European Settlement: Massachusetts Bay Colony

(GA: SSUSH 1b, 1e)

TIME / GEOGRAPHY

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Many Towns = Single Colony

Massachusetts Bay Colony

• 1629- a land-development company was formed to colonize the territory occupied by the Pilgrims:

The Massachusetts Bay Company

The Seal of the Mass. Bay Company

RELIGIOUS

Puritanism

• Calvinism– A Protestant form of Christian

theology by John Calvin– Argues for an omnipotent (all-

powerful) God– God chooses who goes to “Heaven”

and who goes to “Hell”

• Church of England (Anglicanism)– Created during the Reformation as a

“middle-way” between Protestantism and Catholicism

Sixteenth-century portrait of John Calvin (1509- 1564) by an unknown artist

Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556),archbishop of Canterbury and principal author of the first two Books of Common Prayer

Puritanism

Anglicanism + Calvinism + Primitivism = Puritans

• Primitivism (primitive + ism)

– A consequence of the Protestant Reformation– The idea that the earliest (most primitive) form of

Christianity is the correct form

“John Winthrop,” Oil on Canvas, Unknown Artist, c. 17th century

Mural painting from the catacomb of Commodilla, Rome. Bust of Christ, c. 4 th Century.

Puritanism

• Covenant Theology– The idea that God’s

relationship to humankind and the world through “covenants,” or sacred agreements

Pictured: At the conclusion of the story of Noah’s Ark, the Rainbow was a sign of the covenant between Noah and God to

not flood the whole world.

“Noah’s Sacrifice,” Painting by Daniel McLise, 1847-53.

Puritans in Mass. Bay

• Mass. Bay Co. launched voyage to New World– Gave Puritans a chance to escape

hostile religious environment of England

– Provided a clause for self-government• The first self-governing colony in the New

World• Puritans had the freedom to construct a truly

Puritan society

Puritans in Mass. Bay

• Mass. Bay Co. chose John Winthrop to serve as Governor of new colony

“John Winthrop,” Oil on Canvas, Unknown Artist, c. 17th century

Puritans in Mass. Bay

• March 1630: Puritans head for Mass. Territory– 11 Ships– 300 passengers

• Puritans envision colony as a “City on a Hill”– A model of purity for England

Puritans in Mass. Bay

• John Winthrop’s Sermon“[We have] entered into a covenant with God…We must be knit together as one [person]…We must delight in each other, make each others’ conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labor together, and suffer together.

“We must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. They eyes of all people are upon us.”

Puritans in Mass. Bay

Religion Shaped the Mass. Bay Colony as profoundly as Tobacco Shaped the

Virginia Colonies.

SOCIAL

Puritan Society

• The Puritans first year in Mass. was especially hard– 200+ people died in the first year– 200+ people returned to England

(including Winthrop’s son and 11 servants)

• Winthrop was an optimistic leader– By 1640: 20,000 new settlers had come to

Mass. Bay

Puritan Society

• Immigrants largely came as families– Unlike Jamestown, that were solely men

• Mass. Colonies were majority women and children

• Whereas VA was guided by economics and slavery, Mass. Bay was guided by covenants of family and religion

Puritans in Mass. Bay

Visible Saint = someone passing religious tests of conversion and piety

Puritan Society

• Religion deeply shaped the social structure of Mass. Bay Life– Being “chosen by God” meant living a pious life– No Easter– No Christmas– No Religious Weddings– No Lace or Short Sleeves

• Mostly restrictions geared toward vilifying women

– No Gambling (cards, dice, etc.)– No Dancing or Music– Observance of “Sabbath” mandatory

Puritan Society

• Authoritarian male father figures controlled each household.

• Patriarchal ministers and magistrates controlled church congregations and household patriarchs.

Divine Punishments for Sabbath-Breaking?

