In the 17th century, Massachusetts, a small town in North America was found and colonized by a group of Puritan refugees from England. Led by their governor John Winthrop, a group of six men gained the right to annex themselves from the council of England and by extension its government and the church (Moody 56). The move to Massachusetts originally began as a bid to establish an independent and capitalist trade area in the region; however, it turned into a complete split from England. The Massachusetts Bay Company obtained a charter from reigning King Charles who allowed them to establish a self governing state which was highly commercialized and allowed free trade and acquisition of property (Moody 58). It also required men to pay taxes in order to earn federal revenue. In addition, Winthrop and company established their own government and law and the highest office belonged to the governor.
According to Moody, this ushered in a new era of politics and socioeconomic practices allowing groups of independent thinkers to take advantage of natural and human resources in order to create thriving colonies. Nonetheless, because of their new age practices, the colony became a pariah causing native agriculture, mining and tourism stakeholders to pull out. In addition, there arose a socioeconomic rift between indigenous citizens and the Puritan refugees which was made worse by the King’s decision to rule in favor of the latter. This created turf war between stakeholders of the region who held no regard for the Kings charter (p.61).
However, many scholars and historians have argued that the events that constituted the establishment of Massachusetts as a colony, a state and a region independent of the crown of England played a major role in shaping America socially, politically and economically (Moody 66). In this regard, the founding of Massachusetts as a free and independent colony is an important part of political history.
Work cited
Moody, Robert Earle. "A Re-Examination of the Antecedents of the Massachusetts Bay Company's Charter of 1629." 69. (1947): 56--80. Print.
