British Colonization: Settling the Northern Colonies

New England and Middle Colonies

Founding of Plymouth Bay: Early Activities of the Plymouth Company

First company expedition was captured by Spanish in the West Indies (1606)

Sir Ferdinando Gorges sent George Popham and Raleigh Gilbert to explore coast of Maine (1607)

Trading and fishing activities sent to MaineJohn Smith explored New England coast for the company

(1614): published A Description of New England- gave region its name

Area rich in cod- revived interests of Plymouth CompanyJames I (English King) gave charter to New England in 1620 Council for New England given rights to land between 40 and

48 degrees north and from ‘sea’ to ‘sea’

Puritanism

Calvinism: Predestination.

• Good works could not save those predestined for hell.

• No one could be certain of their spiritual status.

• Gnawing doubts led to constantly seeking signs of “conversion.”

Puritans: Want to totally reform [purify] the Church of England.

Grew impatient with the slow process of Protestant Reformation back in England.

Separatists

Separatist Beliefs:

Puritans who believed only “visible saints” [those who could demonstrate in front of their fellow Puritans their elect status] should be admitted to church membership.

Because the Church of England enrolled all the king’s subjects, Separatists felt they had to share churches with the “damned.”

Therefore, they believed in a total break from the Church of England.

Founding of Plymouth Rock

James I required all Englishmen to attend services of the Anglican Church- no other services allowed

Some Separatists migrated to Holland- granted limited asylum (1607)

Some English Separatists feared their kids would lose contact w/ English culture as the years went by in Holland

Negotiated w/ Virginia Co. to emigrate to lands in New World

Group leaders secured rights to sail w/ Virginia Co. (1619) and settle w/in company borders

The Mayflower Voyage: 22 July- 9 Nov 1620

1620 : a group of 102 people

Negotiated with theVirginia Company to settle in its jurisdiction.

Non-Separatists included Captain Myles Standish. (military leader)

30 pilgrims boarded Mayflower w/ adventurers & planters

Landed outside of Virginia Co. land

Technically, Pilgrims were squatters w/out land rights from King

Mayflower Compact: 21 Nov. 1620

In response to non-Pilgrim assertions that no man had rights over others:Pilgrim leaders drafted

Mayflower Compact, a social contract

Set up a ‘civil body politic’ to ‘frame just and equal laws’

Signed by 41 adults- not all Pilgrims

Not a constitution, but an agreement to form a crude govt. and submit to majority rule

Led to adult male settlers meeting in assemblies to make laws in town meetings

The 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, etc, having undertaken,

for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor 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 politic’, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and ‘frame such just and equal laws’ ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as

shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony, shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony, unto which unto which ‘we promise all due submission and obedience’ In witness whererof In witness whererof

we have hereunto subscribed our names a Cape Cod the eleventh of November, we have hereunto subscribed our names a Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the reign of our sovereign lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland, in the reign of our sovereign lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland,

the eighteenth, and of Scotland, the fifty-fourth…..AD 1620.the eighteenth, and of Scotland, the fifty-fourth…..AD 1620.

Plymouth Colony

Plymouth chosen as site (Dec 25)- Deacon John Carver served as first governor

Half of Pilgrims died w/in first 4 monthsSquanto & Samoset: Indians who taught Pilgrims to grow corn

Friendship ensued, but Pilgrims dominated (they had guns)Roots of Thanksgiving celebration Celebrated after first corn harvest- 3-day event w/ 90-some men present

Pilgrims militarized colony: Miles Standish leader after Virginia Massacre (1622)

Pilgrims became agriculturally self-sufficient; still in debt after years of farming and fishing Abandoned communal farming in 1623

Settlement finally freed itself from debt & grew in population

Significance of Pilgrims

Helped inspire American vision of sturdy, self-reliant, God-fearing folk who govern themselves freely

They foreshadowed methods later generations would use for mastery over Indians (firearms)

Massachusetts Bay Colony

1629:non-Separatists got a royal charter to form the MA Bay Co.

Wanted to escape attacks by conservatives in the Church of England.

They didn’t want to leave the Church, just its “impurities.”

1630:1,000 people set off in 11 well-stocked ships Established a colony with Boston as its hub

“Great Migration” of the 1630s Turmoil in England [leading to the English Civil War] sent about

70,000 Puritans to America. Not all Puritans -20,000 came to MA.

John Winthrop

Well-off attorney and manor lord in England.

Became 1st governor of Massachusetts.

Believed that he had a “calling” from God to lead there.

Served as governor or deputy-governor for 19 years.