POLITICAL

Politics in Mass. Bay

• Puritans attempted to separate the Church from the Government– Preachers were not allowed to hold

office

• Religious beliefs, however, permeated political decisions– Religious dissent and/or disobedience

was considered a political problem

Politics in Mass. Bay

• The Mass. Bay colony was governed by a “General Court”– Membership determined by gender and church

membership (called “freemen”)– Leadership by “godly” men would make a

“godly” civilization– These individuals selected leadership through

representatives

• All other men were classified as “inhabitants”

Politics in Mass. Bay

• Town Meetings– Comprised of Freemen and Inhabitants

–Was the method of making local political decisions

– Did not allow “contrary-minded” Freemen or Inhabitants to remain

– Largely handled the distribution and acquisition of land

Politics in Mass. Bay

• Half-way Covenant

– 2nd Generation Puritans were not led by the same religious zeal

– They were not full Church members

• Therefore, their children could not be baptized and even have the opportunity to be come church members (i.e., full citizens)

– Halfway Covenant allowed children of non-members be baptized- to become “half-way” Church members (and thereby saved the political structure of the society)

Politics in Mass. Bay

• Revocation of Mass. Bay Charter

– 1691 Mass Bay Colony looses its charter and becomes a “Royal Colony”

– Voting rights no longer attached to church membership

– Unified all the New England colonies from Plymouth Bay north: “Province of Mass. Bay”

“Contrary-Minded” Individuals

• Young, popular minister in Salem Argued for a full break with the Anglican

Church

Condemned MA Bay Charter

• Did not give fair compensation to Indians

Denied authority of civil govt. to regulate religious behavior

• 1635: found guilty of preaching “newe & dangerous opinions” and was exiled

Roger Williams

“Contrary-Minded” Individuals

• 1636: Roger Williams fled to Rhode Island MA Bay Puritans had wanted to exile him to England

to prevent him from founding a competing colony

Remarkable political freedom in Providence, RI

• Universal manhood suffrage…later restricted by a property qualification.

• Opposed to special privilege of any kind — freedom of opportunity for all.

• RI becomes known as the “Sewer” because it is seen by the Puritans as a dumping ground for unbelievers and religious dissenters More liberal than any other colony!

“Contrary-Minded” Individuals

• Intelligent, resolute, well-spoken woman

• Threatened patriarchal control

• Antinomianism Means “against the law”

Carried to logical extremes Puritan doctrine of predestination

Holy life was no sure sign of salvation

The truly saved didn’t need to obey the law of either God or man

Anne Hutchinson

“Contrary-Minded” Individuals

• 1638: She confounded the Puritan

leaders for days

• Eventually bragged that she had

received her beliefs DIRECTLY from God

• Direct revelation was even more serious

than the heresy of antinomianism

• Puritan leaders banished Hutchinson

– she & her family traveled to RI and later to

NY

– She and all but one member of her family

were killed in an Indian attack in

Westchester County"Anne Hutchinson on Trial" by Edwin Austin

Abbey, 1901

“Contrary-Minded” Individuals

• 17th Century- Belief in demons/ Devil/ evil forces was common

• 1692: 100 individuals in Salem were accused of “witchcraft”

• 19 were executed

• Many historians believe that this was a result of social, political, and religious stresses on this community.

Salem Witch Trials

New England Expansion

New England Colonies

• 1637: Pequot War Whites, with

NarragansettIndian allies,attacked Pequotvillage on Mystic River.

Whites set fire to homes & shot fleeing survivors!

Pequot tribe virtually annihilated an uneasy peace lasted for 40 years.

The Pequot Wars (1636- 1637)

• Pequots: very powerful native tribe in CT river valley.

The Pequot Wars (1636- 1637)

Art Depicting the Destruction of A Pequot Village

• Only hope for Native Americans to resist white settlers was to UNITE

• Metacom (“King Philip”) Massasoit’s son united

Indians and staged coordinated attacks on white settlements throughout New England

Frontier settlements forced to retreat to Boston

King Philip’s War (1675- 1676)

• The war ended in failure for the Indians

Metacom beheaded and drawn and quartered.

His son and wife sold into slavery.

Never a serious threat in New England again!!

King Philip’s War (1675- 1676)

ECONOMIC

Economics

• Majority of Immigrants were:– Farmers– Tradespersons

• Carpenters• Tailors• Textile Workers

• Fishing Became the Chief method of Sustenance

• Indentured Servants only accounted for 20%– Large difference from VA colonies– No need for servants when you fish for a living

AESTHETIC

Aesthetics

Detail of sounding board, Old Ship Church, Hingham, Massachusetts, oldest Puritan meetinghouse in Massachusetts

Aesthetics

Aesthetics

INTELLECTUAL

Intellectual Developments

• New England Settlement• Representative Government• Half-way Covenant• King Philip’s War• Salem Witch Trials

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