This paper will examine the historical
geography of the New England village from the late 17th to the early 19th centuries.
It will be argued that within this time frame the urban
geography of the village underwent a series of complex changes that parallel both the
population growth of New England and the declining power of the Puritan community within that same population. As will be seen, there exists a clear correlation between the transformation of these communities from spiritual to secular orientation, and their expansion as commercial and industrial centres.