Chapter 3 Settling the Northern Colonies

1. Chapter 3Settling the Northern Colonies

2. Protestant Reformation Produces Puritanism • In 1517 Martin Luther (A German monk) began the protestant reformation. • His teachings that the bible alone was the source of God’s word influenced John Calvin who believed that humans were wicked and weak • Calvinism led to the doctrine of predestination (God knows who will be saved and not from birth) It was the belief of many puritans.

3. Protestant Reformation Produces Puritanism • Puritans (essentially British Calvinists) also believed that through hard work God sometimes would show signs of conversion or revealing if someone had achieved entry into heaven. • Puritans wanted to see the Church of England lose all traces of it’s catholic past. • Separatists were puritans who were so angered by the fact that the Church of England admitted all English subjects that they desired to separate from the church. • King James I believed these “separatists” to be a threat.

4. The Pilgrims At Plymouth • Some English separatists fled to Holland in the early 1600s but desired a more English upbringing for their children, they also desired a purified church… • The negotiated with the Virginia Company to settle under its Jurisdiction. (They missed Jamestown and instead landed north) • Before leaving the Mayflower at Plymouth, the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact (A document which bound them to follow the will of the majority in the new world) • The first winter was rough BUT the next fall brought bountiful harvests AND the first Thanksgiving!

5. The Bay Colony Bible Commonwealth • More moderate Puritans had tried to reform the Church of England from within and slowly gathered support in Parliament, but… • King Charles I dismissed Parliament in 1629 and paved the way for Puritan persecution under Archbishop Laud. • Many of these Puritans desired to leave England and form a new world settlement. They created the Massachusetts Bay Colony with Boston as its hub. • It was the largest English settlement at its start with nearly 1000 immigrants.

6. The Bay Colony Bible Commonwealth • The Great Migration from England brought more immigrants BUT the not all of those leaving England at this time were not Puritans and a great majority went to the Caribbean (West Indies) and not New England. • John Winthrop a respected attorney and well respected Englishmen became the Bay Colonies first Governor (City on a hill – Model of Christian Charity) • Puritan Society will be an example to the world.

7. Building the Bay Colony • The collection of various Puritan Churches became known as the congregational church and was supported by taxes. • Despite the fact that all male church members were allowed to vote, Massachusetts Bay Provincial Government was not a democracy and church leaders had enormous power. • Local governments often let landless men vote on issues of importance.

8. Trouble in the Bible Commonwealth • Anne Hutchinson challenged Puritan leaders when she carried the Puritan notion of Predestination to its logical extreme. • She preached antinomianism – your fate is truly predetermined and therefore nothing you do in life is any guarantee for salvation. • She was banished from the Bay Colony for her beliefs.

9. Trouble in the Bible Commonwealth • Another problem for the Puritan leadership was Roger Williams. • He believed the Puritan leadership was abusing its authority both by forcing religious views on residents of the colony and by mistreating Indians. • He was also banished and magistrates even planned to have him exiled to England.

10. The Rhode Island “Sewer” • Roger Williams fled to Rhode Island in 1636 with the help of Indians • In Rhode Island he established religious freedom for all (even Jews and Catholics – big deal at the time) • Rhode island became most tolerant colony. • Rhode island attracted many religious exiles and was called a sewer by Massachusetts Bay Colony authorities. • Got its charter in 1644 to become a legal colony.

