Puritans and New England

Objective #1

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

Objective #2

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

Objective #3

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

Objective #4

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

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

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)

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

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

“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

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

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)

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

New England Families

• Puritans migrated as families– Stability– Promoted growth

• Women had few rights

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

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

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

King Philip’s 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