Research:

Middle colonies: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware!

Between the southern and new England colonies!
English, French, Dutch and German people.
They developed the region into a rich farming area.

religious toleration:
William Penn
founded the colony of Pennsylvania for that purpose

The Friends, or Quakers, as they called themselves, believed in the goodness of all people.
They also refused to fight in any wars
the Quakers were not allowed to practice their religion in England.
It was a beautiful land of thick forests, rich soil and clean rivers.
American Indians should be treated well
"Philadelphia" means "brotherly love"
Philadelphia was a busy sea- port. Ships sailed from the ocean up the broad Delaware River

Unlike warmer climate of the southern colonies

Slaves
Unlike new Englands cold long winters, land was rocky and hard to farm

Academy of Philadelphia il
Uni or Philadelphia

College of new jersey il

Princeton

Queen's College)
The state uni of new jersey nil

Excellent harbors far spreading river system

Covenient lodging places along the coast
Highways to the interior

The Adirondack and Catskill mountains in New York form a slight barrier to the advance of
settlement westward, but between these the Mohawk River serves as a gateway through
which traders and westward emigrants are led to the Great Lakes and the head waters of
the Mississippi basin streams. The whole territory of the Middle colonies formerly
possessed great forests and is generally fertile and well adapted to farming. Rainfall is
abundant and the climate moderate, though extremely variable.

Wide range of nationality

Social Organization
Social distinctions were clearly evident here as elsewhere. Of peculiar interest were the
Dutch landowners of New York, who lived in large and attractive manor houses and ruled
their tenants arbitrarily amid elegance and splendor. This landed aristocracy resembled
more closely than that of any other colony the landed nobility of Europe. In New York,
traders and merchants formed a middle class far below these landowners and not far above
the laborers and servants. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania nd Delaware, where grants had
conflicted and large estates were disrupted, the landed gentry, though still foremost in
social rank, were much less elegant in manner and mode of life than those of New York.
Here the station of traders and mechanics was consequently improved.

Slaves in the Middle colonies were comparatively few, numbering perhaps three thousand all
told, and were chiefly centered in New York. They were, as a rule, humanely treated. The
institution was discountenanced by large bodies of inhabitants, especially the Quakers, and
slave importation was gradually restricted. Fear and prejudice twice combined in New York
to commit murder in the name of the law when, in 1711 and again in 1741, groundless
accusations of conspiracy caused the death of fifty slaves.

Occupations and Professions

Owing to the ease with which a living could be secured from the soil, farming was the chief
occupation in the Middle colonies. Grains of all sorts were produced and exported, both to
other colonies and to England. The fur trade was of immense importance, especially in north
west New York and Pennsylvania. For worthless trinkets and beads the Indians would barter
valuable beaver, otter, mink and marten skins, which, when shipped tEurope, were the source
of a large income to the colonies. The trade was attractive both for its risks and its
returns. The Dutch and English, by careful justice in their relations with the Indian traders,
laid the basis for the firm friendship of the Iroquois, which in later times became of the
greatest value and importance. Manufacturing was confined to certain isolated localities
where glass, paper and course cloths in small quantities were made with crude machines.
"Homespun" in the Middle colonies, as in New England, was the chief material of clothing and
was made in nearly every household. Intercolonial and European commerce was carried on to
some extent, and though New York had not yet attained its primacy as a commercial center,
it was the principal port of the Middle colonies. Furs and farm products, especially grains,
were the chief exports, and sugar, wines and manufactures were taken in exchange.

The professions were generally respected in the Middle colonies. The law was administered
upon clear and simple lines and usually engaged men of learning, character and ability. The
science of medicine, especially in the Quaker colonies, had high standing. The clergy, as a
rule, was composed of upright, able and earnest men who led in movements for the public
good.

The climate of Delaware is not very cold. In the winters it is below 74 degrees. The
summers are hot and above 80 degrees An interesting fact about Delaware is that it was
the first state that approved The Constitution on December 7, 1787.
large grain exports resulting from this soil, the colonies came to be known as the Bread
Colonies

hilly covered with forests

"The king of the Country [Charles II] where I live," wrote Penn, "hath given me a great
Province; but I desire to enjoy it with your love and consent, that we may always live
together as Neighbors and friends."
Small, background information.
http://usa.russiansabroad.com/country_page.aspx?page=46
http://usa.russiansabroad.com/country_page.aspx?page=47
http://usa.russiansabroad.com/country_page.aspx?page=48
http://www.benjaminschool.com/lower/hagy1/new_england_colonies.htm

college info
http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/colonial-colleges/

class structure
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nycoloni/dahistmc.html

occupation, class structure

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nycoloni/dahistmc.html

climate
http://www.benjaminschool.com/lower/hagy1/middle_colonies.htm
http://www.brtprojects.org/cyberschool/history/ch04/regions.html

people
http://ed101.bu.edu/StudentDoc/Archives/ED101sp06/areuter/page2.html
http://cfbstaff.cfbisd.edu/grishaml/apush/new_england_and_the_middle_colon.htm

triangular trade
http://www1.bellevuepublicschools.org/curriculum/k6web/fifthgrade/coloniessh/middlec
olonies.htm

http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/middlecolonies04.htm

everything:

http://www.kidinfo.com/american_history/colonization_s_colonies.html
 The Middle Colonies

