The role of religion in founding the new England colonies

1. The role of religion in founding the new Englandcolonies Chapter 3- America Pageant M. Carter “Choose not that in which you may be most Rich or honorable in the world, but that in Which you may do most good…” (Richard Baxter)

2. 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

3. Conflict in England • Church of England (Anglican) • All Englishmen must attend church • Not all Englishmen believed in the doctrine of the Church • Puritans • Wanted to “purify” the Church • Believed in the doctrine • Disliked 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

4. 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

5. Who were the Pilgrims? • Holland • Separatists • William Bradford • Mayflower Compact • Squanto • Plymouth Rock • Work ethic • 102 • How did their colony compare to Jamestown?

6. Who were the puritans? • Non-Separatists • Massachusetts Bay Colony • 1630s • Population • How did MBC compare to previous colonies? • Governance • Direct democracy • General Court • “freemen”

7. John Winthrop- “ A Model on Christian Charity” (1630) • “City Upon a Hill”

8. "We may not aim only at our own, but at the public good. Therefore, faith will not think it hath a comfortable calling unless it will serve, not only its own turn, but the turn of other men.” Cotton Mather— (1663-1728) Does this sound familiar, in concept?

9. 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?

10. 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.

11. Exiled from MBC • Anne Hutchinson • Roger Williams • Thomas Hookers ….these are only the most well-known. Let’s check your chart now!

12. Roger Williams

13. Anne hutchinson

14. Thomas Hooker, Rev

15. Native Americans in new england Picture: Jean Louis Gerome Ferris “The First Thanksgiving” (1915)

16. 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

17. “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.

18. 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/

19. 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.

20. Pequot war- causes • Puritan fears • Encroachment of land • Interference in trade • Wampum

21. “We must burn them!”

22. 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

23. Surviving Pequots were divided up amongst Indian allies as slaves.

24. 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)

25. “king Philip” • Metacomet • Wampanoag chief • Recognized importance of unity among tribes • Unified attacks on colonists in New England • 1675-76

27. London reports on King Philip’s war The first time an English paper devotes such attention to the reporting of colonial events- ¾ of the front page.

28. The London Gazette DATED: 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…”

29. Early success • Ended in disaster • Wife and son killed • Metacomet- beheaded • Tribes were disbanded and decimated • Lacked leadership, numbers and unity for decades • Few threats remained toward New England colonists