The New England Colonies

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1607-1763

• Unit II
• Part 2

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The New England Colonies

• 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

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The Pilgrims v The Puritans

• 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.

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Pilgrims v Puritans

• 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.
• 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

• 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

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Problems in the Netherlands

• Since all religions were tolerated, the Pilgrims
  and Puritans were surrounded by infidels!
• Foreigners could find work in the Netherlands but
  the good-paying jobs were reserved for Dutch
  citizens
• English children were growing up Dutch!

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The Scrooby Group

• 35 Pilgrims who had traveled from Scrooby to the
  Netherlands got permission from the London Co. to
  settle in the Southern region
• They shared the ship, The Mayflower, with 67
  others who the Pilgrims called Strangers

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The Pilgrims

• The December seas were rough and they were blown
  off course and ended up in the jurisdicion of the
  Plymouth Co.
• All aboard signed the Mayflower Compact before
  they got off the ship
• An agreement to abide by the laws that they would
  all make togethera recognition of their
  interdependence

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The Plymouth Plantation

• 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

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The Plymouth Plantation

• 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

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The Puritans

• The great migration of the 17th century refers
  to the migration of thousands of Puritans to the
  New World
• 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.

• Their first governor Winthrop
• Goal to build A City on a Hill
• A model Christian community for all the world to
  seea utopia
• Established a theocracy
• Industrious, prosperous
• By 1640 10,000 settlers

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Big interest in Education

• Puritan belief Everyone should be able to read
  the Bible
• 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

• 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

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More Critics

• 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

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Ann Hutchinson

• Was also a critic but a woman and did not object
  to theocracy
• Said only members of the elect should hold civil
  office
• The Elect those who had had a revelation of
  some sort and were sure of salvation

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Anne Hutchinson

• 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

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New England Confederation

• Native Americans were a problem for all
• New England Confederation was an organization of
  different New England communities for defense
  against the Indians

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1692 Salem Witch Trials

• Hanged 19 people and two dogs
• Pressed 1 Giles Corey
• Hysteria
• Girls and family slave
• Ergot? A mold growing on rye having
  hallucinogenic effects

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In Europe

• 500,000 killed between 15th and 17th centuries
• In the colonies no more deaths but trials in
  Va. In 1706 and NC in 1712

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The Dominion of New England

• King James II revoked charters of all colonies N.
  and E. of Penn and organized them into one Royal
  Colony The Dominion of NE
• Royal Governor was Andros
• The Dominion ended with Wm and Mary 1689

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The Toleration Act of 1689

• 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

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The Half-Way Covenant

• The Puritans believed that the Age of Revelation
  had passed
• How to keep Church membership?
• The Half-way Covenant Allowed the children of
  persons of good character to be baptized into the
  Church

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The Three Regionsof the English Colonies

• New England Mass. Conn., RI, NH
• Mid-Atlantic NY, NJ, Penn, Delaware
• Southern VA, NC, SC, Maryland, Georgia

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The Three TYPES of Colonies

• Charter the governor is chosen by the people of
  the colony
• Proprietary the governor is or is chosen by the
  proprietor
• Royal the Governor is chosen by the King

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By the time of the Revolution

• All colonies were Royal Colonies

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The English Civil War and Interregnum 1649-59

• Cromwells followers Roundheads
• Charles Is followers Cavaliers
• Cavaliers migrated to VA when it was clear that
  the King was losing the war

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The Other Colonies

• Maryland the first Proprietary Colony
• Lord Baltimore (George Calvert) got a charter
  from Charles I
• Established Maryland as a bastion for Catholics
• 200-300 sailed on the Arc and the Dove
• Established a headright system to attract new
  settlers

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Maryland

• 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

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The Carolinas (Proprietary)

• 1660 Charles II gave a huge area to 8 favorites
  S. of VA
• Offered the Headright system
• Insured that nearly all white settlers owned
  property and had political power

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John Locke

• Drafted the Fundamental Constitutions
• Unusual and unworkable provided for a social
  hierarchya heredity nobility
• First settlers by 1680Charleston.. Thriving fur
  trade and food to W. Indies. Also
  tobaccoprosperous

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The Carolinas

• Northern most region near Albemarle was poorer
  and more back-woodsy
• By 1712 separated into 2 Royal colonies N and S
  Carolina
• Huguenots to S. Carolina when the Edict of Nantes
  was revoked

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The Middle Colonies

• NOTE Dutch smugglers made it impossible for the
  English to enforce their trade regulations
• 1664 English captured Dutch New Amsterdam
  without a fight. And renamed it New York
• The Dutch did not consider the colony valuable
  enough to fight for

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New Jersey

• The Duke of York took a chunk of NY and gave it
  to two of his friendsLord Berkley and Sir George
  Carteret
• Berkley sold his interest to some Quakers in 1674

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Quakers

• Aka Society of Friendsestablished 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

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Pennsylvania

• 1681 Wm Penn (Quaker) received Penn from King
  Charles II in leiu of a 16,000 debt that the
  crown owed to Penns father
• 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

• 1701 The Charter of Liberties a constitution
  written by a representative assembly limiting the
  power of the proprietor
• Penn did not fight it
• In 1703 Pennsylvania allowed 3 counties to form
  their own representative assembly Delaware

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Georgia (late) 1732

• Group of London Philanthropists, led by
  Oglethorpe, wanted to give English imprisoned
  debtors a fresh start
• Got permission from George II to found Georgia
  Rules no slavery and no alcohol
• Was unenforcable.

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Georgia

• 1752 trustees gave up and Georgia became a royal
  colony.
• George II supported the establishment of Georgia
  to act as a buffer between Spanish Florida and
  the lucrative tobacco-growing English colonies.

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Prior to the American Revolution

• 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

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