The Northern Colonies Chapter 2, Section 3

Separatists Vs. Puritans

Puritans and Separatists Puritans ▫Wanted to totally reform or “purify” the church of England ▫Grew impatient with the slow progress of the Protestant Reformation in England Separatists ▫Wanted complete separation from the Church of England because there were still traces of Catholicism in the religion In England, Separatists and Puritans were fined or put in prison for worshiping in a different way than the Church of England

Founding Plymouth Colony Pilgrims came over on the Mayflower in 1620 William Bradford headed the group The Virginia Company funded the expedition became a part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

The Mayflower Compact November 11, 1620 Written and signed before the Pilgrims disembarked from the ship Not a constitution, but an agreement to form a crude government and submit to majority rule Led to adult male settlers meeting in assemblies to make laws in town meetings

Massachusetts Bay Colony Massachusetts Bay Company was started to make a profit and create a refugee for Puritans John Winthrop led the new colony Massachusetts Bay Colony was started in 1630 Success of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay inspired the Great Migration – 20,000 English men and women came to New England between 1620 and 1643

Witchcraft Trials in Salem Salem was a part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Several girls showed strange behavior and claimed to have been bewitched Forced confessions of witchcraft caused hysteria in the town ▫Hundreds of people were arrested, nineteen people were executed, others died in jail The scare soon passed and people were released from jail

Connecticut Colony Started by Thomas Hooker Left the Massachusetts Bay Colony because he believed in the separation of church and state 1639 – Thomas Hooker and the Connecticut Colony adopted the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut ▫It was the first written constitution in America ▫Gave voting rights to all free men, not just church members

Rhode Island Colony 1636 – Roger Williams fled there Massachusetts Bay Puritans wanted to exile him to England to prevent him from founding a competing colony Remarkable political freedom in Providence, Rhode Island ▫Universal manhood suffrage – later restricted by a property qualification ▫Opposed to special privilege of any kind – freedom of opportunity for all ▫Government and church were separate ▫People of all faiths, including Jews were accepted Rhode Island 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!

New Hampshire Colony Anne Hutchinson was outspoken about her different religious beliefs and was eventually imprisoned, tried, and banned from the Massachusetts Bay Colony She left and went to Rhode Island Her brother-in-law started a settlement in what is now New Hampshire in 1638 It was a royal colony and was the last of the New England colonies to be created

New England Education and Public Schools Public school systems started in New England because Puritans wanted their children to be able to read the Bible and learn a skill Laws were passed to set up elementary and grammar schools Girls learned reading, writing, and math in a woman’s home Boys had more opportunities for education including colleges in the 1700s

Colonial Government Some colonies were ruled by individuals and some by joint-stock companies, but many were eventually ruled solely by the King Town meetings were where democracy was seen Only church members and property owners were allowed to vote

Relations with Native Americans English settlements expanded and colonists came into contact with Natives Pequot War – conflict in Connecticut over land and trade ▫The war almost wiped out the Pequot Natives King Philip’s War – Wampanoag leader led attacks that destroyed colonial towns and the colonists burned villages and crops in return ▫The war ended up almost wiping out the Wampanoags and gave the white settlers more land