Why Did The New England Colonies Develop

The British Colonies in North America were established for the most part in the mid 1600s, with two of the major groups being the New England area colonies and the Middle Atlantic area colonies. Religion must be considered when looking at the formation of these colonies. The New England colonies were shaped in major ways by the heavy impact of Puritan culture, and the establishment of the church as the centre of society. The Middle Atlantic colonies were also shaped by religion, specifically the belief in religious freedom held by the Quakers. The Quaker colonies were also shaped by the strongly held values of equality. The religious values held in the colonies shaped them in many ways, and continued to impact their development throughout time. …show more content…
It was formed by Puritan Separatists who were against the strict control that Anglican England exercised upon their religious practices. This lead to a religion centered system that followed strict laws. The colony was lead by religious men, and only active members of the church were allowed to participate in politics. However, this lead to dissent among the colonists. Many who were not considered “saints” were forced to be bystanders in the government of their community. Some of these colonists left to form other colonies that were less strictly governed. For example, Rhode Island, formed by Roger Williams, a member of the Puritan community, was the first colony to allow people of any faith to live as active participants in the community. Although these newer colonies were not all directly formed on religious grounds, the attempt to seek religious freedom was a major factor in the development of all of the colonies in the New England area, showing that religion was a major force in impacting the growth and development of the