John Smith, New England, and a Quick History of Boston

In the northeast of the United States is a region that has, for centuries, lovingly been called “New England.” Many people, when they hear “New England,” often immediately think “Boston!” But actually, it’s more than just Boston.

It’s the name collectively given to six states, those being:

- Connecticut

- Maine

- Massachusetts

- New Hampshire

- Rhode Island

- Vermont

It was named such by a famed Englishman we all remember as being immortalized in Disney’s Pocahontas: John Smith.

The Old Roots of New England

It was in 1616—the same year that William Shakespeare died—that a small ship arrived in the northeast of the United States, around 400 years ago. It was not the Mayflower—although the Mayflower was one of them, and it carried those pilgrims that are talked about every Thanksgiving.

On this ship was a man named Captain John Smith, and he meant to do one thing: encourage the Englishmen he carried with him to settle in the northeast of the country. He arrived in Massachusetts.

New England and the Oldest American Dream

You might know this, but John Smith also wrote a book, titled A Description of New England. And in this book, he famously said that he would rather live here (in Massachusetts) than anywhere else, for here there is opportunity for every man to be master and owner of his lands and labor.

According to the Boston Globe, this might have been the first utterance of the American Dream. In fact, many have called John Smith’s ambitions across the Atlantic the founding of America.

The Puritan Spread

Around 1630, Boston as we know it today was a Puritan stronghold. If you’ve read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter, you have a pretty good idea of what the city and the region looked like back then. Boston, the largest city of the region known as New England, soon became the new face of the religion of John Bunyan and John Milton. Boston would go on to become the scene of many a historical event: from the American Revolution to the Boston Tea Party, much came to pass.

And it all began with the Puritan settlers, John Smith, and other Englishmen who called it New England. They thought they had found England here—but they were just dreaming the American dream.

Going to Boston Soon?

You’ll love the historic city. Its brick-red buildings and old architecture will make you feel like you’re back in time, closer to when John Smith arrived in New England. But while you’re there, don’t make your bags time-travel! Leave them with a reliable luggage storage provider, such as Cubby. Cubby’s services are offered in Boston, as well as Dallas, Atlanta, Galveston, Fort Worth, Houston, Las Vegas, Austin, and Washington D.C.