Massachusetts Bay Company The Great Migration

 Chartered in 1629 by a group of London merchants  5 Ships left England in 1629, by ,000 Puritans had emigrated to Massachusetts Bay  Goals – Further the Puritan cause Profit through Indian trade  By 1642, migration had virtually ceased

Comparison to Other Colonies  Servants represented about 25% of the Great Migration  Most settlers came with families  Unlike Virginia and Maryland the settlers were: Older More prosperous Ratio of men to women was more equally balanced  Due to the sex ratio and better climate, the population grew  By 1700 the white population was 91,000 larger than that of the Chesapeake and West Indies

Puritan Families  The family was the foundation of a strong community  Unmarried adults were considered a danger to the community fabric.  A typical woman was married at the age 22 and bore 7 children  Due to the climate, the infant mortality rate was lower than the southern colonies  Most of a woman’s life was devoted to child bearing and rearing.

 Males were head of the household  Married women had very limited legal and economic rights  Male authority vital to a man’s economic success especially in a farming community with few servants and a large family  While women were NOT the economic equals of men, they were considered equal spiritually.

Puritan Liberties  Social hierarchy  People who were considered socially prominent were given the best land and choice seats in church  People were referred to as “goodman,” “goodwife,” “gentleman,” “lady,” “master,” or “mistress”  Inequality was an expression of God’s will  Slavery was allowed

 Separate list of rights for men, women, children, servants  Ministers weren’t allowed to hold office  The law allowed for the death penalty for worshipping any God but the lord God  Taxes were collected to support the minister  Some rights such as free speech and assembly were allowed to all.

 Puritan marriage was based on reciprocal affection and companionship and divorce was legal.  The husband’s authority was virtually absolute.

Government  The colony was organized in self governing towns.  Groups of settlers would receive a land grant from the colony’s government and subdivide it themselves.  Residents were given a house lot in a central area and land on the outskirts for farming.  A lot of the land remained in common ownership: To be used collectively To be divided later among settlers or for the sons of the founders.

 Each settlement was required to establish a school.  Harvard University was established in  The colony was to be ruled without interference from non-Puritans.  A group of 8 deputies was elected by landowning church members to form the General Court.  10 years later, company officers and elected deputies were divided into two legislative houses.  The freemen elected a Governor.

 Churches were formed by agreement and ministers were elected.  No important church decision was made without agreement of male members.  Anyone could worship at church but to be a member one had to prove worthiness.  Church membership was considered to be prestigious.