PURITANS AND MASSACHUSETTS BAY

PAGES 94-97

PURITANS

Puritans, a religious group, left England between

1630-1640

Escaping bad treatment from King James I

Wanted to purify and reform their practices

THE GREAT MIGRATION

The puritans leaving England is known as the “Great

Migration”

Why do you think it was called “the great” migration…..?

Thousands of puritans left their homeland to find new

settlements

20,000 crossed the Atlantic to New England

Many puritan merchants invested in the Massachusetts bay

company

TRAVELING THE DISTANCE

1629- the Massachusetts bay company

received a royal charter to land in New England

1630- 11 well supplied ships carried 1,000

passengers

Well prepared, did not suffer through starving

time

MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY

John Winthrop was the colonies Puritan Governor

Basic unit of commonwealth of the colony was

congregation (group of people who belong to the

same church)

Congregations set up their own towns – meeting

house was most important building in town (town

meetings, self-government, laws)

Only male church members could vote or hold

office

MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY

General Court- lawmaking body which people

where elected to

By law everyone had to attend church services-

sermon was most important part

“New England Way” –term by puritan to describe

beliefs and society

Emphasized duty, godliness, hard work, and honesty

Dancing and games lead to laziness Work ethic contributed to rapid success

and growth of colonies Law required all children to read

( education, bible)

NEW COLONIES

1636-Thomas Hooker moved congregation to Connecticut Valley

Wrote and adopted the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut ( a

constitution) in 1639

Gave voting rights to non-church members & limited power of

the government

Exeter- first European settlement in New Hampshire

John Wheelwright established the town in 1638

Exeter compact – based on mayflower compact

CHALLENGES TO PURITAN LEADERS

Roger Williams ( ministers in Salem, Mass.)

opposed forced attendance to church

Opposed taking native American land by force

Williams was forced to leave the colony by General

Court

Williams founded colony of Rhode Island

Religious freedom and separation of church and

state

CHALLENGES TO PURITAN LEADERS

Anne Hutchinson –believed people could

worship god without the church, minister,

or bible.

Conducted discussions in her home that

challenged church

Brought to trial and forced to leave

Massachusetts

1638- fled to Rhode Island

QUAKERSQuakers were another religious

group

“tremble at the lord”

Believed each person could

know god through “inner light”

Minister nor bible were needed

Treated native Americans fairly

Were whipped, imprisoned, and

hung for their beliefs

KING PHILIP’S WAR1675-1676 Puritan colonies fought a brutal war

with Native Americans – Land: Native (shared)

English (individually owned)

King Philip was the English version of the name

Metacom who was the leader of the Wampanoag

(Native Americans)

The Wampanoag lost the war – many were killed

and sold into slavery

Those who remained lost land and forced to

become laborers

As a result the English expanded even farther into

Native American land