3.2 New England Colonies Notes Pilgrims and Puritans

James I and the Separatists Some Englishmen believed that the Church of England had not gone far enough away from Catholicism when it broke away from the Catholic Church. These English dissenters became known as Separatists. They wanted to Separate from the Church of England Separatists removed all practices of the Catholic Church from there form of Christianity. James I persecuted the Separatists for not following the official Church of England’s practices. He took away their lands He jailed them Some times Separatists were killed for their beliefs

James I

Separatists move to Holland To escape the intolerance in England most Separatists moved to Holland (Part of The Netherlands). The Separatists didn’t like Holland because their children were starting to adopt Dutch ways and they still want to be English. The Netherlands allowed Freedom of Religion. The Separatist after 13 years in Holland approached the Virginia Company to gain permission to establish a Colony in America. This way they would still be English They could also have Freedom of Religion The Virginia Company gave them the money in exchange for the Separatists becoming Indentured Servants for 7 years.

The Separatists become Pilgrims After 4 months at sea, in November 1620 the Separatists landed off Cape Cod (Massachusetts) aboard the Mayflower. These Pilgrims establish the Colony of Plymouth on Christmas Day 1620. The Mayflower had been blown off course and it landed outside of the area that the Pilgrims were allowed to go. Their Charter did not apply so the Men of the Mayflower wrote the Mayflower Compact The 1st written document that allowed self government in the Americans. It established the practice of self-government and Majority Rule. However, the Pilgrims did not have the protection of the English Government

Pilgrims

The Pilgrims in Plymouth Like Jamestown half of the Pilgrim died due to Starvation (a Starving Time) and poor weather. The next spring a Native American that had been to England Squanto helped the Pilgrims to grow crops. That fall the Pilgrims held a 3 day feast that today we know as the 1st Thanksgiving. Celebrating their survival and the Peace that existed between the Pilgrims and Native Americans

The Puritans The Puritans practiced the same religion as the Pilgrims. Unlike the Pilgrims who wanted to Separate from the Church of England. The Puritans wanted to Purify the Church of England’s Practices. Like the Pilgrims the Puritans were persecuted for their beliefs. They were jailed Property and Lands were taken Sometimes killed To escape this persecution they left England to establish The Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 in America.

Puritans

Massachusetts Bay Unlike the Pilgrims, the Puritans were mostly upper middle class families. They combined their wealth and formed the joint-stock company The Massachusetts Bay Company to start their Colony. In 1630, 1000 settlers on 11 ships founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony What is today the City of Boston, Massachusetts Its Royal Charter allowed the colony self-government Over the next 10 years over 20,000 mostly Puritans crossed the Atlantic in what is known as the Great Migration

Massachusetts Bay Colony

The New England Way This Region becomes known as New England. Today the States of Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont The Puritans set up self-government religious communities call Congregations The descendents of Puritans today are called Congregationalists. The New England Way had three important ideas (Values) Hard-work to honor God everyone had a job even two year olds had chores Education – everyone learned to read in order to read the Bible Representative Government – Established the idea of the town meeting

Lack of Religious Tolerance While the Puritans wanted Religious Freedom for themselves. They often denied it to others seeking that same religious freedom. As a result many people were banished for not following Puritan Religious Law. The banished Puritans started new colonies to have the Religious Freedom they lacked in Massachusetts Bay. Rhode Island was founded by Puritan dissenter Roger Williams He and his followers believed that Colonists could not take Native American land by force No One should be forced to attend church Puritans should not impose their religion on others Church and State should be kept separate Roger Williams founded the Baptist Church

Lack of Religious Tolerance Continued Anne Hutchison another dissenter that was banished believed The Male Puritan Clergy were not chosen by God for salvation Hutchison also challenged church authority She was banished and fled to Rhode Island in 1638 John Wheelwright founded Exeter in what is now New Hampshire in 1638. He and his follower wrote the Exeter Compact based on the Mayflower Compact. Anne Hutchison’s Brother-in-Law New Hampshire became a separate colony in 1679

Anne Hutchison

The Quakers Another group persecuted by the Puritans was the Quakers. The “Quaker” name comes from a bible verse stating that “one should tremble or quake at the word of the Lord” Quakers Believed God could be known directly through an ‘inner light” No Ministers or churches were needed Sermons and ministers were obstacles to the direct experience of God Women were Spiritually equal to Men Quakers were jailed, whipped, and banished because their beliefs were directly opposite to Puritan beliefs One Quaker Mary Dyer became a martyr (she was killed) when she kept returning to Massachusetts to preach her message Her Death led to greater religious tolerance

Quakers

Connecticut Puritans in addition to Massachusetts also set up Connecticut. Thomas Hooker established Connecticut in 1636 when he moved his Congregation . The Founders of Connecticut wrote the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut It was the 1st Constitution written in the Colonies It extended voting rights to male non-church members Expanding representative government

Fundamental Orders of Connecticut