Colonial New England Thomas Morton, Roger Williams, and Jonathan Edwards

Colonial New England

Thomas Morton, Roger Williams, and Jonathan Edwards

Thomas Morton

The Maypole of Merry Mount

Thomas Morton

Lawyer Native American trader Extremely well-educated

Better educated than most Puritans Disagreed with the Puritan concept of

“fun” Angered Puritan leaders

by trading guns to Native Americans by having May Day dances

Puritan View of the Maypole

A Pagan symbol

A sign of idol worship or Devil worship

Another View of the Maypole

The Maypole

A phallic symbol Symbol of May Day

or Beltane Celtic celebration Celebration of

Queen of the May Roots in Roman

and Greek society Morton aware of

these roots

Intolerance William Bradford (left) recorded numerous examples of the Pilgrim’s intolerance towards others. When Thomas Morton sailed to New England in 1624, he used liquor to entice the Algonquin Indians to trade for furs:

“They ... set up a May-pole,” [Bradford wrote] “drinking and dancing about it many days together, inviting the Indian women [to be] their consorts, dancing and frisking together, (like so many fairies, or furies rather,) and worse practices.”

Miles Standish, the Pilgrim military commander, led an armed party to seize Morton and send him back to England. They destroyed Morton’s makeshift camp and his Maypole.

The Puritans saw Morton as the embodiment of the Devil.Devil.

Puritans and Sex

To the Puritans, sex was for procreation, not recreation

The Maypole’s symbolism of sexual pleasure was abhorrent to them However, they did not fully understand

the symbolism, only knowing that, to them, it was “evil.”

Morton mocked their ignorance, using his superior education.

Roger Williams1603-83

Governor of Rhode Island 1654-8

No Democracy○No early colony democratic

○Puritans banned Roger Williams from the Massachusetts Bay

●interpretations of the Bible disagreed with the prevailing view

●criticized lack of separation of church and state

●disapproved of taking lands away from Indians

Rhode Island

Williams ordered back to England Secretly slipped away Established Rhode Island

greater religious toleration friendlier relations with the Indians.

Rhode Island first colony to allow freedom of religion.

Jonathan Edwards

And the Great Awakening

The Great Awakening

Religious revival that spread throughout the colonies in late 1700s Variation of Puritan belief of salvation of

the elect Provided salvation to all who would believe

and obey Title misleading: not one continuous

revival One cannot be awakened unless one

has been asleep

Background

○ Scientific discoveries weakening believers’ faith

○ Newton’s Principia Mathematica, a cornerstone of the emerging rationalism, viewed as a threat to religious piety and the inerrancy of the Bible● compare to Origin of the Species in

1800s○ Second and third generation Puritans

more morally lax

Moral Laxity Youth of the second and third

generations given to mirth and frivolity spend the greater part of the night in

coed parties Increase in children conceived out

of wedlock

Some Results of Great Awakening

1. Unified colonists in a common evangelical view of life

2. Dissent and dissenters greater respect

3. Increased emphasis on education4. Greater sense of responsibility for

slaves and Native Americans

Jonathan Edwards

Born October 5, 1703, East Windsor, Conn.

Fifth of eleven children to the Rev. Timothy and Esther Edwards Puritan evangelical household father Congregationalist minister grandfather influential minister and author

Education study of the Bible and Christian theology classics and ancient languages

Edwards the Preacher

In 1734, preached a series of sermons emphasizing God’s all-powerful offer of grace

Brought about a number of conversions in the Northampton congregation. Was asked to prepare an authoritative

account of the “Awakening.”

Edwards’ Convictions

Must do more than merely comprehend religious ideas

Must be moved by these ideas Must know them experientially However, a person can do nothing

to earn salvation Only God’s grace could save

Reality versus Perception

○ Edwards preached pure Calvinism: “You can’t control Salvation.”

○ People heard: “If one tries, God will aid the Salvation.”

○ Edwards referenced God’s power to save whomever He pleases (predestination).

○ Puritan listeners heard this as a chance that they could achieve salvation through acts or beliefs.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Preached in July, 1741 Represents, in many persons’ minds the

bleak, cruel, and hell-bent outlook of Edwards and his Puritan predecessors

“Sinners” aimed at a particularly hard-hearted congregation

A classic statement of Puritans’ literal vision of Hell and of belief in humanity’s utter dependence upon God

Form and Format of Sermon

Repetition of main ideas, with slight variations, over and over, in poundingly repetitive rhythms, drilling into his audience the precariousness of their situation bow of God’s wrath is bent arrow made ready on the string justice bends the arrow at your heart and strains the bow

Edwards as Speaker

Sinners not a normal speech for Edwards

He usually appealed to logic and reason

Spoke in a monotone Stared at the bell rope as he spoke Hysterical audience

Reactions to Sermons

Many religious conversions

Exaggerated behavior accompanied conversions

Barking, shouting, and running

Effects of Edwards

Meetinghouse filled Named “backsliders” from the pulpit Tried to restore power of church Required public confessions of

salvation Angered influential townspeople Dismissed from pulpit