Title: The Settlement of New England
1Religion in the 13 British Colonies
2The Settlement of New England
3Separatists in England
- Separatist Beliefs
- Sect of Puritans who believed only visible
saints those who could demonstrate in front of
their fellow Puritans their elect status should
be admitted to church membership. - Because the Church of England enrolled all the
kings subjects, Separatists felt they had to
share churches with the damned. - Therefore, they believed in a total break from
the Church of England.
4The Mayflower
- 1620 ? a group of 102 people half Separatists
- Negotiated with theVirginia Company to settle
in its jurisdiction. - Non-Separatists included about 50 strangers.
- Plymouth Baywhere they landedwas way outside
the domain of the Virginia Company. - Became squatters without legal right to land
specific authority to establish a govt.
5(No Transcript)
6The Mayflower CompactNovember 11, 1620
- Written and signed before the Pilgrims
disembarked from the ship. - Not a constitution, but an agreement to form a
crude govt. and submit to majority rule. - Signed by 41 adult males.
- Led to adult male settlers meeting in assemblies
to make laws in town meetings.
7- Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and
- advancement of the Christian faith, and honor
of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the
first - colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do
by these presents solemnly and mutually, in the
presence of God, and one of another, covenant and
combine ourselves together into a civil body
politic, for our better ordering and preservation
and furtherance of the ends aforesaid and by
virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame
such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts,
constitutions and offices, from time to time, as
shall be thought most meet and convenient for the
general good of the Colony, unto which we promise
all due submission and obedience. - --Mayflower Compact, 1620
8The MA Bay Colony
- 1629 ? non-Separatist Puritans got a royal
charter to form the MA Bay Co. - Wanted to escape attacks by conservatives in the
Church of England Anglican Church. - They didnt want to leave the Church, just its
impurities. - 1630 ? 1,000 people set off in 11 well-stocked
ships - Established a colony with Boston as its hub.
9Puritanism
- PuritansA form (sect) of Calvinism
- Predestination.
- Good works could not save those predestined for
hell. - No one could be certain of their spiritual
status. - Gnawing doubts led to constantly seeking signs of
conversionthat they were indeed destined to
spend eternity in heaven. - Want to totally reform purify the Church of
Englandrid of ceremony, concept of good works. - The congregations that formed (hence the term
Congregationalists) answered to no higher
church body . . .
10John Winthrop
- Well-off attorney and manor lord in England.
- A Modell of Christian Charity.
- Became 1st governor of Massachusetts.
- Believed that he had a calling from God to lead
there. - Served as governor or deputy-governor for 19
years. - ?Model of Christian Charity
..we shall be as a City on a hill.The eyes of
all people are upon us.
11City Upon a Hill
- In the King James version of the Bible the text
reads - Ye are the light of the world. A city that is
set on an hill cannot be hid. - --Gospel of Matthew
12American Exceptionalism
13American exceptionalism is the idea that the
United States and the American people hold a
special place in the world and history, by
offering opportunity and hope for humanity,
derived from its unique balance of public and
private interests governed by constitutional
ideals (and the consent of the governed) that are
focused on personal and economic freedom.
14- History of American Exceptionalism
- de Tocqueville first calls America exceptional
in 1835. - The phrase American Exceptionalism was first
said by either Stalin or Jay Lovestone (leader of
the American Communist Party) in 1929. - ?Exceptionalism through U.S. History
15John Winthrop
- Well-off attorney and manor lord in England.
- A Modell of Christian Charity.
- Became 1st governor of Massachusetts.
- Believed that he had a calling from God to lead
there. - Served as governor or deputy-governor for 19
years. - ?Model of Christian Charity
..we shall be as a City on a hill.The eyes of
all people are upon us.
16Puritan MassachusettsTheocracy or Democracy?
- Theocracy
- a form of government in which a community is
ruled by religious leaders - Democracy
- a form of government in which people choose
leaders by voting government by the people rule
of the majority
17The Great Migration
- Turmoil in England leading to the English Civil
War sent about 70,000 to America between 1629
and 1640. - Not all Puritans!
18Colonizing New EnglandThe Great Migration
19New England Spreads Out
20Covenant Theology
- Covenant of Grace
- between Puritan communities and God.
