Massachusetts Bay Colony- Pilgrims & Puritans The City on a Hill Massachusetts Bay Colony- Pilgrims & Puritans
The Pilgrims Religious Separatists who wished to leave the Church of England Wanted religious freedom Arrived on the Mayflower in 1620 Settled the Plymouth Colony Landed on Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock
The New Colony Fathers agreed to the Mayflower Compact Agreement to live together and obey the law Taught to survive by Squanto (Pokanoket Indian) Made peace with Massasoit leader of the Wampanoag Confederacy First Thanksgiving
The Puritans Religious group (Calvinists) which wished to purify the Church of England of all Catholicism Believed in direct divine guidance & predestination God’s Chosen “Elect” Stern morality Persecuted in England
A Bible Republic Decide to move to America for religious freedom Create the Massachusetts Bay Company charter from Charles I Brought their charter with them to Mass. Led by John Winthrop
Winthrop and the Puritans 1630 30 ships and 1000 settlers 20,000 between 1630-1650 (Great Migration) Come as families Want to create the “Bible Republic” or a “City on a Hill” Perfect society as a" community of the saints” Union of church and state
The New Colony Called the Massachusetts Bay Colony Main settlement is Boston Governor is John Winthrop Elected legislature called the General Court Only the Elect may vote or be a church member Believed in the community
A Community of Believers Lived in villages surrounded by their farms for mutual protection physical & spiritual protection Every member of the community was responsible for every other member Life centered on church & family Family headed by the father total responsibility for his family Local gov. decisions made in town meetings
“Satanic Ignorance” Believed that revelation came from the Bible through the Minister Had to be educated to be a minister Founded Harvard in 1636 to train ministers Entire community should be able to read
Dissidents in the Bible Republic Puritans persecuted those who did not agree with them Quakers were beaten and exiled Catholics totally excluded from the colony
Roger Williams (1603-83) Respected Puritan minister Exiled in 1636 & founded colony of Rhode Island Disagreed with Puritans over not paying Indians for land and separation of church & state Founded the first Baptist Church in America Advocate of religious freedom & separation of church & state
Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643) Anne Hutchinson Puritan Woman Tried and exiled to Rhode Island for heresy and preaching as a woman “female presumption” She advocated Antinomianism direct personal religious experience Killed by Indians in New Netherlands Hutchinson & Williams represent concept of Freedom of conscience
Another New Colony Rev. Thomas Hooker disagreed with suffrage being limited to church members Led 100 settlers south & founded Connecticut in 1636 Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (1639)- first written Constitution in America
New England Society Longer life spans- cleaner water and better climate Life based on family Migration as families Very high fertility rates More exposure to elder family members-”invented grandparents”
Community Life Lived as communities Made decisions in town meetings Public School Law (1647) required all towns over 50 families to provide a public school
New England Economy Less dependent on agriculture Poor soil Economy centered on ocean Fishing ship building whaling trade