Question

What was the primary reason Thomas Hooker left the Massachusetts Bay colony and founded the Connecticut colony?

Answer 1

The primary reason Thomas Hooker left the Massachusetts Bay colony and founded the Connecticut colony was due to religious and political disagreements with the leaders of Massachusetts. Hooker, a Puritan minister, believed that church members should have more say in both the religious and political matters of the colony. He disagreed with the restrictive policies of the Massachusetts leaders, particularly the limitation on voting rights only to church members. Hooker also expressed concerns over the lack of religious freedom and wanted to create a colony where individuals could worship freely without interference from the state. As a result, in 1636, Hooker led a group of followers to settle in the Connecticut River Valley and established the colony of Connecticut, where he helped draft the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, which is considered one of the earliest written constitutions in North America.