chapter 3- america pageant m. carter “choose not that in which you may be most rich or honorable...
TRANSCRIPT
THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN
FOUNDING THE NEW ENGLAND
COLONIESChapter 3- America Pageant
M. Carter
“Choose not that in which you may be mostRich or honorable in the world, but that inWhich you may do most good…”
(Richard Baxter)
CALVINISM John Calvin Predestination
Stemmed from the idea of God as all-knowing
Lives were pre- destined or pre- determined for heaven or hell
Your life on earth could not alter the outcome Conversion
The experience that was God’s way of telling you that you were saved or a “visible saint”
Expectations“visible saints” must exemplify holy living
CONFLICT IN ENGLAND Church of England (Anglican)
All Englishmen must attend churchNot all Englishmen believed in the doctrine
of the Church Puritans
Wanted to “purify” the ChurchBelieved in the doctrineDisliked attending church with those
hellbound James I
If Puritans will argue over church matters, it was only a matter of time before it became political
SEPARATISTS V NON-SEP. Separatists
The Church of England was beyond repair Believed they needed to SEPARATE from the
Church and start again Generally, had the same doctrine but was
“purified” PILGRIMS were the “purest Puritans”
Non-Separatists Church needed to be “purified” but this could
be done from within the Church = Reform Remained members Puritans
WHO WERE THE PILGRIMS? Holland Separatists William Bradford Mayflower Compact Squanto Plymouth Rock Work ethic 102 How did their colony compare to
Jamestown?
WHO WERE THE PURITANS? Non-Separatists Massachusetts Bay Colony 1630s Population
How did MBC compare to previous colonies? Governance
Direct democracyGeneral Court“freemen”
John Winthrop- “ A Model on Christian Charity” (1630)“City Upon a Hill”
"We may not aim only at our own, but atthe public good. Therefore, faith will
not think it hath a comfortable callingunless it will serve, not only its own turn,
but the turn of other men.”
Cotton Mather—(1663-1728)
Does this sound familiar, in concept?
COVENANT COMMUNITIES What is a “covenant”?
1. A binding agreement; a compact.2. Law
a. A formal sealed agreement or contract. b. A suit to recover damages for violation of
such a contract.3. In the Bible, God's promise to the human
race.(taken from: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/covenant )
So…. What is a covenant community? What covenant communities have we
encountered thus far?
RELIGIOUS DISSIDENTS Puritans sought religious freedom for
themselves- NOT for all. They did NOT believe in religious
tolerance.
Those with different beliefs were jailed, exiled or executed.
EXILED FROM MBC Anne Hutchinson
Roger Williams
Thomas Hookers
….these are only the most well-known.
Let’s check your chart now!
ROGER WILLIAMSDissenter/ Where From
Reason for Exile
Beliefs Colony Established
Roger Williams/Massachusetts Bay Colony
Puritan
Believed individual’s conscience was beyond the control of any civil or church authority
1. Recognized the rights of Native Americans and paid them for the use of the land.
2. Provided for complete religious toleration by allowing Catholics, Quakers, Jews to worship freely
3. Separation of church and state
Providence
Later Rhode Island
ANNE HUTCHINSONDissenter/ Where From
Reason for Exile Beliefs Colony Established
MBColony
Puritan
Led discussion groups that criticized religious leaders
Disagreed with their focus on good works- people can’t earn their way into heaven
Female criticizing male elect
Claimed direct “revelation”
Believed in antinomianism- faith alone is necessary for salvation
Portsmouth
(Rhode Island)
THOMAS HOOKER, REVDissenter/ Where From
Reason for Exile
Beliefs Colony Established
MBC
Puritan
Disagreed with church leaders
Authority extended too far
Limited suffrage to men church members
** chose to leave
Established a representative gov’t
Popular vote
Governor chosen by legislature
1st Constitution: Fundamental Orders of Conn.
Hartford
Conn. River Valley
NATIVE AMERICANS IN NEW ENGLANDPicture:Jean Louis Gerome Ferris “The First Thanksgiving” (1915)
PURITAN THOUGHTS deep-seeded
fears of witchcraft
Puritans believed that since America was first introduced to Christianity by colonists, it was the Devil’s homeland
“It was a rousing alarm to the Devil, when a great company of English Protestants and Puritans came to erect evangelical churches in a corner of the world where he had reigned without any control for many ages.”
-- Cotton Mather
Ultimately, Puritans believed the surrounding natives were an “army of devils.” They feared the strange rituals and languages, believing it was devil worship.
PURITAN FEARS “nature and the wilderness, which
represented the dark evil in human life, became the transplanted Puritans enemy.”
The wilderness = side of human character that Puritans feared and rejected
“The harshness of the surrounding area outside the town itself meant that the punishment of banishment was often a death sentence– survival was psychologically and physically impossible.”
http://www.hawthorneinsalem.org/page/11467/
OLD DELUDER SATAN LAW
An attempt to fight against the devil by educating the children. If they could read the Bible, they could defend themselves.
PEQUOT WAR- CAUSES Puritan fears Encroachment of
land Interference in
tradeWampum
“WE MUST BURN THEM!”
TREATY OF HARTFORD September 1638 No Pequot may inhabit former Pequot
territory Name Pequot was expunged from New
England. Pequot slaves took on the name of the
tribe they were enslaved within
Surviving Pequots were divided up amongst Indian allies as slaves.
PEQUOT WAR- EFFECT"The effect of the Pequot War was profound.
Overnight the balance of power had shifted from the populous but unorganized natives to the English colonies. Henceforth [until King Philip's War] there was no combination of Indian tribes that could seriously threaten the English. The destruction of the Pequots cleared away the only major obstacle to Puritan expansion. And the thoroughness of that destruction made a deep impression on the other tribes."
(taken from: http://www.colonialwarsct.org/1637.htm)
“KING PHILIP” Metacomet Wampanoag
chief Recognized
importance of unity among tribes
Unified attacks on colonists in New England
1675-76
LONDON REPORTS ON KING PHILIP’S WARThe first time an English paper devotes such attention to the reporting of colonial events- ¾ of the front page.
THE LONDON GAZETTEDATED: From Monday, August 16 to Thursday, August 19, 1675
“In their journey they had seen lying the bodies of several English without heads, who had been murthered by the Indians…”
“We had advice, that 16 English were killed in skirmishing and 7 Indians…”
“And that 14 houses belonging to the English near Swansey, had been burnt…”
“An Indian Spy had been executed at Plymouth…”
“Having only seen ten Indians together, of whom they killed four; they found 6 English heads, and twice as many hands, being of those the Indians had murthered…”
Early success Ended in disaster
Wife and son killedMetacomet- beheadedTribes were disbanded and decimated
Lacked leadership, numbers and unity for decades
Few threats remained toward New England colonists