colonies is discussed including the Salem Witch Trials, King Philip's War,...

The National Women's Hall of Fame honors Anne Hutchinson for her early advocation for religious freedom in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.