This History of Massachusetts

The history of Massachusetts is quite amazing and is a huge part of the 250 years of America celebration. When we hear the Mayflower, we are immediately taken back to elementary school and remembering the Pilgrims. It was the Pilgrim Fathers who sailed on this ship and became the first settlers in Massachusetts who established Plymouth Colony in 1620. In 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated their first Thanksgiving Day together to thank God for the blessings of a good harvest and survival because their first year was extremely difficult having inadequate supplies and cold weather. It was the Wampanoag Indians who were responsible for saving the Pilgrims with their harvest by sharing ideas on techniques of planting, fishing, and cooking that were essential for survival.

After the Pilgrims, the Puritans followed. The Puritans established Massachusetts Bay Colony at Salem in 1629 and Boston in 1630. The Puritans came to Massachusetts from England for religious freedom. The Religion dissension and expansionism led to the founding of several new colonies shortly after Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay. Boston Common, established in 1634, is one of America’s oldest parks. This park holds so much history and plays a vital role in the celebration of 250 years. The land was purchased by Puritan colonists from an Anglican minister William Blaxton. William Blaxton is believed to be the first European settler of Boston. The Boston Common served many purposes throughout its history. In the very beginning, the Common was used by many families as a cow pasture. It was the town execution grounds for many years and used for public hangings until 1817. Pirates, Military deserters, criminals, were among the public hangings. The Common also was a campground by the British before the Revolutionary War. It was at the Common where they set off for the Battle of Lexington and Concord. It was around 1830 that the Common became a public park.