PURITAN MIGRATION

New England

good harbors

small farms and towns

trade centered around harbors

hilly, forested and shallow soil

cities: Boston

• 15,000 – 1750

fishing, lumber and trapping

Family, religion and community

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut

Colonizing New England

Pilgrims merge w/ Puritans to become part of Massachusetts

Bay Colony

Building the Bay Colony

Franchise (right to vote) extended to “freemen” adult Puritan men of Congregational church (about 40%

of men in the colony- higher percentage than in England)

In town: all property -owning males could voteTown meetings a form of direct democracyIdea of gov’t to enforce God’s Laws

• Therefore, religious leaders were influential (e.g.-John Cotton)• Clergy barred from political positions (separation from Church &

State)

Dissent in Bay Colony

Social harmony when only Puritans lived in colony

Roger WilliamsArrived 1631- pastor of

Salem ChurchDenied gov’t to regulate

religious behaviorArgued for a full break from

Anglican ChurchExiled in 1635

Rhode Island

Roger Williams fled to Rhode Island territory w/ help of Indians founded new colonyStarted first Baptist Church in colonies

Puritans wanted him exiled to England- would not have to fear a competitive colony forming

Religious & political freedoms in Providence, RIRhode Island more liberal than any other colony

Known as ‘Sewer Colony’: Puritans saw Rhode Island as a dumping ground for dissenters, non-believers

Anne Hutchinson

Intelligent, well-spoken woman Challenged the Patriarchic society Held views of Antinomianism (opponents of rule of law)- placed on trialHer Beliefs:

Believed in John Cotton’s theology that true Saints (born-agains) could only be governed by those who had undergone religious experience

Hutchinson argued that saints must be free from interference by the non-elect (unborn agains)to launch into attacks on clergy authority

She was dissatisfied w/ her minister, accused him of being non-elect in order to dispute his view

She held meetings in her home after Church- men started to come to these gathering; thus a ‘woman was teaching a man’

This was subversive to the religious leaders of the colonyHutchinson was viewed as heretical and banished- left to Rhode Island

New England Spreads Out

Hutchison and her family went to Rhode Island first,

and then joined other Boston exiles in establishing

Portsmouth

Rhode Island founded by Roger Williams; opposed

compulsory church service; did not necessarily believe in tolerance of all religions,

but that the state would eventually corrupt the

Church

New England Spreads Out Cont’

1635: Hartford (Conn.) founded by Dutch/English settlers; some

Puritans moved westward w/ Rev. Thomas Hooker

Fishing & trading = new communities; John

Wheelwright banished from Mass.- establishes town of

Exeter; Portsmouth & Exeter relinquish authority

to Bay Colony in 1641; Wheelwright w/drew to

Maine

Dominion of New England

Goals:Bring colonies under

England’s direct ruleDefend colonies from French

& IndianStop colonial smuggling

Sir Edmund Andros: King’s (James II) RepresentativeRestricted town meetingsRestricts on courts, press &

schoolsTaxed people w/out consent

of elected representatives Collapses after Glorious

Revolution

Population of New England Colonies

Population Comparisons: New England & Chesapeake

Middle Colonies

New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware

River systems Valleys – fertile soil"bread basket" large farms

-surplus food diverse populationmanufacturing iron mines, glass,

shipyards, and paper Cities: New York and

Philadelphia

Europeanizing America or Americanizing Europe?

New Netherland (New York)

1609: Henry Hudson sailing for Dutch East India Company sails into Hudson river looking for passage through continent

claims area for Dutch 1623-24: Dutch West India Company establishes

New Netherland Goal: quick-profit fur trade “Bought” Manhattan from Indians Company town: no religious tolerance or free speech,

harsh governors Colony had aristocratic influence Diverse population: 1640s- Missionary observed 18

languages

Dutch Conflicts

Dutch cruelties to Indians brought retaliatory massacres – Dutch built wall (Wall Street)

Increased English settlement into Dutch territory and growth of Iroquois led to tensions

Dutch settlements raided by Indians in 1640s Dutch resettled Long Island but frozen out of

Connecticut (English settlers unwelcome) Connecticut rejected Dutch settlers

New Netherland to New York

English immigration to New Netherland resulted in 1/2 total population - English regarded Dutch as intruders

Charles II brazenly granted area to his brother (Duke of York)

No authority to do this, really English squadron comes, New Netherland leader,

Peter Stuyvesant, governor of New York had no defense; surrendered, renamed New York

New Sweden (New Jersey)

Duke of York granted John Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret land between Hudson and Delaware Rivers

Both proprietors allowed religious freedom and an assembly in addition to giving generous land offers to attract settlers Concessions and Agreements: granted freedom of

conscience, generous land concessions and a general assembly of deputies elected by freeholders

New Netherland & New Sweden

William Penn

Mid-1600s: religious dissenters named Quakers arose in England

Hated by authorities because they refused to pay taxes to Church of England, refused to take oaths, refused military service

Penn’s family owed a large debt from the British Crown. Given a land grant in 1681. Pennsylvania

Penn governs the colony Advertised in Europe,

promising land & freedoms

Penn & Native Americans

Pennsylvania & Neighbors

Penn bought land from Indians treatment of them fair enough that Quakers went to

them unarmed and even employed Indians as babysitters However, as non-Quaker immigrants came, they were less tolerant of

Indians (Scots-Irish) Liberal features: elected assembly, no tax-supported church, freedom of

worship, only 2 capital crimes