1. The New England Colonies
Topic 2 Lesson 3
The New England Colonies

2. 1. Led to fierce religious wars that resulted in 1000s of deaths.
I. Religion in 1500s Europe
A. After Protestant Reformation in Europe, Christians in western Europe were divided into Protestants and Roman Catholics.
1. Led to fierce religious wars that resulted in 1000s of deaths.
B. Most European rulers believed you must follow their religion in order to maintain control. This became known as the established church.
1. Anglican Church (Church of England) was the established church of England.
s, England made the monarch the head of the Church of England.

4. C. People who did not follow the established religion were often persecuted.
D. Separatists (Pilgrims) in England faced persecution because even though they were Protestant, they wanted to separate from the Church of England.
E. In 1600s, a group of Separatists traveled to the Netherlands, who allowed them to worship freely, BUT they were worried that the children were growing up more Dutch than English.

5. II. Founding the Plymouth Colony
A. Group of Separatists decided to leave the Netherlands.
B. Joined a group of non-Separatists and won a charter to northern Virginia.
C. More than 100 men/women/children set sail on the Mayflower.
D. Tired of the journey, they settled farther north than intended in Plimoth (because the ship had sailed past the port of Plymouth in England.)
1. As they were not in VA, the terms of the charter would not apply.
2. Pilgrims banned together against “strangers” and wrote/signed the Mayflower Compact, pledging themselves to unite under one government.
3. In time set up a representative government.
a) Representatives were to show religious virtues that the Pilgrims valued and make decisions for the common good.

7. II. Hardships of Plymouth Colonists
A. Corn, abandoned by deceased Indians, got some colonists through the first winter.
B. Did not have time to build proper shelters before the weather turned.
C. Half the settlers perished of disease or starvation by spring.
D. Began clearing land for planting in the spring, also receiving help from neighboring American Indians.
1. Indians such as Squanto provided seeds and instructions on how to grow crops like corn, beans, and pumpkins.
He also taught them how to catch eels from a
nearby river.
E. By fall, the Pilgrims had a very good harvest
and set aside a day for giving thanks to God.

8. III. Forming the Massachusetts Bay Colony
A. 1630s- Puritans (a religious group) wanted to simplify worship and sought new land in America.
1. Wished to do away with organ music, finely decorated houses of worship, and special clothing for priests.
B. Puritans were a powerful group in England. (Convinced royal officials to grant them a charter to form the MA Bay Company.)
C. Other non-Puritans joined the MA colony for economic reasons. (In England, wealthy families passed land down to the eldest son.
Younger sons had little hope of owning land- hence the
passage to America.)

9. D. John Winthrop is made governor of MA Bay Colony.
1. Believed the colony would set an example for others.
2. Only stockholders could vote, which angered most colonists because they were not and felt like the gov’t taxed and passed laws without giving them a voice.
3. Winthrop and other gov’t officials saw that the colony could run more smoothly if more colonists could vote.
a) Allowed all male church members the right to vote on governor and representatives to the General Court.
E. Some Puritans were forced to leave the MA Bay Colony if they disagreed with the church or gov’t.
1. These individuals began new colonies of their own.

10. IV. New Colonies
A. Thomas Hooker (former Puritan) led about 100 settlers out of the MA Bay.
1. Believed that the governor and officials had too much power.
2. Wanted to set up a gov’t in Connecticut with strict limits.
3. Settlers wrote out the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut in 1639.
a) created a gov’t much like MA but gave all the right to vote to all property owners, including non-church members.
b) limited the governor’s powers
B. Roger Williams challenged the leaders of MA Bay, believing
the Puritan church had too much power.
1. Thought matters of church and state should be
completely separate.
2. Did not believe you should be forced to attend religious
services.
3. Believed in religious tolerance (non-Puritans were not
allowed to worship freely)

11. 5. Fled to Narragansett Bay, where he spent the winter with Indians.
4. Church viewed Williams as a troublemaker and ordered him to leave.
5. Fled to Narragansett Bay, where he spent the winter with Indians.
6. By the spring of 1636, Indians sold him land for a settlement.
a) Became colony of Rhode Island
b) Put into practice all his ideas about tolerance.
c) Gave all white men the right to vote.
C. Anne Hutchinson fled to Rhode Island.
1. A devout Puritan who regularly attended church services.
2. After church she and her friends would gather to discuss sermon.
3. Often, she questioned some of the minister’s teachings. (Very persuasive, neighbors flocked to hear her.)
4. This angered Puritan leaders who said a woman did not have the right to explain God’s law.
6. Ordered to appear in court.

12. 7. Could not prove she had broken any Puritan laws.
8. Hutchinson broke down after 2 days of questioning and told the court that God spoke directly to her.
9. Court was shocked and ordered her to leave MA Bay. (God only spoke through the Bible, not through individuals)
10. Seen as a symbol of religious struggle.

13. V. War erupts between settlers and American Indians
A. Initial meetings between English and Indians were not bad (some like Roger Williams tried to treat Indians fairly)
B. As land became more scarce and settlers started taking more Indian land, fighting often broke out.
C. King Phillip’s War largest conflict
1. Metacom (King Phillip) Chief of the Wampanoag, declared that would not see all his land taken over and began invasions throughout New England.
2. Other Indian groups soon allied with Wampanoag, determined to rid their land of the English.
3. Metacom and allies destroyed 12 towns and killed more than 600 European settlers.
4. He was eventually captured and killed. (English sold his family and about 1000 other Indians into slavery in the West Indies)