Date post: | 19-Jan-2018 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | mark-arnold |
View: | 222 times |
Download: | 0 times |
4.3 The New England Colonies
Essential Question
• How did religion influence the New England colonies?
Massachusetts Bay Colony In 1620, England became having economic problems, which led
to an increase in taxes.
The Church of England also began punishing Puritan dissenters.
o Dissenters: People who disagree with official opinions
Charles I refused to allow Puritans to criticize church actions
These economic, political, and religious problems led to the Great Migration.
o Great Migration- Mass Migration of thousands of English people to the
Americas that took place between 1630 and 1640.
Charles I granted a group of Puritans a charter to establish a colony
in the area known as New England.
They formed the Massachusetts Bay Company.
In 1630, a fleet of ships carrying Puritan colonists left England for
Massachusettso They hoped to have freedom to practice their religion freely.
The colony’s governor was John Winthrop.o Winthrop believed that their community should be the focus of the Puritan
colony.
o He said that “We shall be like a city upon a hill ; the eyes of all people are
on us”
John Winthrop
• Covenant: sacred agreement The Puritans believed that they had made a covenant
with God, and they agreed to build an ideal Christian
community.
The Puritans were well prepared for their colony in
New England.o They brought large #s of tools and livestock
o They also traded with Plymouth
o Unlike the Virginia colony, they had a healthy climate. Because of these factors, few Puritans died from sickness.
Church and State in New England
Massachusetts was subject to English laws, like Virginia,
but they were allowed more independence.
The company charter created a General court to help
run the colony.o This court was a form of government that served the needs
of its people.
o This court elected the governor and his assistants It eventually became a two-house legislature.
Two groups; each decision needed a majority to pass in the house
Politics and religion were closely linked in
Puritan New England.
Government leaders were also church
members.oMinisters had a great power in Puritan
communities
Male church members were the only
colonists who could vote.
Daily Life and Customs
New England colonists’ lives centered around religion,
family duties, and public work
Puritan religion shaped everyday life in colonial England
Colonists were more middle class than the rich or poor
colonists in Virginia.
Jobs included:o Skilled workers
o Farmers
o Fisherman/Fur Traders
Daily Life
Farmers grew food for their own use, instead of for sale
as in Virginia
Virginia farms required slaves or servants, while New
England farms were smaller and were run by families
Most colonists came in family groupso Children would help to run the family farm
o Parents also sometimes helped choose their children’s
husband/wife
Expectations Puritan women had three main duties
o Obey husband
o Have children
o Run the household
Puritan men were expected to treat their wives with
kindness and respect. Education was important part of New England society
o Parents wanted their children to be able to read the Bible
o 1636 John Harvard founded Harvard College
o More people in New England could read and write than in Virginia