1. The Settlement
of New England

2. Background on People Both Groups Calvinist - Predestination
Pilgrims (Separatists) – Plymouth - Small
extreme group of Puritans who wanted to break away from the Anglican Church altogether because they felt the English church was too impure to fix.
Puritans – Boston - Large
Protestants seeking to reform the Anglican Church by removing its Catholic elements and excluding people who were not committed.
B. John Calvin elaborated on Luther's ideas and founded Calvinism
in his Institutes of the Christian Religion (1536) 1. God was all powerful and all-good. 2. Humans, due to original sin, were weak and wicked. 3. Predestination a. God was all-knowing and knew beforehand who was going to
heaven or hell. -- The "elect" were those chosen by God to have eternal
salvation b. "Good works" (such as following the sacraments of the
Catholic Church) did not determine salvation. c. However, one could not act immoral since no one knew their
status before God d. A conversion experience (an intense identifiable personal
experience with God) was seen to be a sign from God that one
had been chosen. -- "visible saints": After conversion, people expected to lead
"sanctified" lives as a model for the community.

3. Pilgrims
Persecuted in England
1608 went to Holland
Felt out of place in Dutch culture.
1620 a group of 102 people [half Separatists]
Negotiated with the Virginia Company to settle in its jurisdiction.
Blown off course landed in Plymouth Bay, way outside the domain of the Virginia Company
November 11, wrote the Mayflower Compact (41 males signed)
Agreed to work for 7 years and share profits with Virginia Company
Written and signed before the Pilgrims disembarked from the ship. (Worried)
Not a constitution, but an agreement to form a crude govt. and submit to majority rule.
Recognized James I as ruler
Signed by 41 adult males.
Created a body of all settlers to devise laws and elect leaders.

4. Plymouth Colony Winter of 1620-1621 Very harsh.
By 1621 had stored enough food to last thorugh winters.
Winter of Very harsh.
Only 44 out of the original 102 survived but none chose to leave in 1621 when the Mayflower sailed back.
Colony survived with fur [especially beaver], fish, and lumber and helped by friendly Native Americans who taught them to farm corn, and use fish for fertilizer.
Plymouth stayed small and economically unimportant.
In only 7,000 people they merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony.

5. Relations with Native Americans
Indians were especially weak in New England
Epidemics had wiped out ¾ of the native population by 1620.
Wampanoags [near Plymouth] befriended the Pilgrim settlers.
Cooperation between the two helped by Squanto.
1621, Chief Massasoit signed treaty with the settlers.
Peace lasted until his death.
Autumn, 1621, both groups celebrated the First Thanksgiving.
In 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving an official US holiday.

6. The Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony
In 1629 Puritans got a royal charter to form the MA Bay Co.
Faced some persecution in England (overall Church of England is less Calvinist) but they didn’t want to leave the Church, just its “impurities.”
John Wintrhop (1st Governor) – “We shall be as a city on a hill”
In ,000 people set off in 11 well-stocked ships
Larger than the beginning of any other settlement.
Established a colony with Boston as its hub.
“Great Migration” of the 1630s
Continued persecution and turmoil [leading to the English Civil War] sent about 70,000 Puritans to New World.
Most went to the West Indies
England continued to persecute the Puritans, which caused about 70,000 to leave for New England or the West Indies in the 1630s
More Puritans went to the West Indies than to Massachusetts

7. Government in Massachusetts bay
Purpose of Government to enforce God’s Laws.
Taxes helped to support church.
Voting was extended to all adult Puritan males
2/5 of adult males enjoyed the franchise in provincial affairs (larger than England)
Laws applied to everyone
Town meetings (example of early democracy in New World)
more inclusive, all male property owners and sometimes others.
Voted by a majority rule show of hands

8. Life in the Settlement NOT FREEDOM OF RELIGION – Puritans
Low mortality (average life expectancy was 70 years of age).
Many extended families.
Average 6 children per family.
Patriarchy – men controlled church and family
Heavy Emphasis on Education (to read Bible) (Harvard founded 1636 as a seminary)
Economy – Small farms, Fishing, Shipbuilding, & Trade.
Harvard was called New College until 1639.
New England Primer

9. Rebels Anne Hutchinson Roger Williams Anne Hutchinson
Intelligent, strong-willed, well-spoken woman. Was holding prayer groups in her home. Threatened patriarchal control and was exiled for her ideas in 1638
Roger Williams
Argued for a full break with the Anglican Church.
Felt MA did not give fair compensation to Indians.
Denied authority of civil govt. to regulate religious behavior.
1635  found guilty of preaching newe & dangerous opinions and was exiled.
Anne Hutchinson
Roger Williams

10. Rhode Island
In Roger Williams established Providence, RI by purchasing land from Native Americans
Remarkable freedoms
Universal manhood suffrage  later restricted by a property qualification.
Freedom of Religion (even Jews and Catholics)
No taxes to support state church.
No compulsory church attendance.
MA Bay Puritans had wanted to exile him to England to prevent him from founding a competing colony.
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!
More liberal than any other colony!
Many people came here = “The Sewer”
Secured a charter in 1644
Built 1st Baptist church. (1638)

11. Connecticut
In 1636 Thomas Hooker led three congregations from MA to settle three new river colonies in Connecticut at Hartford. Later Merged with New Haven to form Connecticut.
Fundamental Orders (1639)
First Modern constitution in America
Patterned on MA government.
Established a representative government open to all male landholders, not just church members.
Eventually bragged that she had received her beliefs DIRECTLY from God.

12. And the Rest
Maine
Absorbed by MBC in 1677 and remained part of that colony until Compromise of 1820.
New Hampshire
Had been absorbed in 1641 by MBC
Primarily a fishing and trading economy.
Charles II separated it and made it a royal colony in 1679
Eventually bragged that she had received her beliefs DIRECTLY from God.

13. New England Colonies, 1650

14. Native Relations 1636-1676 Pequot War 1637
Very powerful tribe in CT river valley
Pequot tribe virtually annihilated an uneasy peace lasted for 40 years.
King Phillip’s War (Metacom) 1675 – 76
Coordinated attack on 52 of 90 settlements by united groups of Native Americans.
Defeated, and many sent in slavery to Bermuda.
Hundreds on both sides died.
Ended Indian Threat in New England

15. Population of the New England Colonies