THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 1492-1865

1. THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES 1492-1865 SEMINAR 2

2. REVIEW QUESTIONS • Describe the first settlers of the North American continent • Name the most important Native American cultural areas • Describe how the Europeans viewed the Indians

3. VIRGINIA BEGINNINGS • 1607: arrival at Jamestown • Problem: low lying, malarial area, dreaming of finding gold • Colony was established by the Virginia Company, a joint stock company • John Smith: prototype of the American hero: overcomes difficulties, becomes a leader

4. EARLY POPULATION • Indentured labor, homeless, or children • Indenture: temporary labor contract (4-7 years) • 1613: Governor John Rolfe plants tobacco • 1619: Virginia House of Burgesses • 1619: arrival of first blacks

5. INTERPRETING HISTORICAL SOURCES • Digital worksheet

6. PURITAN NEW ENGLAND • Non-conformists: Scrooby community • Move to Leyden, later apply for permission to settle in New World • Head of colony: William Bradford • 1620: Mayflower Compact– a covenant, • Covenant: an agreement between man and God, or between individuals

7. THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT • Motivation of the settlers • Covenant and combine • The first document of American democracy, • Civil Body Politick • Consensual government

8. THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT • IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience. IN WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape-Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini; 1620.

9. THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT • How does the document represent the following aspects of Puritan thinking: • -- covenant • --chosenness • ---mission concept

10. WILLIAM BRADFORD • Notonlygovernor, chiefjudge, jury, superintendent of agriculture • Self-educated, deeplycommittedtoPuritanism • Separatistinterpretation of theReformation • Establishing a community • The MayflowerCompact, theFirstThanksgiving • The decline of thecommunity

11. WILLIAM BRADFORD. OF PLYMOUTH PLANTATION • Describing the life of the colony from early beginnings until the decline of the settlement • A horrible case of bestiality: violation of God’s law, the ultimate sin: young man mated with animals • Levitical law: eye for an eye • Explanation for sin: early example of nativism, or rejection of immigrants

12. William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation, Norton Anthology of American Literature, Third Edition, From Book II, Chapter XXXII, Anno Dom: 1642 • [A HORRIBLE CASE OF BEASTIALITY] • And after the time of the writing of these things befell a very sad accident of the like foul nature in this government, this very year, which I shall now relate. • There was a youth whose name was Thomas Granger. He was servant to an honest man of Duxbury, being about 16 or 17 years of age. (His father and mother lived at the same time at Scituate.) He was this year detected of buggery, and indicted for the same, with a mare, a cow, two goats, five sheep, two calves and a turkey. Horrible it is to mention, but the truth of the history requires it. He was first discovered by one that accidentally saw his lewd practice towards the mare. (I forbear particulars.) Being upon it examined and committed, in the end he not only confessed the fact with that beast at that time, but sundry times before and at several times with all the rest of the forenamed in his indictment. And this his free confession was not only in private to the magistrates (though at first he strived to deny it) but to sundry, both ministers and others; and afterwards, upon his indictment, to the whole Court and jury; and confirmed it at his execution. And whereas some of the sheep could not so well be known by his description of them, others with them were brought before him and he declared which were they and which were not. And accordingly he was cast by the jury and condemned, and after executed about the 8th of September, 1642. A very sad spectacle it was. For first the mare and then the cow and the rest of the lesser cattle were killed before his face, according to the law, Leviticus xx. 15 and then he himself was executed. The cattle were all cast into a great and large pit that was digged of purpose for them, and no use made of any part of them.

13. BRADFORD’S EXPLANATION • Where the Lord begins to sow good seed, there the envious man will endeavour to sow tares • When they could not have such as they would they were glad to take such as they could • A mixed multitude came in to the wilderness with the people of God

14. PURITAN BELIEFS • Digital worksheet 2