11. New England Spreads Out • As New England settlers spread south towards Connecticut, the settlers of the Connecticut River Colony made a constitution call the Fundamental Orders – it was later used for its colonial charter and state constitution • New Haven was founded in 1638 but was later forced to merge with the more democratic minded settlement of Hartford. • Maine and New Hampshire were purchased by Massachusetts BUT New Hampshire was separated out as a Royal Colony by Charles II

12. Puritans v. Indians • Spread of settlement led to clashes with Indians • Many Indian tribes of the northeast had been decimated by disease brought on by European contact. • At first, the Wampanoag Indians, notably Squanto, assisted the settlers and even helped them celebrate Thanksgiving. • In 1637 hostilities erupted between English settlers and the Pequot tribe. • The Pequot War -English settlers and their allies (a rival tribe of the Pequot) massacred the Pequot village

13. Puritans v. Indians • The son of Massasoit (of the Wampanoag tribe) was named Metacom (though the English called him King Philip) • In 1675 he led a campaign to stop the expansion of European settlement – King Philip’s War • It was moderately successful and attacked many frontier settlements HOWEVER… • Eventually Metacom’s family was captured and sold into slavery and Metacom was captured and killed. • King Philips War slowed settlement but also gave Indians a brutal defeat.

14. Seeds of Colonial Unity & Independence • In 1643 four New England colonies banded together to form the New England Confederation. • The English Civil War was distracting the crown of England and thus colonists needed to rely on each other to fend of Indian tribes, The French and Dutch. • The Confederation was weak, however a first step at some form of colonial Unity • Charles II was restored to the thrown in 1660 and became irritated with this small attempt at independent thought.

15. Andros Promotes the First American Revolution • In1686 The Dominion of New England was created by royal order. • In ordering the New England colonies to unite, Charles II wanted to achieve two major goals: bolstering colonial defense in case of war AND allowing better and more efficient enforcement of English Navigation Laws. • The Navigation Laws were designed to weave colonial trade closer to England and disallow colonial trade with countries not controlled by England.

16. Andros Promotes the First American Revolution • Sir Edmond Andros was chosen to head up the Dominion of New England. • His association with the church of England rubbed Puritans the wrong way. • Andros attempted to do away with one of New England’s treasured democratic institutions – the town meeting. • His enforcement of Navigation laws and attempts to stop the smuggling they led to, infuriated colononists futher.

17. Andros Promotes the First American Revolution • The glorious revolution of 1688 gave way to William and Mary as new rulers. • When word reached America, a mob went to remove Sir Edmond Andros from power, he was shipped back to England. • Though New Royal Governors were appointed to many colonies, William and Mary also relaxed England’s grip on colonial trade. • This period of weak enforcement of English law in the colonies became known as “salutary neglect”

18. Old Netherlands at New Netherland • The Dutch, notably explorer Henry Hudson, began exploring in the new World in the late 16th century. • They established settlements along the Hudson river like New Netherland and New Amsterdam (New York) • Patroonships or large river-front estates were granted to promoters who promised to allow fifty people to settle on them

19. Friction with English and Swedish Neighbors • New England was not happy at the growth of its Dutch neighbors • Swedish settlements also irritated the Dutch, but Swedish colonies soon faded.

20. Dutch Residues of New York • In 1664 The English had had enough of what they viewed as a Dutch intrusion into the area. • England conquered the New Amsterdam, renaming it New York after Charles II brother (the Duke of York). • This gave England control of colonies stretching from Maine to the Carolinas

21. Penn’s Holy Experiment in Pennsylvania • The mid 1600s gave rise to a religious group in England known as Quakers • They refused to support the Church of England and rejected war and military service. • Pennsylvania became a haven for Quakers. It also attracted many new immigrants due to Penn’s generosity with granting land holdings.

22. Quaker Pennsylvania & Its Neighbors • Quakers were mostly benevolent towards their Indian neighbors. • As new immigrants like the Scotch-Irish, came to Pennsylvania, not all of them shared the Quakers’ benevolence. • Quakers held some of the earliest disapproval of black slavery. • However “blue laws” did exists against playing cards, stage plays, and • New Jersey and Delaware also had sizable Quaker communities

23. The Middle Way in the Middle Colonies • New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania • Middle colonies generally had fertile soil and easily navigable rivers. • Became the “bread colonies” because of ease and transport of growing grains. • Generally had more aristocracy than New England but les than the South.