I. Common Characteristics

II. The Colonies

• New Netherlands (1626)/New York (1664)

• New Jersey (1664)
• Pennsylvania (1682)
• Delaware (1704)

III. Dominion of New England (1686-88)

• Sir Edmund Andros

• 1689 - Glorious Revolution

Common Characteristics

The Middle Colonies were more diverse than colonies in New England and the
South. Most of the early settlers depended on the fur trade and on farming
for economic survival. The most populous of the Middle colonies was
Pennsylvania, other colonies were settled rather haphazardly over the
course of the 17th century. Settlers usually organized themselves in small
farms spread throughout the colony with a few cities added to the mix.

• The Middle Colonies were not as cohesive as the New England colonies
because colonists in this region were not united by single religion or
code of beliefs.
• Area dominated by larger farms than N.E., smaller than the S.; still
there is an emphasis on subsistence rather than cash crops.
Settlement patterns generally revolve around single family farms
(around 50 -150 acres). Again you see the predominance of servant
(as opposed to slave labor) in the 17th century. [A notable exception
is in New York where you see a large number of African Americans in
the colony, especially in New York city where blacks are employed in
commercial settings and as dockworkers.]
 • The Middle Colonies were settled by different nationalities so there
is greater emphasis on religious toleration and cultural diversity. This
is especially true in the colony of New York.

The Colonies

New York - originally settled in 1624 by the Dutch as the New Netherlands.
Once again, established by a joint-stock company, this time the Dutch West
India Company. As your book points out, the Dutch had little reason to build
permanent communities in the New World because they enjoyed economic
and social stability at home. The bulk of the settlement lived
in New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island (would become New York) A
mixture of immigrant groups within the colony (Dutch, Belgians, French,
English, Swedes, Finns, etc.) meant a mixture of religions. The Dutch relied
on an authoritarian rather than a democratic government (royal governor
with no elective assembly). The combination of cultural diversity (hence
conflicting opinions and beliefs) and apathetic governors led to popular
resentment within the colony.

Meanwhile in Europe throughout the 1650s and 60s, the English and Dutch
engaged in sporadic warfare over territorial expansion and trade. As you'll
recall from my lecture (on the Chesapeake region) England passed a series
of Navigation Acts in the 1660s and 1670s designed to regulate trade to
and from the colonies. Specifically, the English government wanted to create
a monopoly on trade (imports and exports) and to eliminate the Dutch as
trading partners for the colonists.

In 1664 - Charles II claimed all of the New Netherlands to Delaware Bay

(also Maine, and islands off the coast of Mass.) and gave the land to his
brother James II who renamed the colony New York (he was the Duke of
York at the time). James sent a fleet of English ships to the New
Amsterdam (Manhattan) harbor to help "convince" the Dutch of his claims.
Fortunately for James, the Dutch colonists were fed up with the Dutch
West India Company and refused to resist English claims to the colony.

Upshot? New Netherlands became New York. A caveat - New Yorkers

weren't entirely content with James either, especially after he assumed the
throne.
New Jersey - traded hands several times (see Berkin text). Originally, the
colony was part of the land grant given to James II by his brother Charles
II. James, in turn, gave the land to 2 of his friends (Sir George Cateret &
Lord John Berkley) so the land was divided into East and West Jersey.
Meanwhile the governor of the colony was also giving land away (to the
Puritans who'd settled on Long Island). Berkley & Cateret sold their land to
the Quakers who then sold the land to speculators. The colony was finally
reunited by in 1702 and became a royal colony.

Again you see a real mixture of settlers - Dutch and French Protestants
(Huguenots), English, Scots, Irish, etc. and hence a wide variety of religions
- Quakers, Baptists, Anglicans, Calvinists, etc. co-existing in the colony.

Pennsylvania - "Holy Experiment" - please refer to your text as well!

Pennsylvania is another excellent example of a proprietary colony - in this

case it was established by William Penn as a haven forQuakers (Society of
Friends)in the New World. Quakers faced persecution in England and in New
England for their religious beliefs. Their land could be confiscated and
members jailed. In at least one instance Quakers were hanged for their
beliefs ironically (?) by the Puritans in New England). Like Puritans, Quakers
strongly emphasized a personal relationship with God but, unlike the
Puritans, the Quakers believed that God communicated directly with an
individual through the "Light Within" or "inner light". Quakers held religious
meetings but their services were informal and conducted by laypersons
rather than ordained clergy. Religious fervor caused them to shake or
tremble during services (hence the origin of their name). The Quakers are
an important religious group throughout American history, especially early
American history. Quakers permitted women to openly participate in
religious services and eventually many Quakers would go on to participate in
the abolition movement. Please refer to your text for a more thorough
explanation of the Quaker faith.

