Question
What was the primary reason Thomas left a Massachusetts Bay colony in front of the Connecticut colony
Answers
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Thomas Hooker, a prominent Puritan minister, left the Massachusetts Bay Colony primarily due to disagreements over the governance and the extent of suffrage. In Massachusetts, the political power was largely held by the church and its members, which limited participation in government to a select group of "freemen" who were church members. Hooker believed in a more inclusive approach to governance and advocated for a system where more individuals, including non-church members, could vote.
In 1636, he and a group of followers left the Massachusetts Bay Colony and moved to the Connecticut River Valley, where they established the Connecticut Colony. This migration was driven by the desire to form a new community with a government that reflected Hooker’s beliefs in greater democratic practices, ultimately leading to the Fundamentals of 1638-1639, which established a more representative form of government in Connecticut.
In 1636, he and a group of followers left the Massachusetts Bay Colony and moved to the Connecticut River Valley, where they established the Connecticut Colony. This migration was driven by the desire to form a new community with a government that reflected Hooker’s beliefs in greater democratic practices, ultimately leading to the Fundamentals of 1638-1639, which established a more representative form of government in Connecticut.