Puritans and New England

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Puritans and New England
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Objective 1

• Compare the development of the New England and
  Chesapeake colonies as illustrated by the social,
  political and economic institutions that shaped
  them.

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Objective 2

• Describe the Puritans and their beliefs and
  explain why they left England for the New World.

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Objective 3

• Explain how Massachusetts Bays conflict with
  religious dissenters as well as economic
  opportunities led to the expansion of New England.

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Objective 4

• Describe the conflict between the colonists and
  Indians in New England.

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Puritans (Congregationalists)

• John Calvin
• Predestination
• Wanted to purify the Church of England of
  Catholicism
• Against separation of church and state
• Feared England becoming too secular

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Puritan Ideas

• Puritan Work Ethic
• Convert the unbelieving
• Had special covenant with God
• Predestination
• Elect (Visible Saints)
• Visual conversion
• All people should be literate

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Persecution of Puritans

• Puritans challenged King James I (1603-1625)
• James would not allow Puritans to defy him as
  spiritual leader--would inspire others to defy
  him as political leaer
• James responded by harassing them, closing
  churches, etc.
• Economic depression of late 16th century was
  devastating to Puritans (wool industry)

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Separatists

• Predecessors to Puritans (in colonization)
• Wanted to separate, not purify the church
• Could not stand going to church with corrupted
  Anglican church members
• Fled persecution in England
• 1608 Holland
• Feared Dutchification of children
• 1620 Plymouth
• Did not have charter (not recognized by England
  and did not have the rights of an Englishman)
• William Bradford (and Myles Standish)
• Mayflower Compact first written government
  document in colonies

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Puritans Leave England

• 1629 Group of Puritans obtained charter
• Formed Massachusetts Bay Co.
• Intended to be religious colony
• Left in 1630 with over 1,000 people

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A City Upon a Hill

• Massachusetts Bay
• Stressed community over individual
• Protestant Work Ethic
• Strong discipline
• Transgressors severely punished
• Great Migration 70,000 Puritans came in 1630s
• Expanded into Connecticut and Rhode Island

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Economics of Massachusetts Bay

• Agriculture, fishing, timber, furs
• Villages
• Close together
• Communal
• Small farms
• Singles could not live alone
• Stressed education
• Town meeting form of government

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Education

• Towns of more than 50 families were required to
  provide education
• Harvard College (1636)
• First tax supported public schools (1642)
• First printing press in New World
• Half of adults were literate

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The New England Primer (1683)
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Government

• Free male church members could vote
• 40 of population had right to vote
• All had freedom of speech (town hall mtgs)
• Everyone paid taxes
• Governor and his aides was elected annually
• Had almost unlimited powers
• John Winthrop was first governor
• Representative assembly also elected annually

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New England Families

• Puritans migrated as families
• Stability
• Promoted growth
• Women had few rights

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Agriculture

• Broad ownership of land
• Most farmers were 50 acres or less
• Needed to move westward
• No crop rotation
• Gap between rich and poor not large
• Owning land meant
• Economic power
• Political power
• Poor land quality meant more cities, centers of
  trade

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Pilgrims vs. Puritans
Few
Many
Early (1620)
Later (1629-30)
Poor class
Upper middle class
Uneducated
Educated
Separatists from state church
Loyal
Settled in Plymouth
Salem, Boston
Wm. Bradford, Wm. Brewster
John Endicott, Miles Standish, John Winthrop
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Roger Williams

• Separatist
• Separation of church and state
• Puritans intruding on Indian land
• Fled in 1636 and obtained charter for Rhode
  Island in 1644
• Built first Baptist church in colonies

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Anne Hutchinson

• Antinomianism
• Faith alone necessary for salvation
• Said she talked directly with God
• Goes against obeying law
• Goes against work being sign of being the Elect
• Kicked out of Massachusetts in 1638

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Indian Relations

• Europeans brought disease
• Natives die and Puritans take land
• Showed God was on their side
• 1637 War with Pequots

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King Philips War

• King Philip (Metacom) formed alliance of Indian
  tribes
• Coordinated attacks in New England
• 1676 52 towns attacked
• King Philip captured ending war

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New England Federation (1643)

• Four New England colonies unite to protect
  themselves
• Plymouth
• Massachusetts Bay
• Connecticut
• New Haven
• First attempt at colonial union

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Changing Values

• As more people come to colonies
• More people pursue riches--move away from
  Protestant Work Ethic
• More diversity
• Puritans dispersed
• Half-way Covenant
• Dampened religious zeal
• Weakened Puritan hold on government