Penn received the charter for his colony because the King owed his family a
debt (they had supported him during the English Civil War) and Charles II
may have wanted (once again) to rid himself of pesky upstarts within his own
country. In 1681, Charles granted Penn all the land between New Jersey and
Maryland as a proprietary colony.

Penn launched a successful campaign to populate his colony. He "marketed"

the colony by publishing a series of pamphlets. He wanted to avoid a system
of large landowners like the gentry of the southern colonies, so he
encouraged yeoman farmers to emigrate to the colony and charged
a quitrents (annual fee for use of the land). He also insisted on paying Native
Americans for their land - helping to foster a friendly relationship with local
tribes. By 1700, 21,000 settlers had moved to Pennsylvania (comparable to
the Puritan's Great Migration).

Pennsylvania was settled by small farmers and indentured servants. Most

were Quakers (including a group of Swedes who later formedDelaware from
land annexed from Penn. and named after a local Indian tribe) but Penn also
welcomed other religious groups who were permitted to worship as they
pleased. Settlers established small farms and grew wheat for export.

Another important aspect of the colony was its famous city. Philadelphia was
the center of trade for the colony and would eventually serve as the meeting
place for revolutionary leaders.

1686 -88 Dominion of New England (all N.E. colonies + NY & NJ)

When James II inherited the throne in 1685 he tried to reassert his

authority over the colonies. Unfortunately for James, the colonies had by
this time enjoyed relative independence. Even the Navigation Acts passed
over 20 years before were virtually ignored. This incensed James who was
particularly ambivalent toward New England and New York because the
colonists were ignoring the Navigation Acts and continuing to trade with the
Dutch.

In 1684 the English courts revoked the Massachusetts Bay Charter and the
following year James attempted to consolidate all of the New England
colonies into a single colony (called the Dominion of New England) under the
leadership of a royal governor and a council appointed by the King. This move
abolished all democratic assemblies in New England and thus increased the
powers of the royal governor.
James sent Sir Edmund Andros to Boston as a royal governor for the
Dominion. Andros attempted to enforce the Navigation Acts so he alienated
local merchants and members of the middle and upper classes who relied
upon a lucrative trade arrangement with the Dutch. He also ticked off
Puritans by conducting Anglican services in the Boston meetinghouse (!) and
he revoked land grants given to farmers and land speculators. To add insult
to injury he levied taxes to finance these "reforms."

Fortunately, from an American perspective, the British were just as ticked

with James II in England (James was Catholic and dismissive of Parliament).
In 1688 James was stripped of power and sent into exile. Parliament invited
his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange to rule as co-
monarchs. This bloodless revolution was known as the Glorious Revolution.

The monarchs agreed to the Bill of Rights which promised to protect

traditional civil liberties, to summon & consult with Parliament annually, and
to enforce and administer parliamentary legislation. This effectively created
a constitutional monarchy in England and also significantly altered the
situation in America.

Impact in the colonies -

• Governor Andros sent packing in 1689

• representative assemblies reinstated in the Middle and New England
colonies
• Appointed a royal governor for Mass (Maine & Plymouth lumped in),
Maryland, and New York. Now property was established as a voting
prerequisite instead of church membership so the power of the
church began to decline (still further?) in New England.
• All of the colonies had some form of representative assembly,
although in many cases the lower house was as powerful as it would
become in the 18th century. Although the colonies had royal governors
(appointed by the monarch or by the proprietor of the colony with the
monarch's approval) these men were poorly paid and faced increasing
opposition from the colonists.
• the colonies also placed great emphasis on written constitutions and
having a framework of government which could be amended. This
differs from England, which only created a written constitution
(Magna Charta, Bill of Rights) in times of political unrest.
The Dominion of New England was important because it demonstrated that
the colonies had grown accustomed to relative independence from England.
Colonists reacted quite badly when England tried to reassert authority - an
indication of what is to come in the eighteenth century!
New York sends many ships to the West Indies, with flour, corn, biscuit, timber, tuns,
boards, flesh, fish, butter, and other provisions; together with some of the few fruits
that grow here. Many ships go to Boston in New England, with corn and flour, and take
in exchange, flesh, butter, timber, different sorts of fish, and other articles, which
they carry further to the West Indies. They now and then take rum from thence,
which is distilled there in great quantities, and sell it here with a considerable
advantage. Sometimes they send yachts with goods from New York to Philadelphia, and
at other times yachts are sent from Philadelphia to New York; which is only done, as
appears from the gazettes, because certain articles are cheaper at one place than at
the other. They send ships to Ireland every year, laden with all kinds of West India
goods; but especially with linseed, which is reaped in this province. I have been
assured, that in some years no less than ten ships have been sent to Ireland, laden
withnothing but linseed; because it is said the flax in Ireland does not afford good
seed. But probably the true reason is this: the people of Ireland, in order to have the
better flax, make use of the plant before the seed is ripe, and therefore are obliged
to send for foreign seed; and hence it becomes one of the chief articles in trade.

