The Settlement of New England Susan Pojer / Pamela K. Montague

Protestant Reformation Produces Puritanism Martin Luther – Bible alone is source of God’s word John Calvin / Calvinism Dominant theology in ALL colonies Humans weak & wicked due to original sin Predestination on eternal salvation Good works CANNOT save the damned, but… Have to look for signs of conversion- VISIBLE SAINTS Anglicans didn’t advocate ARMINIANISM – it’s heresy- but suggested good works might get God to change mind Fear of James I Married to a Catholic No advances under him for Protestantism except King James version of Bible ARMINIANISM – concept that good works = admission into heaven.

vs. Pilgrims? Puritans? What’s the difference? The Pilgrims are the “purest Puritans” Puritans? What’s the difference?

The Pilgrims Separatists who thought only “visible saints” should get church membership 1608 migrated to Holland (Netherlands) but… Form joint-stock company & migrate to America in 1620 100 people/35 are Pilgrims - on Mayflower; 66 days Headed to Northern Virginia Landed north of their destination at Cape Cod Bay and stayed Video Kids becoming too Dutchified in Holland --- not enough focus on religion

The Mayflower Compact November 11, 1620 WHY did the Pilgrims draw it up? Entered into because Pilgrims were outside control of Virginia Co. Early example that society should be based on rules set by its own members TOWN MEETINGS Majority rule Select Governor

William Bradford “Of Plymouth Plantation” Elected 30 times! 1st 30 years of colony Will merge with MA Bay colony (Puritans) in 1691 – becomes MA

Tisquantum a/k/a SQUANTO Knew English; had traveled to England but tried to return (with John Smith) in 1614 Kidnapped by another Englishman attempting to sell him into slavery in Spain; rescued by monks Finally made his way back to England & then America in 1619 Helped Pilgrims survive after 1st hard winter (where over half died) by teaching them to cultivate maize Over half of Pilgrims died the first winter. From the time of their arrival the Pilgrims had only seen native people from a distance. However, on March 16, 1621, a single Indian named Samoset walked into the Pilgrim village and began to speak what sounded like English. The Pilgrims had trouble understanding him with the exception of one phrase: “Hello white people.” Samoset left the Pilgrims and returned the next day with another native named Squanto. Squanto had actually traveled to England where he learned the language and culture. He became homesick and made his way back to America in 1614 catching a ride with Captain John Smith. Upon his arrival, Squanto returned to his village only to see it had been wiped out by diseases brought by the Europeans. This led him to the Wampanoag people who took him in.

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING Thanksgiving took place over the span of 3 days – lots of praying. 50 Pilgrims & over 90 Wampanoag men Venison, oysters, lobsters, eel, duck – no turkey, no cranberries, no sweets Sarah Hale, publisher of a women’s magazine in the mid-1800’s, promoted the ideas of turkey and stuffing, mashed potatoes, candied yams and sweet potato pie & Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Abraham Lincoln – 1863, designated 4th Thursday of month for observance; FDR made it a national holiday in 1942. The Presidential tradition of pardoning a turkey before Thanksgiving dates back to Abraham Lincoln. The story goes like this, the Lincolns selected a turkey for their Thanksgiving day dinner. As the time came for the turkey to be dispatched, the President realized that his son Tad had made a pet of the doomed turkey. When Tad figured out what was to become of his beloved pet, he begged his father to do something. Being an old softy when it came to his young son, President Lincoln, being granted the power to pardon by the U.S. Constitution, granted a full pardon to the turkey beginning a tradition that lasts to this day. Today, turkeys that are pardoned by the President are sent to a petting zoo in Maryland to live out their lives. October, 1621 National Holiday by 1942

Presidential Turkey Pardons

Puritan Migration Great Migration, 1620-1650 1629 Charles I dismissed Parliament & allowed persecution of Puritans Approx. 70,000 Puritans left England during the Great Migration 1620=1650 Most went to West Indies Small group settles in Salem, MA in 1629 Boston founded, 1630 10,000 in MA by 1640 Great Migration, 1620-1650

