1. Focus on Massachusetts
New England Colonies
Focus on Massachusetts

2. Why come?
Religious freedom
Freedom to practice THEIR faith

3. Back in England….
Official religion: Church of England (Anglican Church)
What happen if you didn’t participate in the Church services?
Prison or paid a fine
Problems:
No separation of church and state (gov’t sponsored church)
King head of gov’t and ultimate head of church
Still resembled some elements of Catholicism
Not everyone was happy

4. Puritan??? Pilgrim??? Puritans Pilgrims Called “Separatists”
Wanted to “purify” the church
Remove all traces of Catholicism
Simplify church service
Fix corruption
Hoped for REFORM
Saw their persecution as a test from God and needed to double their efforts
Not everyone agree…some will lose faith in changing the Church and create own group…
Called “Separatists”
Believed Church of England too Catholic as well but refused to follow church at all
Saw their souls doomed if cont. membership in a false church
Forced to leave England b/c it was treason to reject the Anglican Church
Fled to Holland and later go to Mass.

5. Peace out Holland…
Peace treaty b/w Catholic Spain and Religious tolerant Holland about to end…
Pilgrims had to leave Holland, return to England and find a way to New World
Need $$$$$
A group of merchants formed joint stock company to help finance the move to New World
Sponsored by the VA company
Gives the Pilgrims a charter that grants them land in North America

6. Sept passengers led by William Bradford depart from England headed to the New World on the Mayflower

7. 65 days later the Pilgrims landed in the Cape Cod Bay
Modern day Provincetown Mass.
2nd permanent English settlement in America
Plymouth Colony…Mass.

8. Mayflower Compact Created before even getting off the boat…Why?
41 MEN signed
Form of direct democracy
Agreed to be ruled by a gov’t chosen by the consent of the ppl
Exp: William Bradford chosen governor of Plymouth Colony 30xs in annual elections
Obey all laws made for the good of the whole group
Early step in the colonist’s journey toward SELF-GOV’T and INDEPENDENCE from England

9. 1st Winter in Mass. 1620-1621 Only 44 of the 102 survived
Would have been lost had not been for the help of the Native Americans
Wampanoag tribe…..Squanto (spoke English)
Spring 1621 life improved
Awesome corn harvest led to harvest feast with Wampanoag Indians…..THANKSGIVING!!!

10. More religious persecution
1625 Charles I become King of England
Begins to persecute remaining Puritans even more
Encourages them to leave
Wealthy Puritans begin trying to get a new charter to form their own colony
Create Massachusetts Bay Colony
Leading founders John Winthrop
Will lead many Puritans to Mass.
Goals
Make profit
Create refuge for Puritans

11. John Winthrop
1630 led about 500ish Puritans to Mass. est. city of Boston
Elected 1st governor of the Mass. Bay Colony
Had a vision of the colony as a model for the world
Gave a sermon “A Model of Christian Charity”
He pictured the Mass. Colonists in covenant with God and with each other, divinely ordained to build a “city upon a hill” in New England
they thought they were perfect, a city on a hill that everyone else would admire and want to emulate.

13. Eventually Mass. Bay Colony will absorb the Plymouth Colony in 1691

14. Review Founded by Plymouth Company 1620 Two key players
William Bradford (Separatist/Pilgrim)
John Winthrop (Purtians)
Intolerant of different religions
Led to ppl getting banished from Mass. to form other New England colonies