New England and the Middle
Colonies
1601–1700
Puritan Origins:
The English Reformation
• Henry VIII uses the
Reformation for political (and
personal) means. England
breaks with the Catholic
Church
• English (Anglican) church
keeps most practices of
Catholicism
• Others (Puritans) wanted a
full reforming of the church.
Wanted to eliminate rituals
and focus on the individual
• Persecution of Puritans in
England
Puritans and the Settlement
of New England
• The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony
- want to build a orderly Puritan version of
England
- First Holland (to much vice) then onto
America
Plymouth Video
English Migration, 1610-1660
The Founding of Massachusetts Bay Colony
• Puritans obtain a Royal charter
for most of Northeast of
America
- special provision: gov’t
could be located in the colony
instead of England
• John Winthrop elected
Governor and settled in Boston
- “City Upon a Hill” sermon
given
• Native Americans- initially few
around because of epidemics;
relations will break down
The Early Years of
Massachusetts Bay Colony
• Disease spread quickly and killed many.
Starvation also an issue
• Settlers kept arriving; especially when Church of
England cracks down on Puritan ministers in
England
• Immigrants came from all parts of society and
unlike Chesapeake many women/children
The Evolution of
New England Society
Church, Covenant, and Conformity
• Puritans influenced by John Calvin
- strict discipline in behavior, & predestination
• All town residents must attend church services
• Everyone kept an eye on everyone else; trying to
prove saintliness
• Sabbath day taken seriously- fines issued for flute
playing or visiting neighbors
• Banned practices: Christmas, Easter, cards, dice,
any games of chance, music, dance
Government by Puritans for Puritanism
• Transformed the joint stock company into a colonial
gov’t
• Freemen had voting rights on some issues & gov’t
position
- Freemen= male church members
- “Contrary minded” men forced out
Splintering of Puritanism
• How long did you think it
would last?
• Different visions of
Godliness; every
town/church had different
rules
• Roger Williams
• Anne Hutchinson vs. John
Winthrop- Covenant of Grace
vs. Covenant of Works
• More divisions of churches
Quakers and Salem
Witch Trials
• Quakers (society of friends)
arrive in New England. Different
beliefs.
- God speaks directly to
everyone; do not need preachers
or Bibles
- Refuse to conform to laws
and government, Sabbath
- As you can imagine there is
conflict between the Quakers and
Puritans.
- Salem Witch Trials- 100
accused of witchcraft, 19 executed
The Founding of the
Middle Colonies- last 1/3 of 1600s
• From New Netherland to New York
- Dutch West India Company purchases
Manhattan for goods worth 12 beaver pelts from
local Natives.
- New Amsterdam
- Low population (although highly diverse) and
low profits
- Monarchy restored in England. Duke of York
is given New Netherland as a land grant; sent
warships and kicked out the Dutch
- Early Governors struggle with controlling the
colony because of its’ diversity
Colonies
in
Eastern
North
America
1650
New Jersey and Pennsylvania
• Duke of York subdivides his land grant
• Quarrels between officials. William Penn
(Quaker and prominent individual from a
military/political family)
– Jersey stays a propriety colony (focused
on trade)
– Penn given a land grant for a Quaker
colony (Pennsylvania); given to rid
England of Quakers
Middle
Colonies,
1685
Relations with Native Americans
and King Philip’s War
• Massachusetts settlers massacre Pequot’s 1637
• 1670s warfare erupts in both New England
In New England
- Steady encroachment on Native land
- Wampanoags struck back; Chief is
Metacomet/King Philip (settlers name for him)
- Counterattacks and thousands are killed.
- Colonists gain upper hand and defeated the
Wampanoags with a scorched-earth policy. (see
map on the next page)
Aftermath: Hatred of Natives, large war debt,
devastated frontier
King Philip’s War, 1675 – 1676)
Spread of
Settlement:
British
Colonies,
1650–1700