Massachusetts Bay Colony Royal charter from MA Bay Company Approximately 1,000 to MA in 1630 - Boston Come in family units Create elected legislature – General Court – how is membership limited? Limited to male church members who are “visible saints” What do they see as the purpose of government? enforcing God’s law

Governor of Massachusetts John Winthrop Governor of Massachusetts “We shall be as a city on a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us. . .” A beacon to humanity – covenant with God Social experiment to create a utopia. To be a beacon to humanity; believed they have covenant to build a holy society that would be a model for all mankind Puritans later known as the Congregational Church.

“Liberty of Conscience” Puritan “Rebels” Roger Williams: An extreme Separatist – elected minister of Salem church Liberty of conscience = liberty for each individual to decide for himself what is to him religious.. Unpopular b/c of opposition to alliance of church & civil gov’t – said gov’t can’t regulate religious behavior – you have “liberty of conscience.” Also unpopular w/landowners – sin to take American land w/o paying Indians for it – challenged MA Bay’s charter on this issue. Salem congregation turns against him – leaves & founds RI, where all religions are tolerated. Becomes Baptist. Anne Hutchinson: Belief in Antinomianism (“against the law”) – idea that those who are truly saved need not bother to obey laws of God or man. German protestants had been burned at the stake for this idea. Also, claimed divine revelations – only clergy allowed. Banished, goes to RI, and after H’s death, goes to New Netherland – she & all but 1 of her 15 kids killed by Indians. Roger Williams “Liberty of Conscience” Anne Hutchinson “Antinomianism” Why does he become unpopular with his congregation? With landowners? Where does he go? What is antinomianism? What ultimately happens to her?

Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire RHODE ISLAND “SEWER” Individualistic / Independent Complete freedom of religion – Catholics & Jews No oaths, no church attendance, no taxes Universal manhood suffrage (later, require property) CONNECTICUT Founder is Rev. Thomas Hooker 1st written Constitution – Fundamental Orders… Many Boston Puritans NEW HAMPSHIRE/MAINE Settled for fishing, trading Maine gets absorbed by MA Bay Colony NH becomes royal colony by 1679

The Pequot Wars: 1636-1637 The more English that arrive & push inland, the less peace there is with the Indians. First war between natives & Europeans in British North America.

A Pequot Village Destroyed, 1637 By who? How? By who? How? Indians had been killed by diseases right before the Plymouth settlement. Weak in this area. Confrontations occur as English push inland. 1637, colonists & their Narragansett allies slaughter the Pequots. Set fire to their wigwams & then shot them as they fled. First war between the Indians & Europeans in English North America. First “war” between Indians and Europeans in English North America

King Phillip’s War 1675-1676 Metacom (King Phillip) forms Indian alliance and launches vicious attacks on the colonies - 52 Puritan towns attacked & 12 entirely destroyed. Metacom’s wife and son are sold into slavery. Metacom is beheaded & head piked at Plymouth for years. His defeat in 1676 is a lasting defeat for New England’s Indians Metacom What happened to him?

NEW ENGLAND CONFEDERATION Formed by Americans, 1643 MA Bay & Connecticut (“Puritan Club”) For defense….against Indians French, Dutch 1st milestone toward colonial unity! Broken up by Charles II Took charter away from MA Bay colony

D0MINION OF NEW ENGLAND Imposed by London Joined NE + NY & NJ together Sir Edmund Andros – openly pro-Anglican For control – enforce the Navigation Laws Smuggling becomes reputable in colonies Andros taxed w/o consent; no town meetings Glorious Revolution (William & Mary, 1688) brings end MA loses charter – royal colony ALL male property owners now have suffrage, not just church members SALUTARY NEGLECT sets in! Andros tried to escape after Glorious Revolution – in women’s clothes – boots stuck out from under his dress; caught & shipped back to England MA devastated at losing its charter And now ALL male property holders could vote, not just church members. Much unrest in NY, MA, MD from 1689 to 1691 – new royal governors appointed – relaxed the “royal grip” on colonial trade and inaugurated the period of salutary neglect.

