* Religious freedom: The Puritans who founded Connecticut were seeking a place where they could practice their religion freely.
* Economic opportunity: The Connecticut River Valley was fertile and well-suited for farming, and the colony's location on the Atlantic Ocean provided access to trade.
* Political autonomy: The colonists of Connecticut wanted to have their own government, separate from the British government.
Rhode Island
* Religious freedom: Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams, who was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious beliefs. Williams believed that everyone should be free to worship as they pleased, and he founded Rhode Island as a place where people of all religions could live in peace.
* Economic opportunity: Rhode Island's location on the Narragansett Bay provided access to trade, and the colony's economy was based on farming, fishing, and shipbuilding.
* Political autonomy: The colonists of Rhode Island wanted to have their own government, separate from the British government.
New Hampshire
* Religious freedom: The Puritans who founded New Hampshire were seeking a place where they could practice their religion freely.
* Economic opportunity: The New Hampshire coastline provided access to trade, and the colony's economy was based on farming, fishing, and lumbering.
* Political autonomy: The colonists of New Hampshire wanted to have their own government, separate from the British government.