Susan Pojer / Pamela K. Montague
Protestant Reformation
• Produces Puritanism
• Martin Luther – Bible alone is source of
God’s word
• John Calvin / Calvinism
–
–
–
–
Dominant theology in ALL colonies
Humans weak & wicked due to original sin
Predestination on eternal salvation
Good works CANNOT save the damned, but…
• Have to look for signs of conversion- VISIBLE
SAINTS
• Anglicans didn’t advocate ARMINIANISM – it’s
heresy- but suggested good works might get favor
with God
• Fear of James I
– Married to a Catholic
– No advances under him for Protestantism except
King James version of Bible
Pilgrims?
How are Pilgrims the “purest Puritans?”
vs.
Puritans?
What’s the difference?
The Pilgrims
• Separatists who thought only
“visible saints” should get church
membership
• 1608 migrated to Holland (Netherlands)
but…
• Form joint-stock company & migrate to
America in 1620
– 100 people/35 are Pilgrims - on Mayflower;
66 days
– Headed to Northern Virginia but ….
• Landed north of their destination at
Cape Cod Bay and stayed
The Mayflower Compact
November 11, 1620
• WHY did the Pilgrims
draw it up?
– Entered into because
Pilgrims were outside
control of Virginia Co.
• Early example that
society should be
based on rules set by
its own members
• TOWN MEETINGS
– a defining characteristic
of New England
– Based on majority rule
– Select Governor
William Bradford
Elected 30 times!
“Of Plymouth
Plantation”
•1st 30 years of colony
•Will merge with MA
Bay colony (Puritans) in
1691 – becomes MA
Tisquantum
a/k/a
SQUANTO
• Knew English; had traveled to
England but tried to return (with
John Smith) in 1614
• Kidnapped by another Englishman
attempting to sell him into slavery
in Spain; rescued by monks
• Finally made his way back to
England & then America in 1619
• Helped Pilgrims survive after 1st
hard winter (where over half died)
by teaching them to cultivate maize
THE FIRST
THANKSGIVING
October, 1621
National Holiday by 1942
Presidential Turkey
Pardons
Puritan Migration
• 1629 Charles I dismissed
Parliament & allowed
persecution of Puritans
• Approx. 70,000 Puritans
left England during the
Great Migration
– 1620-1650
– Most went to West Indies
– Small group settles in Salem,
MA in 1629
– Boston founded, 1630
– 10,000 in MA by 1640
Great Migration, 1620-1650
Massachusetts Bay Colony
• Royal charter from MA Bay Company
• Approximately 1,000 to MA in 1630 Boston
• Come in family units
• Create elected legislature – General
Court – how is membership limited?
– Limited to male church members
who are “visible saints”
– What do they see as the purpose
of government?
• enforcing God’s law
John Winthrop
Governor of
Massachusetts
“We shall be as a city on
a hill, the eyes of all
people are upon us. . .”
• Social experiment to create a utopian
community
– To be a beacon to humanity; believed they
have covenant w/God to build a holy society
that would be a model for all mankind
• Puritans later known as the
Congregational Church.
Puritan “Rebels”
Roger Williams
“Liberty of
Conscience”
• Why does he become unpopular
with his Salem congregation?
• With landowners?
• Where does he go?
• Will found a Baptist church
Anne Hutchinson
“Antinomianism”
• What is antinomianism?
• What ultimately happens
to her?
Rhode Island, Connecticut,
New Hampshire
• RHODE ISLAND “SEWER” of the colonies
–
–
–
–
Individualistic / Independent
Complete freedom of religion – Catholics & Jews
No oaths, no church attendance, no taxes
Universal manhood suffrage (later, require property)
• CONNECTICUT
– Founder is Rev. Thomas Hooker
– 1st written Constitution – Fundamental Orders…
– Many Boston Puritans
• NEW HAMPSHIRE/MAINE
– Settled for fishing, trading
– Maine gets absorbed by MA Bay Colony
– NH becomes royal colony by 1679
The Pequot Wars:
1636-1637
The more English that arrive & push inland,
the less peace there is with the Indians.
First war between natives & Europeans in British North America.
A Pequot Village
Destroyed, 1637
Colonists & their Narragansett allies slaughter the Pequots.
Set fire to their wigwams & then shot them as they fled.
NEW ENGLAND
CONFEDERATION
• Formed by Americans, 1643
– MA Bay, Plymouth & Connecticut
(“Puritan Club”)
• For defense….against
– Indians, French, Dutch
– Not getting much assistance from
England … civil war
• 1st milestone toward colonial unity!
• Broken up by Charles II in 1684
– Took charter away from MA Bay
colony
– Colonial rivalries had role also
King Phillip’s War
1675-1676
• METACOM (King Phillip)
forms Indian alliance
and launches vicious
attacks on the colonies 52 Puritan towns
attacked & 12 entirely
destroyed.
Metacom
What happened to him?
• New England
Confederation effort
• His defeat in 1676 is
a lasting defeat for
New England’s
Indians
D0MINION OF NEW
ENGLAND
• Imposed by London
– Joined NE + NY & NJ together
• Sir Edmund Andros – openly
pro-Anglican
• For control – enforce the Navigation Laws
– Smuggling becomes reputable in colonies
• Andros taxed w/o consent; no town
meetings allowed
• Glorious Revolution (William & Mary, 1688)
brings end to it
• MA loses charter – royal colony
– ALL male property owners now have suffrage,
not just church members
• SALUTARY NEGLECT sets in!
Population of the New
England Colonies
Characteristics of New
England Settlements
Puritan Work Ethic
Diversified economy –encouraged by
climate…..how?
Low mortality  average life expectancy
was 70 years of age.
Lack of diversity - ENGLISH
Emigrated in family units
Many extended families.
Average 6 children per family.
Average age at marriage: Women – 22
years old; Men – 27 years old.
Population Comparisons:
New England v. the Chesapeake
Why is life
expectancy
so high in
New England?
Land Division in
Sudbury, MA: 1639-1656
Tightly knit, planned
communities
Town meetings!
Direct Democracy
• Had meeting house for town meetings & a
village green surrounded by houses
• Land for firewood, pasture and crops was
distributed to all the residents
• All people are close to town & come to
meetings
Patriarchy
Authoritarian male father figures controlled
each household.
Patriarchal ministers & judges
controlled church
congregations and
households.
Women can’t inherit land – limited to
domestic sphere; children to be seen, but
not heard & emulate adults.
Families allowed to discipline each other’s
children … to make sure punishment was
harsh enough.
“Blue Laws” enforced.
(things not allowed–usually on Sun.)
EDUCATION
Extremely important – WHY?
1647 MA School Law
Towns of over 50 were
required to provide public
education – 1st public schools!
1636, Harvard College established
Its purpose?
Disruptions in
New England Society
• Declining religious zeal
– Thriving economy a major cause
– Population dispersing away from town
to outlying farms….outside control of
church
• Led to Halfway Covenant, 1662
– Partial church membership, but no vote
– Children can be baptized
– No communion
• Salem Witchcraft Trials
– 1692 - - Causes?
– How did they end?
– Cotton Mather?
New England Colonies, 1650