Massachusetts Colony

Education

The meeting house was like a school. The pilgrims went to the meeting house to get education. They would learn how to read and write. Also they got a good education from the Indians too.

The Indians would teach the pilgrims how to farm and grow crops so that they had food; also, it is a lot easier to grow your own food than trade with Indians.

Religion

The pilgrims in the Massachusetts Colony were very religious. They welcomed any religion that had to do with the all-mighty God. The pilgrims believed that God could do anything, and if they weren't respectful to god, then they would all suffer. They went to Church every Sunday to here a preacher tell them how good God is and how thankful they should be to him. They even had a public worship.

Government

They had governor, a deputy-governor, and eighteen assistants or magistrates to manage the affairs of the company the colony. The more important laws of the colony were to be enacted by a General Court of Assembly of all the freemen and stock-holders, to be held quarterly. The management of the local government was entirely in the hands of the corporation in England.

Housing

The pilgrims wanted shelter right away when they stepped foot on land, so they built dugouts. The dugouts walls were made out of tree branches woven together and plastered with mud. Then, later when children were born and families were made, them built cabins for more space. They made a cooking room which was used for eating, sleeping, cooking, and working. It never changed no matter how big the cabin was. One kind of house was called a saltbox house. It was made out of wood. Salt was kept in it. Today people still call this type of house a saltbox house. Paul Revere's house was a snug, wooden house built around a huge chimney. He lived in Boston. His house is still there to this day.

Entertainment/Activities

Pretty much any job/work was turned into play. There were contests like who can chop down the most trees (and also did the wood chopping done). There were games like ninepins (also called skittles (not the candy)), gambling, card playing, and horseshoes. Kids played games like tag and hide-and seek and also checkers. Sometimes they played games similar to football and baseball. Those were always played on cobblestone roads so someone almost always got injured.

Farmland & Cash Crops

The pilgrims originally fished for cod, but when that wasn't enough, turned to agriculture and trade, trading corn and beaver pelts. The characteristics of a farmland are healthy and good