Population of the New England Colonies

Characteristics of New England Settlements Puritan Work Ethic! Diversified economy Low mortality  average life expectancy was 70 years of age. Emigrated in family units Many extended families. Average 6 children per family. Average age at marriage: Women – 22 years old Men – 27 years old. Work Ethic – Poor soil put a premium on thrift & industry & lead to less ethnic diversity –didn’t attract immigrants Felt they had a duty to improve the land – Indians were wasting it. Cleared forests for pastureland – raised pigs, sheep, horses, cattle Climate encouraged diversification of agriculture and economy Variety of different crops for different weather Fishing and shipbuilding are major industries

Population Comparisons: New England v. the Chesapeake Life expectancy 10 years higher than England – at least 20 years higher than in Chesapeake Clean water, cool temps & diet consisting of plenty of meat & fish Why is life expectancy so high in New England?

Land Division in Sudbury, MA: 1639-1656 Town based communities Towns chartered by colonial authorities & planned out Had meeting house for town meetings & a village green surrounded by houses Land for firewood, pasture and crops was distributed to all the residents All people are close to town & come to meetings DIRECT DEMOCRACY!!! Tightly knit, town-based communities : Town meetings! Direct Democracy

Patriarchy Authoritarian male father figures controlled each household. Patriarchal ministers and magistrates controlled church congregations and household patriarchs. Women can’t inherit land – limited to domestic sphere; children to be seen, but not heard & emulate adults. “Blue Laws” enforced. (things not allowed–usually on Sun.) To make sure children got disciplined correctly, families would allow other families to discipline them …. To make sure the discipline was harsh enough. Children were supposed to “emulate” adults. “Blue Laws” to describe various laws first enacted by Puritan colonies in the 17th century, prohibiting certain business activities on specific days of the week (usually Sunday). Sometimes the sale of certain types of merchandise was prohibited, and in some cases all retail and business activity. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence to support the assertion that the blue laws were originally printed on blue paper. Rather, the word blue was commonly used in the 18th century as a disparaging reference to rigid moral codes and those who observed them (e.g., "bluenoses”). Another version is that the laws were first bound in books with blue covers. Whippings, fines, burnt tongues, severed ears: such were the Puritans' penalties for breaches of the Sabbath. Under the "blue laws" of the 1700s, the punishments could be invoked for simple misdeeds ranging from shuffleboard to skipping church. The laws of early Connecticut included, for example, a five-shilling fine for absence from church on the Lord's Day. For a burglary committed on Sunday, in addition to the usual penalties the burglar had an ear cut off, and a third Sunday burglary meant the death penalty, there being no more ears. Lying or swearing earned time in the stocks. There were fines for playing cards, dice, or shuffleboard in public. Drinkers at inns were limited to half a pint of wine, and no alcohol was served after 9 P.M.

EDUCATION Extremely important – WHY? 1647 MA School Law Towns of over 50 were required to provide public education 1636, Harvard College established Its purpose?

Disruptions in New England Society Declining religious zeal Thriving economy Population dispersing away from town to outlying farms….outside control of church Led to Halfway Covenant, 1662 Partial church membership, but no vote Children can be baptized No communion Salem Witchcraft Trials 1692 - - Causes? How did they end? Cotton Mather? Halfway Covenant allowed partial church membership to those not yet fully converted. But, could have no voice in church decisions. Salem trials: Outbreak of hysteria; adolescent girls claim to have been bewitched by an older woman 20 executions (19 hanged, 1 pressed to death), 2 dogs hanged Causes: result of upset social & economic conditions in Salem generally wealthy members of “Salem Town” accused by poorer members of Salem Village also reflects anxieties of religious traditionalists Ended when the governor’s wife was accused – Rev. Cotton Mather calls for the end.

New England Colonies, 1650