New England

The colonial history of New Hampshire is often overshadowed by the larger and more famous colonies of Massachusetts, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Yet from its earliest settlements in the 1620s through the eve of the American Revolution, New Hampshire developed a distinctive identity shaped by rugged geography, contested political authority, and a fiercely independent population. Between … Read more

The colonial history of Rhode Island is unlike that of any other English colony in North America. Founded in 1636 by religious dissenter Roger Williams, the colony emerged from conflict, exile, and a bold experiment in freedom. While most colonies in New England enforced strict religious conformity, Rhode Island became a sanctuary for dissenters and … Read more

This post is the second in a series of 13 that will provide a history of the American colonial period. Click here for a look at the colonial history of Virginia. The story of colonial Massachusetts is one of faith and pragmatism, aspiration and anxiety, communal discipline and individual resistance. From the landing of the … Read more