Puritans, Religion, and Government in New England

S.W.B.A.T. Connect prior knowledge of the New England colonies to the Salem Witch Trial documentary by completing a question worksheet.

Initial Activity Examine the passage on the “Initial Activity- Anne Hutchinson” worksheet. Answer the question regarding the passage.

radical: extreme change from accepted or traditional forms. Word of the Day radical: extreme change from accepted or traditional forms.

Puritans Religious tensions in England remained high after the Protestant Reformation. A Protestant group called the Puritans wanted to change, the Anglican church of England. The Puritans thought that bishops and priests had too much power over the church members.

The Difference Between Puritans and Pilgrims Each group were Protestant groups that disagreed with the Church of England. The Puritans wanted to change the church and the Pilgrims wanted to separate from it.

Exploration Read pages 81-83 Copy down important information in your notebooks from these pages Be ready to share your notes with the class.

Puritans Leave England During the 1620s there were many problems in England for the Puritans Many people lost jobs. The Church of England began to punish Puritans because they were dissenters, or people who disagree with official opinions.

Great Migration In 1629, King Charles granted a group of Puritans and merchants a charter to settle in New England. They formed the Massachusetts Bay Company.

Great Migration In 1630 a fleet of ships carrying Puritan colonists left England for Massachusetts to look for religious freedom. This group was led by John Winthrop. The Puritans believed that they had made a covenant, or promise with God to build an ideal Christian community.

A New Colony The Puritans arrived in New England prepared to start their colony. Brought tools and livestock They traded with the Pilgrims in the Plymouth settlement. By 1691, the Massachusetts Bay Colony had grown to include the Pilgrims’ Plymouth Colony.

Government in New England The General Court was created as a type of self-government to represent the needs of the people. Each town sent 2 or 3 people to the court. The court became a two-house, or bicameral, legislature

Religion in New England Politics and Government were closely connected in New England. Government leaders were also church members. Male church members were the only ones that could vote. Colonists became full members of the church by becoming what the Puritans called God’s “elect”, or chosen. Reaching this status was difficult because individuals had to pass a public test to prove that their faith was strong.

Connecticut In 1636 minister Thomas Hooker and his followers left Massachusetts to help found Connecticut, another New England colony. In 1639 Hooker wrote the “Fundamental Orders of Connecticut” to make government more democratic. All men who were not church members were allowed to vote. Some historians call Hooker the father of American democracy.

Rhode Island Minister Roger Williams wanted his church to separate from the other New England congregations. Puritan leaders made Williams leave Massachusetts because they were worried his ideas may hurt the unity of the colony. Williams took his supporters to Providence, which later developed into the colony of Rhode Island. He believed in the separation of church and state and religious tolerance for all.

Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson publicly discussed religious leaders ideas that some thought were radical. For example, she believed people’s relationship with God did not need guidance from ministers. Puritan leaders such as John Winthrop believed women should not be religious leaders. She was forced to leave the colony and soon founded Portsmouth, which later became a part of Rhode Island.

Salem Witch Trials Perhaps the worst community conflicts in New England involved the witchcraft trials of the early 1690s. In Salem, Massachusetts a group of girls accused people of casting spells on them. The community formed a special court to judge the witchcraft cases. The court often pressured the suspected witches to confess. Before the trials ended, 19 people were put to death.

Summary What led to religious disagreements among the Puritans, and what was the result?