In
1620, the first European settlers came to the New England region on the
Mayflower. They landed at Plymouth
Rock in Massachusetts. They were called Pilgrims.
The Pilgrims founded Plymouth Colony, the first permanent settlement, in
New England. The first winter for the Pilgrims was hard and almost half
of the colonist died. Many Pilgrims died because the did not have enough
food and proper shelter from the cold weather. In the spring some friendly
Native Americans taught the settlers about their new land, showing them
how to raise corn and catch fish. Their daily life
improved. The Wampanoag leader Massasoit and the colonists signed a peace
treaty, each promising to live in peace and to support the other if attacked
by an aggressor. In the fall of 1621 the bountiful harvest of corn and
beans, along with fish and game, was shared between the settlers and Native
Americans in the first American Thanksgiving
celebration. From then the Plymouth Colony prospered on its own until it
merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691.
Thirteen colonies
were formed as more people came to the New England region. England ruled
the 13 American colonies for many years. Then, England began taxing the
American colonist. The colonist hated the taxes. They protested. On April
19, 1775, the Revolutionary
War began in Massachusetts. Americans fought the English to break free
of England. On July 4, 1776 American leaders approved the Declaration of
Independence. That paper said that the former thirteen colonies were now
the United States
of America. It was the birth
of our nation. We celebrate the Fourth
of July every year thanks to the first settlers in the New England
region.
The
earliest permanent European settlers in the New England region came from
England. They were soon followed by the Irish, Scot-Irish, and Germany.
Between 1847 and 1854, over 1 million people left Ireland, an island near
Europe, to come to the United States. During those years a potato
blight struck Ireland. The blight caused a great famine, or shortage
of food, because the main crop of Ireland was potatoes. Today,
many Irish people live in
Boston. They have formed ethnic neighborhoods. The Irish have a rich
culture. Irish
music has been played in America since the Irish came to this country.
People
in the New England region have played an important role in American's history.
They founded the first public schools, started the first college in America,
fought against slavery and for women's rights. Lucy Stone and Susan
B. Anthony earned the right for women to vote in 1920. Today, the people
in the New England region are known for their wonderful seafood, beautiful
towns, and love of outdoor activities. Many famous people are from Maine
are New
Hampshire.
To learn more about the history
of each state, use these links:
New
Hampshire History
Vermont
History
Connecticut
History
Rhode
Island's Indians and Explorers
Maine's
History Timeline
Activity
8: People and History of the New England Region
Native
Americans were living in what is now the New England region before
the Europeans came. Most of the Native
Americans in this area were Algonquian speaking. The Native Americans
lived off the land. They migrated throughout the region to take advantage
of natural resources. The Wabanaki
Native Americans hunted and farmed. Beans and corn were their most important
crop. They also grew squash and other vegetables. The native people lived
largely by hunting deer, turkeys and geese. They also caught fish and shellfish.
They lived in wigwams.
Wigwams
are houses made out tall, young trees. They used birchbark canoes to travel
and fish. When the settlers arrived from Europe, there was a large Native
American population in the New England region. By 1620, however, more than
half that number had died. They died from epidemics of diseases brought
by whites. Many also died from intertribal warfare. The tribes fought amongst
themselves a lot and were unable to unite against the settlers. As the
settlers took more and more land, many Native Americans went to Canada.
Others moved west, away from the settlers who stole their lands.