1607-1763
Unit II
Part 2
The New England Colonies
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Remember James I gave out 2 charters in 1606
The First was to the London Co. which settled
Jamestown
The Second charter was given to the Plymouth
Co (Later to be called the Council of NE)
which was to make settlements in the northern
region of “Virginia”
Remember, at first it was ALL Virginia
The Pilgrims v The Puritans
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Puritans were people who wanted to PURIFY
the Anglican Church (the Church of England)
In England they wanted separation of church
and state
Pilgrims were sometimes called Separatists
because they had given up on purifying the
Anglican Church and had separated from it.
Pilgrims v Puritans
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There were only 35 Pilgrims who came over on
the Mayflower in 1620. They were supposed to
settle in the Southern region under the
jurisdiction of the London Co.
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BUT the voyage was rough.
December storms blew them way off course and
they ended up in Cape Cod Bay in Mass.
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The Pilgrims: Background
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After the death of Elizabeth I, religious
dissenters were increasingly persecuted
Many found refuge in the Netherlands
The Dutch were very tolerant. This is partly
why they had such success in trade
No one in the Netherlands was persecuted for
religious reasons BUT there WERE problems
for the transplanted Puritans and Pilgrims
Problems in the Netherlands
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Since all religions were tolerated, the Pilgrims
and Puritans were surrounded by infidels!
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Foreigners could find work in the Netherlands
but the good-paying jobs were reserved for
Dutch citizens
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English children were growing up Dutch!
The Scrooby Group
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35 Pilgrims who had traveled from Scrooby to
the Netherlands got permission from the
London Co. to settle in the Southern region
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They shared the ship, The Mayflower, with 67
others who the Pilgrims called Strangers
The Pilgrims
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The December seas were rough and they were
blown off course and ended up in the jurisdicion
of the Plymouth Co.
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All aboard signed the Mayflower Compact
before they got off the ship
An agreement to abide by the laws that they
would all make together…a recognition of their
interdependence
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The Plymouth Plantation
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The Pilgrims DID get permission to stay in
Plymouth
Pilgrims were met by Squanto and Samoset who
had had contact with John Smith earlier and
spoke English
Rough first winter. ½ died
Were later aided by the natives: what to eat,
how to hunt, etc. = Thanksgiving
The Plymouth Plantation
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Governor Bradford
Elected 30 times
Wrote The History of the Plymouth Plantation
Settlement grew slowly
After 10 years the population of 300 shared one
plow between them
Was eventually swallowed up by the Puritans
The Puritans
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“The great migration of the 17th century” refers
to the migration of thousands of Puritans to the
New World
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In 1630 Puritans on 17 ships with 1000 (families
and their servants) sailed to the New World
Settled in the Boston-Salem area
Was called the Mass. Bay Co.
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The Mass. Bay Co.
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Their first governor: Winthrop
Goal: to build A City on a Hill
A model Christian community for all the world
to see…a utopia
Established a theocracy
Industrious, prosperous
By 1640 10,000 settlers
Big interest in Education
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Puritan belief: Everyone should be able to read
the Bible
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1636 Harvard established to train ministers
1647 Mass. General School Act: communities
taxed to support free public schools
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Critics were ousted
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1635 Thomas Hooker wanted separation of
Church and state
Was ousted
1636 established Hartford
Hartford and nearby communities drew up a
constitution
The Fundamental Orders of Conn.: first written
constitution that really worked. Provided for 3
branches of government
More Critics
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1636 Roger Williams also wanted separation of
Church and state AND suggested that the land
they were occupying rightfully belonged to the
Indians
Was banished and founded Rhode Island
Plantation Agreement at Providence
(constitution)
RI was first for religious freedom
Ann Hutchinson
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Was also a critic but a woman and did not object
to theocracy
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Said only members of the elect should hold civil
office
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The Elect: those who had had a revelation of
some sort and were sure of salvation
Anne Hutchinson
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Belief was that the Age of Revelation had passed
BUT Hutchinson claimed to have had a
revelation! (A mere woman!)
Was tried for heresy and banished (was
pregnant)
She was killed by Native Americans in NY in
1643
One of her followers founded New Hampshire
New England Confederation
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Native Americans were a problem for all
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New England Confederation was an
organization of different New England
communities for defense against the Indians
1692 Salem Witch Trials
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Hanged: 19 people and two dogs
Pressed: 1 Giles Corey
Hysteria
Girls and family slave
Ergot? A mold growing on rye having
hallucinogenic effects
In Europe
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500,000 killed between 15th and 17th centuries
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In the colonies: no more deaths but trials in Va.