At this time a bushel of linseed is sold for eight shillings of New York currency, or
exactly a piece of eight.

The goods which are shipped to the West Indies, are sometimes paid for with ready
money, and sometimes with West India goods, which are either first brought to New
York, or immediately sent to England or Holland. If a ship does not chuse to take in
West India goods in its return to New York, or if no body will freight it, it often goes
to Newcastle in England, to take in coals for ballast, which when brought home sell for
a pretty good price. In many parts of the town coals are made use of, both for
kitchen fires, and in rooms, because they are reckoned cheaper than wood, which at
present costs thirty shillings of New York currency per fathom; of which measure I
have before made mention. New York has likewise some intercourse with South
Carolina; to which it sends corn, flour, sugar, rum, and other goods, and takes rice in
return, which is almost the only commodity exported from South Carolina.

The goods with which the province of New York trades are not very numerous. They
chiefly export the skins of animals, which are bought of the Indians about Oswego;
great quantities of boards coming for the most part from Albany; timber and ready
made lumber, from that part of the country which lies about the river Hudson; and
lastly wheat, flour, barley, oats and other kinds of corn, which are brought from New
Jersey and the cultivated parts o f this province. I have seen yachts from New
Brunswick, laden with wheat which lay loose on board, and with flour packed up into
tuns; and also with great quantities of linseed. New York likewise exports some flesh
and other provisions out of its own province, but they are very few; nor is the quantity
of pease which the people about Albany bring much greater. Iron however may be had
more plentifully, as it is found in several parts of this province, and is of a
considerable goodness; but all the other products of this country are of little account.
Most of the wine, which is drank here and in the other colonies is brought from the
Isle of Madeira and is very strong and fiery.

No manufactures of note have as yet been established here; at present they get all
manufactured goods, such as woollen and linen cloth, &c. from England, and especially
from London. . . .

Philadelphia, the capital of Pensylvania, a province which makes part of what formerly
was called New Sweden is one of the principal towns in North America; and next to
Boston the greatest....

Several ships are annually built of American oak, in the docks which are made in
several parts of the town and about it, yet they can by no means be put in comparison
with those built of European oak, in point of goodness and duration.

The town carries on a great trade, both with the inhabitants of the country, and to
other parts of the world, especially to the West Indies, South America, and the
Antilles; to England, Ireland, Portugal, and to several English colonies in North
America. Yet none but English ships are allowed to come into this port.

Philadelphia reaps the greatest profits from its trade to the West Indies. For thither
the inhabitants ship almost every day a quantity of flour, butter, flesh and other
victuals; timber, plank and the like. In return they receive either sugar, molasses,
rum, indigo, mahogany, and other goods, or ready money. The true mahogany, which
grows in Jamaica, is at present almost all cut down.

They send both West India goods, and their own productions to England; the latter are
all sorts of woods, especially black walnut, and oak planks for ships; ships ready built,
iron, hides and tar. Yet this latter is properly bought in New Jersey, the forests of
which province are consequently more ruined than any others. Ready money is likewise
sent over to England, from whence in return they get all sorts of goods there
manufactured, viz. fine and coarse cloth, linen, iron ware, and other wrought metals,
and East India goods. For it is to be observed that England supplies Philadelphia with
almost all stuffs and manufactured goods which are wanted here.

A great quantity of linseed goes annually to Ireland, together with many of the ships
which are built here. Portugal gets wheat, corn, flour, and maize which is not ground.
Spain sometimes takes some corn. But all the money, which is got in these several
countries, must immediately be sent to England, in payment for the goods which are
got from thence, and yet those sums are not sufficient to pay all the debts.
. Protestant Reformation and the rise of Puritanism
A. 1517, Martin Luther breaks away from the Catholic church; birth of Protestantism
1. Luther declared the Bible alone was the source of God's word
2. Faith alone would determine salvation; he denounced authority of priests and popes
3. Protestantism vs. Catholicism came to dominate European politics for well over the
next century.
B. John Calvin elaborated on Luther's ideas and founded Calvinism in his Institutes of
the Christian Religion (1536)
1. God was all powerful and all-good.
2. Humans because of original sin, were weak and wicked.
3. Predestination
a. God was all-knowing and knew beforehand who was going to heaven or hell.
-- The "elect" were those chosen by God to have eternal salvation
b. "Good works" (such as following the sacraments of the Catholic Church) did
not determine salvation.
c. However, one could not be immoral since no one knew their status before God
d. A conversion experience (an intense identifiable personal experience with God)
was seen to be a sign from God that one had been chosen.
-- "visible saints" --After conversion, people expected to lead "sanctified" lives
demonstrating holy behavior as a model for the community.
C. Church of England and the Puritans
1. King Henry VIII broke ties with Roman Catholic church in 1530's and became
head of the newly formed Church of England or Anglican Church.
-- The pope had refused to grant him a divorce; Henry remarried afterwards.
2. Puritans were Protestants who wanted to purify the Anglican Church by removing
all its Catholic elements and barring people from the Church who were not committed.
3. Separatists: extreme group of Puritans who wanted to break from the Anglican
Church– later called Pilgrims.
4. James I concerned that Separatists challenged his role as leader of the Church
and threatened to force them out of England.
D. Stuart Line of Monarchs: English History as a backdrop to colonization of North America

