Massachusetts Bay Colony

The **Massachusetts Bay Colony** was a 17th-century British settlement founded by Puritans on the East Coast of North America.  Later called New England, the colony included the states of Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

The Massachusetts Bay Company, founded in 1628, brought around 20,000 people to the colony.  It was one of two companies which brought settlers in the New World.  The other, called the Dorchester Company, was a failure.

At first the colonists had a friendly relationship with local Native American tribes. These included the Massachusett, Wampanoag, Nipmuc, Narragansett, and Pequot Mohegan tribes, among others. However, as more Europeans moved to the New World, conflicts over land borders arose.  Along with differences in culture and customs, these conflicts led to the Pequot War (1636–1638) and then to King Philip's War (1675–1676).  Some Native Americans moved to other places after these wars. Others remained peacefully in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The colony did well economically trading with England and the West Indies.

Initially the colony did well economically and made money trading with England and the West Indies.  In 1692, Sir William Phips arrived and combined the Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth Colonies. The colonists helped run the government and decide how to spend its money.

## Earlier times

From the earliest times, many Native American tribes lived in what is now New England. They farmed and hunted within their own land borders and usually did not cross each other's land.  Early in the 1600s, Samuel de Champlain and John Smith mapped New England and the location of various tribes.

Living in the New World was very hard work for the first settlers. Many became ill and died though the cold winter.  There was not enough food, and many people in the group decided to return to England after a year.  For a while there was no more talk of settling people in the New World, although English ships did still come to the New England area to fish and trade with Native Americans.

### Plymouth Colony

In November 1620, a group of Europeans started the Plymouth Colony.  After nearby settlements failed, some of the group joined the Plymouth Colony or lived near it; others returned to England.

The people of Plymouth faced many problems during the colony's first years, and they could not pay back their investors.  In 1627 the companies left the colonists to take care of themselves.

In 1622 two of the colony's leaders, Edward Winslow and William Bradford, published a booklet about the _Mayflower_ and the colony they created. It was called  _Mourt's Relation_ (full title: _A Relation or Journal of the Beginning and Proceedings of the English Plantation Settled at Plimoth in New England_). Though the two men express differing opinions, the booklet's purpose was to encourage people to come and settle in the New World.

## References and further reading

- (five volume history of Massachusetts until the early 20th century)

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: Massachusetts Bay Colony
- **status**: Disestablished
- **empire**: British Empire
- **government type**: Self-governing colony
- **event start**: Council for New England land grant
- **year start**: 1628
- **event end**: Disestablished, reorganized as the Province of Massachusetts Bay
- **year end**: 1691
- **life span**: 1628
–1691
Part of Dominion of New England 1686–1689
- **event1**: Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company, Charter issued
- **date event1**: 1629
- **event2**: New England Confederation formed
- **date event2**: 1643
- **event3**: Revocation of the Royal Charter
- **date event3**: 1684
- **event4**: Dominion of New England established
- **date event4**: 1686
- **event5**: Dominion dissolved
- **date event5**: 1689
- **event6**: Massachusetts Charter for the Province of Massachusetts Bay
- **date event6**: 1691
- **s1**: Dominion of New England
- **s2**: Province of Massachusetts Bay
- **image flag**: English Red Ensign 1620.svg
- **flag alt**: Flag of Massachusetts Bay
- **image flag2**: New England blank flag.svg
- **flag**: Flag of Massachusetts
- **image coat**: Seal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.svg
- **coat alt**: Seal of the colony: A male native, nude but for a skirt of leaves, holding a bow in one hand and an arrow, point down, in the other, with conifers either side. A speech scroll reads "Come over and help us". Surrounding it are the words "SIGILLUM GVB ET SOCIET MATTACHUSETS BAY IN NOVA ANGLIA"
- **symbol type**: Colonial seal
- **symbol type article**: Seal of Massachusetts
- **image map**: Massachusetts Bay Colony c. 1690.svg
- **image map caption**: Map of the Massachusetts Bay Colony around 1690
- **capital**: Salem, Massachusetts, Salem, Charlestown, Massachusetts, Charlestown, Boston
- **common languages**: English, Massachusett language, Massachusett, Mi'kmaq language, Mi'kmaq
- **religion**: Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalism (State religion, official)

Puritans, Puritanism
- **currency**: Pound sterling
- **leader1**: John Endecott (first)
- **leader3**: Simon Bradstreet (last)
- **year leader1**: 1629–1631
- **year leader3**: 1679–1692
- **title leader**: List of colonial governors of Massachusetts, Governor
- **legislature**: General Court of Massachusetts, Great and General Court or Assembly of Massachusetts Bay
- **house1**: Massachusetts Governor's Council, Council of Assistants
- **type house1**: Upper House (_de facto_)
- **house2**: Massachusetts House of Representatives, Assembly
- **type house2**: Lower House (_de facto_)