What was the primary reason Thomas Hooker left the Massachusetts Bay colony and founded the Connecticut colony?
Responses
A. His religious ideals conflicted with the Puritan beliefs.
B. He desired to move further inland where soil was better for farming.
C. He thought the government had too much power.
D. He was forced out by Native Americans.
A. His religious ideals conflicted with the Puritan beliefs.
The primary reason Thomas Hooker left the Massachusetts Bay colony and founded the Connecticut colony was A. His religious ideals conflicted with the Puritan beliefs.
To find the primary reason why Thomas Hooker left the Massachusetts Bay colony and founded the Connecticut colony, we can analyze the available options:
A. His religious ideals conflicted with the Puritan beliefs.
B. He desired to move further inland where soil was better for farming.
C. He thought the government had too much power.
D. He was forced out by Native Americans.
To determine the correct answer, we can examine historical sources and texts that discuss Thomas Hooker and the reasons for his departure. One such source is "The Founding of Connecticut" by Charles M. Andrews, a notable historian.
According to Andrews, the primary reason behind Thomas Hooker's departure from the Massachusetts Bay colony was indeed option C: He thought the government had too much power. Hooker disagreed with the Puritan leadership in Massachusetts, specifically their restriction of voting rights to church members and their tight control over both the civil and ecclesiastical affairs of the colony. He believed in a more democratic form of governance and sought to establish a colony where more individuals could participate in the decision-making process. This led him to found the Connecticut colony in 1636, emphasizing the principles of representative government and individual freedoms.
In summary, the correct answer to the question is C: Thomas Hooker left the Massachusetts Bay colony and founded the Connecticut colony because he believed the government had too much power.