Puritan Theocracy, the Great Migration, and the Founding of the Middle Colonies

Identification in History: The Importance of Surnames

• The Prevalence of the Name John: During the colonial period, "John" was the most popular male name. This necessitates the use of surnames to distinguish between historical figures.

• Specific Examples:

  • John Smith: A prominent figure in early colonial history (Jamestown).

  • John Waltham: Mentioned as a contemporary with various roles.

• Exam Guidance: Students must learn full names rather than just first names to succeed in the matching sections of academic evaluations.

The Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Great Migration

• Leadership and Arrival: The Reverend John Winthrop served as the governor of the colony. He led the migration aboard the ship named the Arabella.

• Colony Nomenclature: The settlement is referred to interchangeably as the Boston Colony or the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

• The Great Migration: This event involved over $20,000\,Puritans$ migrating to the New World.

  • Primary Objective: To demonstrate to the King of England (King Charles) that their brand of religion was the "best" or "perfect" religion.

  • The Methodology: Success was to be proven by creating a perfect society structured around this perfect religion.

The Puritan Utopia and Theocratic Governance

• The Concept of Utopia: The Puritans attempted to create a "Puritan Utopia."

• Challenges and Failure of Utopias: Utopias often fail due to several inherent human factors:

  • Individuality: People have individual rights, needs, and desires that do not always align with a collective vision.

  • Human Flaws: People are inherently imperfect, making it impossible for them to construct a perfect world.

  • Finite Resources: Scarcity of resources can lead to conflict rather than community.

  • Sacrifice: Creating such a society requires individual sacrifice, which not everyone is willing to sustain.

• Winthrop’s Vision of Community: In his sermons, Winthrop emphasized "perfect Christian love."

  • Metaphor: He described the community as being "glued together" as the "sinew of the body of Christ."

  • The Consequence of Failure: Winthrop believed that if they failed, they would become a negative example to King Charles and the entire world. However, under his leadership, the official stance was that there would be "no failure at all."

• Theology of John Calvin: The Puritans followed the theologian John Calvin and his Institutes of Christian Religion.

  • TULIP and Predestination: A central tenet is the belief in a finite number of people, known as the "Elect," who are predestined for salvation. Everyone else is not.

  • Theocratic Goal: The purpose of the society was to create a perfect environment for the Elect and to prove the religion's viability for all societies.

Law, Enforcement, and Town Design in Massachusetts

• The Theocratic System: Massachusetts was a theocracy, where religious dogma and civil law were unified.

• Legal Frameworks: Residents were required to follow both the Institutes of Christian Religion (religious rules/catechism) and the Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts (civil laws).

• Strict Enforcement and Authoritarianism: Rules were strictly enforced to maintain the "purity" of the utopia.

  • Example from Law Number 13: If any child over the age of $16\,years\,old$ of sufficient understanding cursed or smote their father or mother, they were to be put to death.

• The Death Penalty and Banishment: While the death penalty was technically the punishment for failure to follow rules perfectly, an "easy way" to execute this was through banishment.

  • Context: Banishing an individual into the Massachusetts wilderness in January was considered a death sentence due to the slim likelihood of survival.

• Civil Engineering for Social Control: The physical layout of the community was designed to enforce religious compliance.

  • The Central Church: The church was the main point and focus of existence.

  • Urban Design ("The Box"): Houses were built extremely close together (zero lot lines), described as close enough to shake hands out of adjacent windows.

  • Surveillance: This design was intentional so that neighbors could watch and "tattle" on one another to ensure everyone followed the rules of the utopia.

Comparisons with Jamestown (Virginia)

• Jamestown Sprawl: Virginia developed through "agricultural sprawl" resembling spokes on a wheel.

• Headrights: This system encouraged individual expansion and the distribution of land.

• Purpose of Creation: The purpose of Virginia/Jamestown was profit for the company. In contrast, the compact, urban design of Massachusetts was engineered for its religious purpose.

Roger Williams and the Founding of Rhode Island

• Reverend Roger Williams: Arrived during the Great Migration in $1631$. He was banished in $1635$ and founded Providence Plantation in $1636$.

• Land Acquisition: Williams purchased land from the Narragansett peoples, rather than relying solely on a royal grant.

• Disputes with Winthrop:

  1. Authority over Land: Williams argued that the King had no right to grant land that already belonged to the native population.

  2. Separation of Church and State: Williams believed the unified theocracy harmed the purity of the religion and argued for a split between church and civic governance.

• Misconceptions of Religious Freedom: Although Rhode Island is associated with the separation of church and state, the colonial charter of $1644$ did not explicitly guarantee "freedom of religion" in the modern sense.

New Hampshire and the Antinomian Controversy

• Exeter, New Hampshire: Established in $1638$ by Reverend John Wheelwright.

• Land Acquisition: Wheelwright purchased the land from the Abenaki peoples.

• Governance: New Hampshire remained under the authority of Massachusetts until it became a royal colony in $1679$.

• The Banishment of Wheelwright: He was banished due to his connection to his sister-in-law, Anne Hutchinson.

Anne Hutchinson and the Doctrine of Grace

• Family Background:

  • Parents: Ed and Susan Hutchinson.

  • Siblings: Mary (married to John Wheelwright) and William (married to Anne).

• Arrival and Character: Anne Hutchinson arrived in $1634$ with her husband and approximately $13\,children$. She was literate and held a profession outside the home.

• Profession: She was a midwife, a role that gave her proximity to women during the high-stress period of childbirth.

• Theological Conflict:

  • Because of high mortality rates, mothers feared their deceased infants were in hell (due to predestination).

