MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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Quick glossary
evidence
Information from a source that helps us test a claim.
source
A document, object, image, or account we can examine.
inference
An explanation based on clues; it still needs checking.
migration
Moving from one place to another to live.
immigrant
A person who moves to another country to live.
estimate
An approximate amount, based on available information.
oral history
A recorded interview about someone’s memories and experiences.
community
People connected by a place, relationships, or shared activities.
ancestry
Family origins across generations.
primary source
Evidence created by someone who experienced a time or event.

Event 14 of 100 · 1641

The Body of Liberties

Choose a PDF, read on screen, and try the word game.

← All 100 events

Choose your PDF reading

Grade 2 PDF ↗Short sentences, pictures, and read-and-notice questions.Grade 4 PDF ↗More context, text evidence, and explanatory writing.Grade 8 PDF ↗Source analysis, perspective, and evidence-based comparisons.Words first PDF ↗Supported reading for multilingual learners and students who benefit from more spacing and oral rehearsal.

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.

Read on this page

Modern topic illustration created for Massachusetts History Explorers. It is not a historical artifact.
Modern topic illustration created for Massachusetts History Explorers. It is not a historical artifact.

Words to know

law
a rule made through government
freedom
the ability to live and act without unjust control
protection
action that helps keep someone or something safe

Massachusetts Bay made a set of laws. Some laws offered protections. The code also allowed slavery in certain cases. Enslaved people were forced to work and denied freedom. A law can be deeply unfair.

Talk about the reading

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: Mary Dyer and religious freedom

Mary Dyer was a Quaker. Colony leaders banned Quakers. She returned to Boston to stand by her beliefs. The government put her to death in 1660. Her story shows the harm of religious intolerance.

How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.

Read the follow-up event →

Word match: use the reading

Select a word, then select its meaning. You can use a keyboard or tap. Read the word bank if you need a clue.

Choose a word to begin.

Check the evidence

Research source for this event ↗

Original site illustration. Image source and rights ↗

Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.

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