Question

What was one reason New England colonies required larger towns to hire teachers?

A:They believed reading and writing were necessary to study the Bible.
B:It helped unify their towns which typically had diverse populations.
C:They believed it was necessary to ensure separation of church and state.
D:Their colonists tended to have less wealth and education than other colonies.

Answer 1

A:They believed reading and writing were necessary to study the Bible.

Step-by-step explanation:

The New England colonies were founded by Puritan Separatists who were deeply religious. They were essentially an English version of Central European Calvinists.

As strict protestants, they placed great value in reading the bible, because one of the central tenets of protestanism is that God's message can be found by reading the bible, not necessarily by going to the church and hearing a priest.

Because of these customs, New Englanders required larger towns to hire teachers, so that young people could go and be taught reading and writing, in order to be able to read the bible by themselves.