Boston and Massachusetts Bay
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All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.
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Words to know
- settle
- begin living in a place; the place may already be someone’s homeland
- government
- the system that makes and carries out public decisions
- belief
- an idea someone accepts as true
John Winthrop led a large group of Puritans from England. They settled around Massachusetts Bay. Boston grew on Massachusett land. The settlers wanted a religious community, but did not welcome every different belief.
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What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?
Follow-up: Boston Common
Boston set aside the Common in 1634. Cows once grazed there. People used the open land for work and gatherings. Today people walk and play there. It is commonly called the nation’s oldest public park.
How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.
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Check the evidence
Research source for this event ↗
Unknown artist; collection of the American Antiquarian Society. Public domain (PD-Art / expired copyright) Image source and rights ↗
Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.
Try a source investigationVisit a Massachusetts place
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