o James I (r. 1603-1625)

o Charles I (r. 1625-1642)

o 1642-1648 -- English Civil War

o Interregnum under Oliver Cromwell (1648-1658)

o Restoration: Charles II (1660-1685)

o James I (r. 1685-1688)

o "Glorious Revolution" (1688) -- William & Mary; Bill of

Rights (1689)

II. Pilgrims go to America

A. First wave of Separatists
1. A group of Separatists left Britain for Holland for freedom to practice Calvinism.
a. Led by John Robinson
b. Later, became unhappy by the "Dutchification" of their children.
 c. Eventually longed for opportunity to practice their religion as Englishmen
2. Secured rights with Virginia Company to settle within its jurisdiction in Virginia
a. Pilgrims agreed to work for 7 years in return for the support of the joint stock
company which was comprised of non-separatist investors.
b. Profits would be shared among settlers & investors after 7 years.
3. Mayflower may have strayed off course & landed off New England coast/ 102 persons.
a. Fewer than half were Separatists; only one death during voyage; one birth
b.Some historians believe Pilgrims "hijacked" the ship and gained consent of
non-separatists by issuing the Mayflower Compact.
4. Plymouth Bay chosen as settlement site
a. Plymouth had been an Indian community that had been killed off by a great plague
just a few years earlier.
b. Plymouth was outside jurisdiction of Virginia Company
c. Settlers thus became squatters: no legal right to land and no recognized gov’t.
5. Mayflower Compact (not a constitution but an agreement)
a. Purpose: To legitimize Pilgrims’ settlement outside Virginia by creating a secular
document recognizing James I as their sovereign and creating a body of all the settlers
with power to devise laws, and elect leaders.
-- Yet Plymouth Colony never possessed a charter; it was denied by the
crown.
b. Agreement provided for majority rule among settlers (excluding servants and
seamen)—became an important seed of democracy.
c. Adult male settlers assembled to make laws and conduct open-discussion town
meetings.
6. Despite terrible first winter where over ½ the people died, no one left the colony.
7. Thanksgiving -- Autumn, 1621
a. An English-speaking Indian, Squanto, befriended Pilgrims: showed how to plant
corn, where to fish, and introduced them to Massasoit, leader of the Wampanoags.
b.An alliance formed by Pilgrims & Wampanoags for mutual protection against other
Indian tribes.
c. By fall of 1921, 20 acres of Indian corn provided food for survival.
d. Pilgrims adopted Indians’ traditional custom of giving thanks at the time of
harvest, believing their survival as God's will; lasted 3 days and became an annual
event.
e. Peace lasted 41 years until Massasoit’s death in 1662.
B. Success of the Pilgrims
1. Eventually settled in economically with fur, fish, and lumber.
2. Religion remained paramount in the community
3. William Bradford -- prominent leader; elected Governor 30 times
-- To Encourage farming, in 1623 Bradford distributed the land among the settlers.
4. Miles Standish -- military leader who was hired to accompany the Pilgrims.
a. Led so many expeditions against Indians whom he distrusted that he was scolded by
John Robinson
b. Despite attacks Massasoit honored treaty until his death in 1661.
C. 1691, the small Plymouth colony of 7,000 people merged with MBC.
-- The Crown had refused to grant Pilgrims a legal charter for Plymouth Plantation.

