Massachusetts Colony, Puritanism, and Colonial New England

Vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture covering the settlement of Massachusetts, the Church of England, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay, and Puritan ideology.

Church of England

Also known as the Anglican Church, it was established in 1534 by King Henry VIII after breaking away from the Catholic Church.

Established Church

A church supported by the government and funded through public taxes, operating as the only church officially allowed to exist in a state.

Separatists

A group of radical reformers, including the Pilgrims of Plymouth, who believed the Anglican Church was hopelessly corrupt and that complete separation was required for salvation.

Mayflower Compact

A 1620 agreement made by individual settlers aboard the Mayflower to govern their colony based on majority rule.

Wampanoags

The local Native American tribe in Massachusetts that invited the Plymouth colonists to join their autumn harvest feast in 1621.

Puritans

Non-separatist English Protestant reformers who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, aiming to reform the Anglican Church from within.

City Upon a Hill

The title of a sermon given by John Winthrop describing the Puritan goal to create an exemplary, godly community for others to follow.

Exceptionalism

The Puritan belief that God had granted them a special mission to establish a godly community and inspire reform in England.

Predestination

John Calvin's theological doctrine stating that God had already determined the eternal fate of every person's soul prior to creation.

Puritan Work Ethic

The concept that hard work is a form of religious worship and that material or practical success could indicate one's status among God's elect saints.