Founders of the New England Colonies: Pilgrims, Puritans, and Dissenters

Who Founded the New England Colonies?

• Pilgrims: Founded Plymouth Colony (1620); leaders William Bradford, John Carver; sought religious freedom.
• Puritans: Founded Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630); leader John Winthrop; aimed to build a "city upon a hill."
• Roger Williams: Founded Rhode Island (1636) after banishment from Massachusetts; haven for religious liberty.
• Thomas Hooker: Founded Connecticut (1636) over church governance disputes; became trade center.
• John Wheelwright: Founded New Hampshire (1638) after exile; became royal colony 1692.
• Sir Ferdinando Gorges: Founded Maine (1639); later absorbed by Massachusetts (1652).

These groups shared a quest for religious autonomy and self-governance.