Thesis w/ Tension:
Although the rights of political and religious dissenters grew
during colonial times,
much of the period from 1607-1776
was characterized by social order rather strictly
enforced by Euro-American authorities and
fundamentalist Protestant religious views.
Created for acceleration and remediation of US History students
Setting The Scene:
The 13 Colonies were settled by many different groups intending
to defend and advance their own religious views while prospering
economically in the Wilderness of North America.
The Pilgrims (Separatists), Puritans, Quakers, Catholics, Huguenots,
and others would leave the persecution of Europe and its INQUISITION
environment… for the possibilities of happiness in the New World.
strongest Argument:
Dissenters in early Colonial times were often ostracized,
punished, or harmed for their non-conformity.
Roger Williams and Ann Hutchinson were excommunicated in the 1630’s for
their challenges to the moral authorities
in their Puritan communities.
Roger Williams would establish a new colony based on
religious tolerance called Rhode Island.
Anne Hutchinson’s theology of antinomianism …
spirituality can be more egalitarian…
predestination might entitle you to less restrictive behavior…
i.e.
was deemed an heretical abomination by the clergy
Mary Dyer, a good friend of Anne Hutchinson, is led to her
execution in Boston…her crime…she converted to join
the QUAKERS!
The Malleus Maleficarum was used in Europe
and the Americas to identify and prosecute
individuals suspected of Witchcraft…
The New England Puritans were basically no fun…
survival was paramount…theocracy was strident…
superstition was ubiquitous.
All this Paranoia made ultra-conformity endemic to the mindset
of the religious leaders in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692…
witchcraft trials similar to those found in Europe had begun in America.
With very sketchy empirical evidence, but strong conviction
in Old Testament theology…religious officials tried,
convicted, and sentenced 20 “Witches” in Salem
before the Massachusetts Governor intervened.
Women accused of adultery could be forced to wear an “A”
on their clothing to signify their unfaithfulness and shame
in a society that preached much forgiveness, but practiced little.
The Scarlet Letter
Thesis support continued:
…” much of the period from 1607-1776
was characterized by social order rather strictly
enforced by Euro-American authorities and
fundamentalist Protestant religious views.”
1 Samuel 17: ”David and Goliath”
Gutenberg Bible
In 1611 the new KING JAMES
version of the BIBLE was
published in England for use
in all Churches…
…not exactly what the Catholic Pope
endorsed… too few books
…not enough Latin…
…Puritans were more concerned about
pipe organ music in Anglican services
…they feared it was the devil’s voice
3 You shall have no other gods before me.
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of
anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the
waters below.
7 You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for
the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his
name.
8 Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live
long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 You shall not murder.
Exodus: 20:3-4,7-8,12-17
14 You shall not commit adultery.
15 You shall not steal.
16 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not
covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or
maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to
your neighbor.
Images of Noah’s Arc and other Biblical
highlights were inspirational to these
Colonists…
Was the Mayflower’s voyage
not religious in nature?
… a new beginning in a new WORLD
Massasoit’s peace treaty with the
Pilgrims in 1621 …
Wampanoags + Pilgrims=PEACE
Squanto shows Pilgrims how
to plant…
Fish+Seed+Soil+Water+Sun=Squash
Native American religious practices were largely animistic and based on a spiritual
reverence for nature …
these too were often derided as
“witchcraft” or “devil worship”.
Iroquois false face society
African American religious practices based on
West African beliefs …”voodoo”…
were also seen as threatening
and forms of “witchcraft”.
African American slavery and conquests of Native Americans
were often justified in Colonial times on religious grounds.
Legends and myths of the earliest encounters between
Animistic Americans and Christian Europeans persist
…Pocahontas was an heroic early Christian convert.
Her new
Christian
name was
Rebecca
William Penn established QUAKER settlements in Pennsylvania…preaching
pacifism and tolerance.
The 1649 Act of Toleration established the
colony of Maryland with tolerance promised
for Roman Catholics…but not for Jews.
Strict order was generally the norm in most colonial settlements, and
tolerance, when offered
was still limited by doctrines and prejudice.
Essay thesis statement tension now identified and explained:
“Although the rights of political and
religious dissenters grew during colonial
times,”
…Yet the rights of dissenters had grown in this era,
changing mindsets to
eventually embrace ideas from the
Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution.
In 1689 John Locke’s Two Treatise on Government, theories
would be applied to the evolving Constitution of the
British Empire as England acquired her
Bill of Rights
The 1689 Bill of Rights was the most “enlightened”
government contract in the western world as it entitled
property holding British Citizens many of the rights and
freedoms Americans value greatly to the present day.
1689 Bill of Rights…
a “constitutional monarchy” is evolving
That the pretended power of suspending the laws or the execution of
laws by regal authority without consent of Parliament is illegal;
That the pretended power of dispensing with laws or the execution of
laws by regal authority, as it hath been assumed and exercised of late, is
illegal;
That the commission for erecting the late Court of Commissioners for
Ecclesiastical Causes, and all other commissions and courts of like
nature, are illegal and pernicious;
That levying money for or to the use of the Crown by pretence of
prerogative, without grant of Parliament, for longer time, or in other
manner than the same is or shall be granted, is illegal;
That it is the right of the subjects to petition the king, and all
commitments and prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal;
That the raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time
of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law;
1689 Bill of Rights …continued
That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence suitable to
their conditions and as allowed by law;
That election of members of Parliament ought to be free;
That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to
be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament;
That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor
cruel and unusual punishments inflicted;
That jurors ought to be duly impanelled and returned, and jurors which pass upon
men in trials for high treason ought to be freeholders;
That all grants and promises of fines and forfeitures of particular persons before
conviction are illegal and void;
And that for redress of all grievances, and for the amending, strengthening and
preserving of the laws, Parliaments ought to be held frequently.