  • Doctrine of Grace: Hutchinson consoled them with the idea of "grace"—defined as undeserved mercy—which contradicted the rigid Puritan belief in predestination.

• Downfall: She held Bible studies in her home to discuss sermons. Her neighbor happened to be Governor John Winthrop.

• The Trial: Winthrop called her before community elders. When she claimed God spoke to her directly, Winthrop declared her an "American Jezebel gone a whoren from God" and banished her to "deliver [her] to Satan."

• Witchcraft Scapegoating: Accusations of witchcraft were often used as a tool to control property-owning women or as a scapegoat for societal issues.

Thomas Hooker and the Founding of Connecticut

• Reverend Thomas Hooker: Quarreled with John Winthrop over voting rights.

• Civic Standing vs. Church Standing: Hooker disagreed with the requirement that one must be in good standing with the church (paying tithes, performing sacraments) to participate in civic affairs.

• Establishment: Hooker founded Hartford, Connecticut, located in the Connecticut River Valley.

The Pequot War and the Fur Trade

• Regional Inhabitants: The Connecticut River Valley was occupied by the Algonquian peoples, specifically the Pequot and the Mohegan tribes (who were bitter enemies).

• The Fur Trade: The Dutch were also present, seeking beaver pelts. Beaver fur was highly valued in Europe because it was warm and water-resistant.

• The Arms Race: The Dutch traded manufactured goods and weapons for pelts.

  • Scenario: A Dutch trader might offer $10\,guns$ to the Pequots for $10\,pelts$, and then visit the Mohegans, who might offer $20\,pelts$ for the same guns to gain an advantage over their rivals.

• English Involvement: The English entered the conflict, establishing a hierarchy where they were at the top of negotiations.

• The War: The Mohegan and Narragansett allied with the English against the Pequot. The English utilized "old style" Irish war tactics: brutal, violent slaughter intended to eliminate the population entirely.

The Middle Colonies: New York and the Dutch

• Origins of the Dutch Republic: Formed in $1579$ during the Eight Years' War against Spain.

• Dutch East India Company (1602): The first international company. It competed with Portugal, eventually taking over the West African slave trade and Indian spice trade.

  • Trade Posts: Using a "CVS vs. Walgreens" strategy, the Dutch built trade posts (factories) everywhere the Portuguese had them.

  • Diverse Crews: Due to deaths at sea (navigators, cooks), the Dutch hired locally in places like Madagascar or India, resulting in extremely diverse, multi-national crews.

• Dutch West India Company (1621): Founded to compete with Spain in the West.

  • Henry Hudson: An English navigator sent by the Dutch in $1609$ to find New Netherland.

  • New Amsterdam: The major city of New Netherland, now known as New York City.

• Patroonships (1630): A land grant system. To receive an $18\,square\,mile$ plot, a "patroon" had to bring over $50\,families$. Only one was successfully established.

The English Takeover of New York

• The Restoration (1660): King Charles II restored the Stuart monarchy.

• Claiming New York (1664): Charles II granted the Dutch land to his brother, James, the Duke of York.

• The Capture: Captain Nichols arrived with a fleet in New Amsterdam. Governor Peter Stuyvesant (noted for having a peg leg) lacked a sufficient military to resist. The colony was renamed New York in $1664$.

New Jersey and the Role of Mediation

• Establishment (1664): New Jersey was given to John Berkeley and George Carteret (the latter from the Isle of Jersey).

• Division (1674): Disagreements between owners led to the involvement of William Penn as a mediator.

• East and West Jersey: Under Penn's advice, the colony was split into West New Jersey and East New Jersey. They remained separate for thirty years before reuniting as a royal colony in $1702$.

Pennsylvania: The Holy Experiment

• William Penn (The Younger): A member of the Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers.

• Quaker Philosophy: Founded by George Fox in $1647$. Central tenets include the equality of all believers.

  • The Handshake: Quakers practiced handshaking rather than bowing/curtseying to show equality, a practice that terrified those in the traditional social hierarchy.

• The Land Grant: King Charles II owed a debt of approximately $3,000,000$ to Admiral William Penn (Senior) for his support during the Restoration. To settle the debt, he granted land to the Admiral's son.

• The Holy Experiment: Penn sought to create a society based on equality. He founded Philadelphia, which became the second-largest city in the British Empire.

• Relation with Natives: Penn purchased land from the Lenape peoples and maintained a good relationship with them.

The Expansion of Pennsylvania and the Walking Purchase

• Absentee Leadership: William Penn spent much of his time in England ($1684$-$1699$, and after $1702$), leaving his sons, John and Thomas Penn, in control as proprietors.

• The Walking Purchase (1737): To gain more land from the Lenape, the Penn brothers produced a questionable $1686$ contract allowing the colony to expand as far as a man could walk in a day and a half ($36\,hours$).

• The Result: They hired Edward Marshall, who walked/ran $65\,miles$ in the allotted time. By squaring off the land, the Penns added $1,200,000\,acres$ to Pennsylvania, a move that damaged relations with the natives.

• Delaware: In $1682$, William Penn also purchased the land that would become Delaware.

Questions & Discussion

• Question: "How does this correlate to the design of Jamestown?"

  • Response: Jamestown encouraged sprawl through headrights for profit (tobacco). Massachusetts encouraged compact, urban boxes for religious surveillance and the creation of a utopia. Civil engineering followed the specific purpose of each colony.

• Question: "What is grace?"

  • Response: Grace is undeserved mercy or compassion; it is not something earned. This conflicted with the Puritan belief in the Elect.

• Question: "Why do Utopias fail?"

  • Response: They are unrealistic because people are different, have individual rights, and are inherently imperfect.