In 1706 and NC in 1712
The Dominion of New England
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King James II revoked charters of all colonies
N. and E. of Penn and organized them into one
Royal Colony: The Dominion of NE
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Royal Governor was Andros
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The Dominion ended with Wm and Mary 1689
The Toleration Act of 1689
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Ended religious persecution
Granted freedom of worship to all but Catholics
and Unitarians
Did NOT establish religious equality
BUT Church attendance no longer required for
voting
The Half-Way Covenant
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The Puritans believed that the Age of Revelation
had passed
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How to keep Church membership?
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The Half-way Covenant: Allowed the children
of persons of good character to be baptized into
the Church
The Three Regions
of the English Colonies
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New England: Mass. Conn., RI, NH
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Mid-Atlantic: NY, NJ, Penn, Delaware
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Southern: VA, NC, SC, Maryland, Georgia
The Three TYPES of Colonies
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Charter: the governor is chosen by the people
of the colony
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Proprietary: the governor is or is chosen by the
proprietor
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Royal: the Governor is chosen by the King
By the time of the Revolution…
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All colonies were Royal Colonies
The English Civil War
and Interregnum 1649-59
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Cromwell’s followers = Roundheads
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Charles I’s followers = Cavaliers
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Cavaliers migrated to VA when it was clear that
the King was losing the war
The Other Colonies
Maryland: the first Proprietary Colony
Lord Baltimore (George Calvert) got a charter from
Charles I
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Established Maryland as a bastion for Catholics
200-300 sailed on the Arc and the Dove
Established a headright system to attract new settlers
Maryland
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But then, Protestants came over
The Maryland Toleration Act (to safeguard the
rights of Catholics) was passed by the colonial
legislature (1649)
BUT was repealed by Protestant majority in
1655 causing a Civil War in Maryland!
Grew tobacco like VA
The Carolinas (Proprietary)
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1660 Charles II gave a huge area to 8 favorites
S. of VA
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Offered the Headright system
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Insured that nearly all white settlers owned
property and had political power
John Locke
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Drafted the Fundamental Constitutions…
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Unusual and unworkable: provided for a social
hierarchy…a heredity nobility
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First settlers by 1680…Charleston.. Thriving fur
trade and food to W. Indies. Also
tobacco…prosperous
The Carolinas
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Northern most region near Albemarle was
poorer and more back-woodsy
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By 1712 separated into 2 Royal colonies: N and
S Carolina
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Huguenots to S. Carolina when the Edict of
Nantes was revoked
The Middle Colonies
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NOTE: Dutch smugglers made it impossible
for the English to enforce their trade regulations
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1664 English captured Dutch New Amsterdam
without a fight. And renamed it New York
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The Dutch did not consider the colony valuable
enough to fight for
New Jersey
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The Duke of York took a chunk of NY and
gave it to two of his friends…Lord Berkley and
Sir George Carteret
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Berkley sold his interest to some Quakers in
1674
Quakers
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Aka Society of Friends…established 1600 by
George Fox and Margaret Fell
Belief in sexual equality
All are = in the eyes of God
No ministers, no ritual
Rejected idea of Original Sin and Predestination
Were persecuted in Mass by Puritans
1702..NJ was made a Royal Colony
Pennsylvania
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1681 Wm Penn (Quaker) received Penn from
King Charles II in leiu of a 16,000 debt that the
crown owed to Penn’s father
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Wm Penn was the proprietor
By 1685 9,000 settlers
Many, though, objected to the idea of the
absolute rule of the proprietor (though Penn
was a good one)
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Pennsylvania
continued
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1701 The Charter of Liberties: a constitution
written by a representative assembly limiting the
power of the proprietor
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Penn did not fight it
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In 1703 Pennsylvania allowed 3 counties to form
their own representative assembly = Delaware
Georgia (late) 1732
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Group of London Philanthropists, led by
Oglethorpe, wanted to give English imprisoned
debtors a fresh start
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Got permission from George II to found
Georgia: Rules: no slavery and no alcohol
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Was unenforcable.
Georgia
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1752 trustees gave up and Georgia became a
royal colony.
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George II supported the establishment of
Georgia to act as a buffer between Spanish
Florida and the lucrative tobacco-growing
English colonies.
Prior to the American Revolution
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All colonies had representative assemblies
The right to vote depended upon property
ownership (and , of course, you had to be a
white, male, free, adult)
The most democratic aspect of New England
society was the town meeting