Massachusetts Bay Colony

In 1620, the settlers who had migrated to America from Europe, landed in Plymouth Rock and many of them made their way to Massachusetts to make their new homes.  This became The Massachusetts Bay Colony, they landed in Salem, now the site of present day Boston Harbor, and within a couple of years, they had Charlestown. In the ten years that followed, over 20,000 persons from England made their way to Massachusetts' new colony. John Winthrop, an Englishman of Puritan descent was their leader until his death in 1649. Even after his death though, he was remembered for his large part in the first expedition that got them their new home, he was a major sponsor of the expedition. His wealth also fed most of the colony for the first year to two years of living in Massachusetts. Upon their arrival in this new place, the sole inhabitants were Native Americans. In 1640, the Pilgrims began to make a name for themselves in the population, creating families of their own in this new Colony. One of the most noteworthy and remembered events that came to be in 1650, was the colonies changing of the law on adultery. Previously, the government in place had set a law, that punishment due to adulterers was whipping. This law made it a capitol offense and it was punishable by the lifelong wearing of a red "A" on their chest. This "A", for "Adulterer". One of the most famous literary pieces of American history, is Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter.