<P> Thomas Hooker left Massachusetts in 1636 with 100 followers and founded a settlement just north of the Dutch Fort Hoop which grew into Connecticut Colony . The community was first named Newtown then renamed Hartford to honor the English town of Hertford . One of the reasons why Hooker left Massachusetts Bay was that only members of the church could vote and participate in the government, which he believed should include any adult male owning property . He obtained a royal charter and established Fundamental Orders, considered to be one of the first constitutions in America . Other colonies later merged into the royal charter for the Connecticut Colony, including New Haven and Saybrook Colony . </P> <P> The earliest colonies in New England were usually fishing villages or farming communities on the more fertile land along the rivers . The rocky soil in the New England Colonies was not as fertile as the Middle or Southern Colonies, but the land provided rich resources, including lumber that was valued for building homes and ships . Lumber was also a resource that could be exported back to England, where there was a shortage of wood . In addition, the hunting of wildlife provided furs to be traded and food for the table . </P> <P> The New England Colonies were located along the Atlantic coast where there was an abundance of marketable sea life . Excellent harbors and some inland waterways offered protection for ships and were also valuable for fresh water fishing . By the end of the 17th century, New England colonists had created an Atlantic trade network that connected them to the English homeland as well as to the West African slave coast, the Caribbean's plantation islands, and the Iberian Peninsula . Colonists relied upon British and European imports for glass, linens, hardware, machinery, and other items for the household . </P> <P> The Southern Colonies could produce tobacco, rice, and indigo in exchange for imports, whereas New England's colonies could not offer much to England beyond fish, furs, and lumber . Inflation was a major issue in the economy . During the 18th century, shipbuilding drew upon the abundant lumber and revived the economy, often under the direction of the British Crown . </P>

What was the center of life for colonists in new england