III. The Massachusetts Bay Colony (founded in 1629)

A. Push factors for Puritans
1. Charles I had dismissed Parliament in 1629 and sanctioned anti-Puritan persecution.
a. Archbishop Laud strongly opposed to any separation from the Church of England.
b. Hitherto, moderate Puritans had gathered support in Parliament for reforms
c. King refused to guarantee power of parliament or basic rights for people.
B. MBC founded in 1629 by non-Separatist Puritans out of fear for their faith and England's
future.
 1. Cambridge Agreement: signed in England, turned the corporate charter into a
government that served as its constitution for many years.
2. Puritans would now be out of easy reach of royal authority and the archbishop.
C. The "Great Migration" (1630’s)
1. By 1631, 2,000 colonists had arrived in Boston and had settled a number of
towns around it as well.
2. Turmoil in England resulted in 15,000 more immigrants coming to New England
(and 60,000 others scattered throughout North America and West Indies.
3. English Civil War (1642-1649) ended the Great Migration
a. Puritans remained in England to fight the Royalist forces.
b. Puritans in England led by Oliver Cromwell took control of gov't between 1642
& 1660.
c. Charles I beheaded in 1649
D. John Winthrop - Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony
1. Covenant Theology: Winthrop believed Puritans had a covenant with God to lead
new religious experiment in New World
-- "We shall build a city upon a hill"
2. Most distinguished of the early Massachusetts Bay leaders.
a. Elected governor 12 times and set the tone for much of its sense of religious mission.
b. Leadership helped Massachusetts to prosper

E. Mass. Bay Colony became biggest and most influential of New England communities.
-- Economy: fur trading, fishing, shipbuilding, and some farming (wheat & corn)

IV. Religion and politics in the "Massachusetts Bible Commonwealth"

A. Governing open to all free adult males (2/5 of population) belonging to Puritan
congregations;
1. Percentage of eligible officeholders was more than in England.
2. Eventually, Puritan churches grew collectively into the Congregational Church
3. Non-religious men and all women could not vote
4. Townhall meetings emerged as a staple of democracy
-- Town governments allowed all male property holders and at times other residents
to vote and publicly discuss issues. Majority-rule show of hands.
B. Whole purpose of government was to enforce God's laws (part of covenant theology)
1. Provincial gov't under Governor Winthrop was not a democracy
2. Only Puritans -- the "visible saints" -- could be freemen; only freemen could vote
a. Distrusted non-Puritan common people.
b. Believed democracy was the "meanest and worst" of all forms of government.
3. Congregational church was "established": Non-church members as well as
believers required to pay taxes for the gov't-supported church.
4. Religious dissenters were punished .
C. Church leadership
1. Influenced admission to church membership by conducting public interrogations
of people claiming to have experienced conversion.
2. John Cotton devoted to defending gov'ts duty to enforce religious rules yet advocated
a civil government.
3. Clergymen were not allowed to hold political office
a. Congregation had the right to hire and fire ministers and set salaries.
b. In effect, a form of separation of church and state.
c. Puritans in England had learned their lesson when they suffered at the hands of
the"political" Anglican clergy in England.
4. Cambridge Platform (1648): Voluntary synod where the 4 Puritan colonies of
Massachusetts Bay -- Mass., Plymouth, Connecticut & New Haven -- met to work out
a congregational form of church gov’t in detail.
 -- Significance: Congregational church became more uniform throughout New
England.

D. Representative legislative assembly formed in 1634 and after 1642 assembly met
separately as a lower house and was most influential part of gov’t.
E. Early dissension in the MBC.
1. Quakers, who believed in an inner light and not in theology, flouted the
authority of the Puritan clergy and were persecuted.
2. Anne Hutchinson – believed in antinomianism
a. Accordingly, the "elect" didn’t need to obey God's or man's law because they were
predestined for salvation.
b. She held prayer meetings at home to discuss John Cotton’s sermons with other
women; this was taboo for a non-clergy member to do.
c. Her ideas were viewed by the clergy as heresy and she was brought to trial in 1638.
i. She claimed direct revelation from God -- even higher a heresy.
ii. She was banished from colony; set out for Rhode Island pregnant
d. Eventually settled in N.Y. where she & all but 1 of 14 kids killed by Indians
3. Roger Williams -- minister from Salem
a. Extreme Separatist who challenged legality of Plymouth and Bay Colony
charters because land belonged to Indians and was not the king’s land to grant.
-- Claimed colony took land from Indians w/o fair compensation
b. "liberty of conscience"
i. Williams denied authority of civil gov't to regulate religious behavior.
-- Stated gov’t could only punish civil crimes while the church alone had
responsibility for religious discipline.
-- Stated that no man should be forced to go to church.
-- In effect, challenged the basis of the Massachusetts Bay government.
ii. Used "wall of separation" metaphor for church and state separation.
-- Jefferson would later use this metaphor to disestablish religion in VA
which later influenced "No Establishment" clause of the Constitution.
c. General Court banished him from colony in October, 1635 and Williams fled
in winter of 1636 to Narragansett Bay; sheltered by Indian friends.
d. He purchased lands from Indians and founded the community of Providence,
accepting all settlers regardless of their beliefs.

