Wanderlust World Wanderlust World What we call the "New England Colonies" were initially separate chartered entities that gradually consolidated into the four states (plus Maine) we recognize today.
| Colony | Founded | Charter Type | Key Figures | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plymouth | 1620 | Patent (later royal charter 1691) | Bradford, Brewster, Standish | Absorbed by Massachusetts Bay (1691) |
| Massachusetts Bay | 1629/1630 | Royal charter (self-governing) | Winthrop, Cotton, Dudley | Became Province of Massachusetts Bay (1691) |
| New Hampshire | 1623 (settlements); 1679 (royal province) | Various grants; royal province 1679 | Mason, Wheelwright | Separate royal colony; shared governor with MA 1699–1741 |
| Rhode Island & Providence Plantations | 1636 (Providence), 1638 (Portsmouth), 1644 (charter) | Parliamentary patent (1644), Royal charter (1663) | Williams, Clarke, Coddington | Charter colony; never absorbed |
| Connecticut | 1636 (Hartford/Wethersfield/Windsor), 1638 (New Haven), 1662 (charter) | Royal charter (1662) – "Fundamental Orders" 1639 | Hooker, Haynes, Winthrop Jr. | Absorbed New Haven (1665); charter colony |
| New Haven | 1638 | Fundamental Agreement (theocratic) | Davenport, Eaton | Merged into Connecticut (1665) under royal charter |
| Maine | 1620s (proprietary grants: Gorges, Rigby) | Proprietary; claimed by MA Bay | Gorges, Cleeve | Absorbed by Massachusetts Bay (1652–1658); separate state 1820 |
These mergers shaped:
By 1776, the four colonies—Massachusetts (incl. Maine), New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut—sent delegates to the Continental Congress, united by shared Puritan heritage, town-meeting governance, and maritime commerce.