Chapter 1-3 Key Terms: Form A Government and Puritans

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture notes on forming government (Mayflower Compact, republic/commonwealth), Puritans, separation of church and state, Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the idea of the colony as a model for reform.

Mayflower Compact

1620 agreement by the Pilgrims to form a self‑governing Christian commonwealth; established a governor and a two‑house legislature, with loyalty to the king.

Commonwealth (in this context)

A republic—government without a monarch.

Republic

A form of government with elected representatives and no monarch.

Governor (elected)

Leader chosen by the settlers rather than appointed by crown or company.

Two‑house legislature

A legislative body consisting of two elected houses.

Voters (colonial context)

Adult male landowners eligible to vote in colonial elections.

Adult male church members

Initial requirement for political participation in New England before separation of church and state.

Separation of church and state

Official separation of religious authority from political governance; church and state are distinct, though laws reflect religious values.

Theocracy

A system where religious authority governs; in the notes, Puritans aim to reflect religious teachings in law, sometimes described as a theocracy.

Puritans

Members of the Church of England seeking to reform it from within; founded Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Puritan settlement intended to purify church and government; imagined as a model for reform.

City upon a Hill

Biblical image used by Puritans to describe Massachusetts as a model of virtuous reform for the world.

A Model of Christian Charity

Winthrop's sermon describing the colony as a city upon a hill and calling for communal virtue.