In 1735 the John Peter Zenger trial was an important step toward securing rights of the
freedom of the press to
openly criticize the government (colonial authorities).
The Great Awakening in the 1730’s – 1740’s greatly
weakened the authority of the traditional Anglican and
Congregationalist (Puritan) domination once seen in the Colonies.
Personal relationships with God
as the individual’s Savior, were
valued over more traditional
religious teachings…
…independent and saved…
The Great Awakening…
was a religious revival experience
that impacted the lives of
all American Colonists…
…whether they lived in cities, towns,
villages, or hundreds of miles from the
Atlantic Coast…
…similar to the 21st Century event
of “9/11” it caused most people to
reconsider larger issues in their
society and personal lives
The “New Lights” would establish new Churches and Colleges to encourage their
membership to grow and challenge the
dogma and traditions of the “Old Lights”.
Old Lights
Harvard
1636 Congregational
William & Mary 1693 Anglican
Yale
1701 Congregational
New Lights
Princeton
Pennsylvania
Columbia
Brown
Rutgers
Dartmouth
1746
1751
1754
1764
1766
1769
Presbyterian
Nonsectarian
Anglican
Baptist
Dutch Reformed
Congregational
Accompanying this religious awakening and spiritual wellspring,
the scientific revolution / enlightenment thinkers began to
embrace the concept of “Deism”… a belief in a
Creator / Supreme Being…who established a world
with “natural laws” and “natural rights”.
Deists like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were
sometimes criticized for their practices of religious freedom
…however…while Franklin and Jefferson were not going to church
to stay home and practice scientific applications…
Jefferson’s pasta machine = macaroni & cheese!
Franklin’s electricity = amusement ?
Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac
… full of the wit and advice of America’s
foremost citizen and publisher…
Jefferson’s The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth
…the NEW TESTAMENT GOSPELS…reduced to just the words
and deeds of JESUS…
…they were staunch believers in protecting religious freedom by
separating the powers of
“Church and State”
Virginia’s Declaration of Rights 1776
Section 16. That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner
of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence;
and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the
dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutually duty of all to practice
Christian forbearance, love, and charity toward each other.
Dissent during Colonial period would eventually
become the fire of Liberty that would be manifested
in the American Revolution.
“We hold these truths to be self evident that all
men are created equal and endowed by their
creator with certain unalienable rights, among
which are…
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
Conclusion:
Dissent and freedom of speech,
religion, press, assembly, and petition…
…would eventually be fully recognized as rights
for all Americans…
…the American Revolution was a culmination
of many events leading to this reality…
Suggested listening for greater appreciation:
1. Witchy Woman …The Eagles
2. Take The Devil …The Eagles
3. Superstition …Stevie Wonder
4. America The Beautiful…Keb Mo
"No freeman shall be ... imprisoned ... or in any way harmed . . .
except by the lawful judgment of his peers ......
- Magna Carta, 1215
__1. This statement is the basis for the democratic principle of the right
to
1 trial by jury
2 freedom from cruel and unusual punishment
3 freedom from double jeopardy
4 protection against self-incrimination
__2. The Mayflower Compact is important to the concept of a
democratic society because it represents
(1) an effort by the colonists to use force to resist the King
(2) a clear step toward self-government
(3) an early attempt to establish universal suffrage
(4) an attempt by the colonists to establish freedom of religion
__3. The Mayflower Compact, House of Burgesses, and Fundamental Orders
of Connecticut are all examples of the efforts of colonial Americans to
(1) use democratic practices in government
(2) protest British land policies
(3) establish religious freedom
(4) overthrow British royal governors
“. . . Now, one of the most essential branches of English liberty is the
freedom of one’s house. A man’s house is his castle; and whilst he is quiet,
he is as well guarded as a prince in his castle. . . .”
-James Otis, Against the Writs of Assistance, 1761
___4. Which provision in the Bill of Rights includes this same belief?
(1) right to a fair trial
(2) protection against unreasonable search and seizure
(3) guarantee against double jeopardy
(4) prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment
___5. Under mercantilism, the thirteen American colonies were expected
to provide Great Britain with
1 finished American-manufactured goods
2 raw materials and markets for British products
3 officials to represent colonial interests in Parliament
4 laborers to work in British factories
___6. The British system of mercantilism was opposed by many American
colonists because it
(1) placed quotas on immigration
(2) discouraged the export of raw materials to England
(3) placed restrictions on trading
(4) encouraged colonial manufacturing
___7. Which statement is most accurate about the movement for
independence in the thirteen colonies?
(1) The independence movement began soon after the founding
of the Plymouth Colony.
(2) Protests against British colonial policies gradually led to
demands for independence.
(3) The King of England required the colonists to become
economically self-sufficient.
(4) The movement for independence was equally strong in all
of the colonies.
___8. Which principle of government is proposed in the
Declaration of Independence?
1 Political power originates with a strong central government.
2 The primary function of government is to protect natural rights.
3 A system of checks and balances is the most effective way to
prevent governmental abuse of power.
4 Individual liberties must be guaranteed by a strong bill of rights.
___9. In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was
most influenced by the writers of the
1 Romantic Era
2 Enlightenment
3 Renaissance
4 Middle Ages
___10. In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was
influenced most by John Locke’s idea of
(1) due process of law
(2) natural rights
(3) the rights of the accused
(4) the right to privacy
___11. Which feature must a nation have to be considered a democracy?
(1) a strong president
(2) citizen participation in government
(3) elected judges to conduct trials
(4) a set of laws