E. Later challenges to Puritanism

1. First generation Puritans began losing their religious zeal as time went on.
a. Large population influx dispersed Puritan population onto outlying farms away
from control of church and neighbors.
b. After the wave of dissention in the 1630s and 1640s (e.g. Hutchinson and Williams)
conversions decreased dramatically.
-- Children of non-converted members could not be baptized.
c. The jeremiad, taken from the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah, was used by
preachers to scold parishioners into being more committed to their faith.
d. Conversions continued to decrease as 2nd generation Puritans had trouble getting
their conversions authenticated by the church, thus preventing their children from being
baptized.
2. The "Half-Way Covenant" instituted in 1662 to attract more members by giving
partial membership to people not converted (but who had been baptized as children).
-- The children of these Half-Way members were allowed to be baptized.
3. Eventually, Puritan churches baptized anyone
a. Distinction between the "elect" and other members of society subsided.
b. Strict religious purity was sacrificed for wider religious participation.
-- Women began making up a larger % of congregations.
4. Salem Witch Trials, 1692
 a. Massachusetts suffered political, religious, and military upheaval that led to
widespread paranoia and unrest.
-- Not uncommon for Europeans and colonists in the 16th and 17th centuries to believe
that the devil worked through witches in the real world.
b. First accusations began when young girls, after listening to voodoo tales from
a black servant, began behaving oddly.
i. Which hunt resulting in a reign of horror ensued after certain older women were
allegedly witches
ii. The young female accusers were from the poor western part of the community
and accused the more prosperous people in the eastern part.
c. After witch trials, 19 people hanged, 1 person pressed to death, and 2 dogs were.
hanged
d. Cotton Mather, one of most prominent clergymen in Massachusetts, tacitly
supported the witch trials and thus weakening the prestige of the clergy.

V. Completing the New England Colonies

A. Rhode Island (1644)
1. Williams built Baptist church at Providence (probably 1st Baptist church in America)
a. Complete freedom of religion, even for Jews and Catholics. Also Quakers.
b. No oaths required regarding one's religious beliefs
c. No compulsory attendance at worship
d. No taxes to support a state church
2. Provided simple manhood suffrage in the colony from the outset
-- Opposed to special privilege of any sort
3. RI saw immigration dissenters from Bay Colony which led to most individualistic and
independent population (along with North Carolina).
4. Given charter from Parliament in 1644; squatters now had rights to land

B. Connecticut (founded in 1636)

1. May 1636, group of Boston Puritans led by Rev. Thomas Hooker moved into the
Connecticut River valley area and founded the town of Hartford
a. Three valley towns of Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield established
Connecticut colony.
b. Hooker objected to arbitrary strict power of Gov. Winthrop and MBC’s magistrates.
c. His congregation also wanted more lands that MBC was unwilling grant.
2. New Haven founded in 1638
a. Founded by Puritans wanting stricter and closer church-gov't alliance than
Massachusetts (in contrast to Hooker’s ideas)
b. When the colony harbored two judges who condemned Charles I to death, Charles II
sought revenge by granting colonial charter to Connecticut which merged New Haven
with more democratic settlements in Connecticut Valley
3. Fundamental Orders drafted in 1639 by new Connecticut River colony
a. First modern constitution in American history
b. Established a democracy controlled by "substantial" citizens
i. Gov’t should be based on consent of the people.
ii. Patterned Massachusetts’ gov’t.
c. Foundation for Connecticut’s colonial charter and later, its state constitution.

C. Maine absorbed by MBC in 1677 after purchase from the heirs of its founders
-- Remained part of Massachusetts for nearly 150 years until Compromise of 1820.
D. New Hampshire (1679) -- absorbed in 1641 by Massachusetts Bay colony
1. Primarily fishing and trading economy
2. 1679, Charles II arbitrarily separated N.H. from MBC after being annoyed with
MBC's apparent greed in land acquisition. N.H. became royal colony.
VI. New England Confederation (1643) -- MBC, Plymouth, Connecticut & New Haven
A. Pequot War (1636-1637) -- Despite Puritan victory over Indians, NE colonies realized
collective security was necessary for future defense.
1. Relations between Puritans & Pequots strained in years preceding the war in
southern Connecticut and Rhode Island as Puritans wanted Indians to move
2. Connecticut towns sent 90 men who opted to attack a smaller village of
non-combatants where 400 Indian men, women and children were slain
3. By summer’s end, most remaining Pequots either captured, sold as slaves to
West Indies, or fled for shelter to their former enemies.
4. Puritans used Biblical passages to justify extermination of the Pequots.

B. In response to Pequot War, New England Confederation founded in 1643.

1. Purpose: defense against foes (e.g. Indians, French, and Dutch).
2. Significance: First milestone on road to colonial unity.
3. 1st era of "salutary neglect": Eng. Civil War in 1640s left colonies to fend for themselves.
4. Organization
a. Exclusively Puritan (Maine & Rhode island not allowed)
b. Helped to solve intercolonial problems (e.g. runaway servants and criminals)

C. King Philip’s War (1675)

1. New England Confederation put to the test during war with Indian chieftain King
Philip (Metacom) -- Wampanoag Chief, son of Massasoit
2. 52 of 90 Puritan towns attacked; burning or other damage ensued; 13 destroyed
-- Indians copied the Puritan attacks on noncombatants in the Pequot War.
3. Colonists victorious; many Indians sold into slavery.
-- Metacom executed and his head was cut-off and displayed for 20 years.
4. Impact of war: bloodiest ever fought on New England soil.