- Social Covenant
- Between members of Puritan communities with each
other. - Required mutual watchfulness.
- No toleration of deviance or disorder.
21Puritan Rebels Anne Hutchinson
- Intelligent, strong-willed,well-spoken
womanarrived in the colony in 1634. - Key beliefs
- Antinomianism--the doctrine that faith in Christ
frees the Christian from obligation to observe
the moral law as set forth in the Old
Testament--Truly saved didnt need to obey the
law of either God or man. - Holy life was no sure sign of salvation. (Good
works vs. Faith alone)
AnneHutchinson
22Hutchinsons Crimes
- Challenged the saintschurch leaders authority.
- Supported Rev. John Wheelwright, who also
preached doctrine of salvation by faith alone. - Held meetings in her homefirst for women only,
but then men began attending. - She would readand then interpret (!)scripture.
AnneHutchinson
23Anne Hutchinsons Trial
- 1637 ? she confounded the Puritan leaders for
days. - Eventually bragged that she had received her
beliefs DIRECTLY from God. - Direct revelation was even more serious than the
heresy of antinomianism. - Puritan leaders banished her ? she her family
(6 children, a foot of snow, 6 days) traveled to
RI and later to NY. - She and all but one member of her family were
killed in an Indian attack in Westchester County. - John Winthrop saw Gods hand in this?
24"Thus it had pleased the Lord to have compassion
of his poor churches here, and to discover this
great imposter, an instrument of Satan so fitted
and trained to his service for interrupting the
passage of His kingdom in this part of the
world, and poisoning the churches here . . .
--John Winthrop
25Puritan Rebels
- Young, popular minister in Salem.
- Argued for a full break with the Anglican
Church. - Condemned MA Bay Charter, as it did not give
fair compensation to Indians. - Denied authority of civil govt. to regulate
religious behavior. - 1635 ? found guilty of preaching new dangerous
opinions and was exiled.
Roger Williams
26Rhode Island
- 1636 ? Roger Williams fled here from MA Bay.
- MA Bay Puritans had wanted to exile him to
England to prevent him from founding a competing
colony. - Remarkable political freedom in Providence, RI
- Universal manhood suffrage ? later restricted by
a property qualification. - Opposed to special privilege of any kind ?
freedom of opportunity for all. - RI becomes known as the Sewer because it is
seen by the Puritans as a dumping ground for
unbelievers and religious dissenters ? More
liberal than any other colony.
27New England Settlement, Late 17th Century
28Population of the New England Colonies
29Reaction to Changing Society
- Origins of the Half-Way Covenant
- Puritan population moved out of town away from
control of church. - Traditionally, children of non-converted
(non-saved) members could not be baptized w/o
conversion experience. - "Half-Way Covenant 1662 sought to attract more
members by giving partial membership? - Puritan churches baptized anyone (although they
couldnt vote in church affairs) and distinction
between the "elect" and other members of society
gradually subsided . . . And spiritual leaders
worried . . .
30Salem Witch Trials (1692)
- Trouble began in winter
1692 when Rev. Parris
daughter Betty began
having fits. - Possible causes stress,
asthma, guilt, boredom,
child abuse, epilepsy,
delusional
psychosis, a disease called "convulsive ergotism"
brought on by injesting rye--eaten as a cereal
and as a common ingredient of bread--infected
with ergot . . . or witchcraft. - By the end of February, 7 other girls were
afflicted. - WHO was corrupting them???
31- Trials took place between March 1692 September
1693. - The first three accused Tituba (a slave from
Barbados), Sarah Good (a beggar who lived with
anyone who would house her), and Sarah Osborne
(an elderly woman who hadnt been to church in a
year). - Tituba ultimately confessed . . . and admitted
Good and Osborne were witches too.
32End of Spectral EvidenceEnd of Hysteria
- By the time the witch hunt ended more than a year
later - ?nineteen convicted witches were executed, at
least four accused witches had died in prison,
and one man, Giles Corey, had been pressed to
death. As many as two hundred other persons were
arrested and imprisoned on witchcraft charges.
Two dogs were executed as suspected accomplices
of witches.