VII. Dominion of New England

A. Charles II clamps down on New England Confederation
1. Relative independence among the colonists due to salutary neglect ran contrary
to the wishes of the restored English throne, royalists, and Church of England.
-- Puritan hopes of purifying the English Church were destroyed
2. MBC charter revoked in 1684 in response to its resisting royal orders
B. Dominion of New England (1686)
1. Mercantilism: colonies existed for the benefit of the mother country: wealth,
prosperity, and self-sufficiency.
2. 1685, Lords of Trade created Dominion of New England Goal to unite all colonies
from Nova Scotia to the Delaware River under 1 gov’t
3. Purpose of DNE:
a. Enforce Navigation laws created to protect mercantilist system
-- Trade with non-British colonies & allies forbidden
b. Bolstered colonial defense against Indians, Dutch, and French.
4. 1686, James II appointed Sir Edmund Andros to lead the DNE to oversee all of
New England and later New York and East and West Jersey
a. Colonists despised Andros for his autocracy and allegiance to Anglican Church
b. Town meetings forbidden; all land titles revoked.
c. Heavy restrictions on the courts, press, and schools
d. Taxed the people without consent of their representatives
e. Enforced unpopular Navigation Laws and suppressed smuggling
-- Smuggling became common and even honorable

C. England's "Glorious Revolution" triggered "First American revolution"

1. Catholic James II dethroned in England and replaced by his daughter Mary
and her Dutch-born Protestant husband William III (William of Orange).
 -- Parliament passed a "Declaration of Rights" that forbade the king from levying taxes
w/o its consent & subordinated the monarch to the common law.
2. News of James II’s removal prompted Boston leaders to arrest Andros and ship him back
to England.
3. Unrest spread from New England to the Carolinas
4. The DNE collapsed and enforcement of Navigation Laws disrupted.

D. Post-Glorious Revolution New England

1. 1691, Massachusetts made a royal colony with a new charter & royal governor.
2. Tighter administrative control by the crown over British America resulted.

VIII. New England Life and Contributions to the American Character

A. Impact of Geography
1. Lack of abundant soil forged the Puritan characteristic of frugality and hard work.
a. Trade became cornerstone of colony’s economy.
b. Less of an ethnic mix; immigrants not eager to settle in soil depraved region.
2. Lumbering, shipbuilding, and fishing became important due to abundant forests and good
harbors.

B. Puritan contribution to American character

1. Democracy (within the Congregational church) via town meetings and voting rights to
church members (starting in 1631)
a. Led to democracy in political gov't ("Body of Liberties" in 1641 may have been
world’s first bill of rights).
b. Townhall meetings where freemen met together and each man voted was democracy
in its purest form.
c. New England villagers regularly met to elect their officials, appoint schoolmasters and
attend to civic issues (e.g. road repair)
2. Perfectibility of humankind and society
a. Puritanism provided unity of purpose & concern for moral health of community
i. Argued vehemently against slavery on moral grounds
ii. Ideas lay the foundation for later reform movements: abolition of slavery, women’s
rights, education, prohibition, prison reform, etc.
b. Protestant work ethic: those who were faithful and worked hard and succeeded were
seen favorably by God.
C. Education
1. Harvard College founded in 1636 to train the clergy; first college in the colonies.
-- In contrast, Virginians did not found college until 1693 (William & Mary College)
2. Massachusetts School of Law (1642 & 1647)
a. Towns with more than 50 families required to provide elementary education to
enable children to read the Bible.
b. Major reason why New England became most literate section of the country.
-- Majority of adults knew how to read and write
D. Small villages and farms formed basis for the tightly knit society
1. Necessary to provide security from bordering Indians, French and Dutch.
2. After 1640s, outsiders generally not welcome in villages
E. Extremely strict and conservative lifestyle

IX. New England Family

A. New England’s climate less deadly than in southern Colonies
1. Cooler weather and clean water = less disease
2. Added 10 years to life spans compared to England; life expectancy was 70 yrs
B. Puritans tended to migrate as families rather than as individuals
C. Families had many children.
D. Strong families stability produced healthy adults and strong social structure.
Main Ideas:
1. What political and religious circumstances in England led to the formation of New
England?
2. How did religion play a role in the development of the New England colonies.
3. How did New England differ socially, economically, and politically from the southern
colonies?
4. Trace the development of the emerging political unity of New England in the 17th century.

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