Settling the Northern Colonies 1619-1700
Settling the Northern Colonies (1619-1700)
Northern and Southern colonies, though sharing language and allegiance, developed distinct regional characteristics (settlement patterns, economies, politics, values).
Southern colonies sought riches (tobacco); Northern colonies (New England) were shaped by religious devotion.
The Protestant Reformation and Puritanism
Martin Luther:
In 1517, protested Catholic doctrines, denounced authority of priests/popes.
Declared Bible sole source of God's word, sparking the Protestant Reformation.
John Calvin:
Elaborated on Luther's ideas; Calvinism became dominant credo for New England Puritans, Scottish Presbyterians, French Huguenots, and Dutch Reformed Church members.
Calvin's Doctrine (Institutes~of~the~Christian~Religion, 1536):
God is all-powerful/good; humans are weak/wicked due to original sin.
God predestines individuals for heaven (the elect) or hell; good works don't guarantee salvation for the damned.
Calvinists sought signs of "conversion" (intense experience of God's grace) and led "sanctified" lives.
Puritans and the Church of England:
King Henry VIII broke with Rome in 1530s, heading the Church of England.
Puritans sought to purify English Christianity; many from economically depressed areas.
Believed only "visible saints" should be church members, but Church of England enrolled all subjects.
Separatists:
A group of Puritans seeking complete separation from the Church of England.
King James I (1603-1625) threatened them, fearing religious defiance would lead to political defiance.
The Pilgrims and Plymouth
Flight to Holland:
In 1608, Separatists fled to Holland to escape persecution.
Distressed by "Dutchification" of children, sought English Protestant haven in America.
Voyage to America:
Negotiated with Virginia Company, but the Mayflower (102 persons) arrived off New England in 1620, missing destination.
Landed at Plymouth Bay outside Virginia Company's domain, becoming squatters.
Mayflower Compact:
An agreement by 41 adult males to form a crude government and submit to the majority's will.
A step toward self-government through town meetings.
First Winter and Thanksgiving:
Harsh winter of 1620-1621: only 44 of 102 survived.
Autumn 1621 brought bountiful harvests and the first Thanksgiving.
Economic and Social Development:
Achieved stability through fur, fish, and lumber; "beaver and Bible."
Proved English survival was possible in the region.
Leadership:
William Bradford: Self-taught scholar, elected governor thirty times, feared non-Puritans would corrupt the experiment.
Plymouth's Significance:
Never economically or numerically important (7,000 people by 1691); merged with Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Morally and spiritually significant, as William Bradford wrote,
"Thus~out~of~small~beginnings~greater~things~have~been~produced~by~His~hand~that~made~all~things~of~nothing,~and~gives~being~to~all~things~that~are;~and,~as~one~small~candle~may~light~a~thousand,~so~the~light~here~}nndled~hath~shone~unto~many,~yea/in~some~sort~to~our~whole~nation."
The Bay Colony Bible Commonwealth
Moderate Puritans sought to reform the Church of England from within.
Massachusetts Bay Company:
In 1629, non-Separatist Puritans secured a royal charter.
Established a settlement in Massachusetts (Boston center), bringing their charter as a constitution.
Early Success/Great Migration:
Strong start with ~1,000 immigrants in 1630; continuing English turmoil fueled further Puritan immigration.
During 1630s, ~70,000 refugees left England, with ~20,000 coming to Massachusetts; many went to the West Indies.
John Winthrop:
Well-to-do English attorney, first governor, served extensively, believed in a God-given "calling" to lead.
Economic Growth:
Winthrop's skills helped Massachusetts prosper via fur trading, fishing, and shipbuilding.
Became the largest and most influential New England outpost.
Shared Sense of Purpose:
Believed in a covenant with God to build a holy society, a \text{"city~upon~a~hill,"} a beacon to humanity.
Building the Colony:
Franchise extended to "freemen" (adult males of Puritan congregations).
Unchurched men/women were voteless, but a larger proportion of men could vote than in England.
Town governments were inclusive, with male property holders participating in lawmaking.
Government Structure:
Not a democracy (Winthrop distrusted the "commons"); freemen elected governor, assistants, and General Court.
Only "visible saints" could be freemen; government enforced God's laws on all.
Religious Leaders:
Wielded great influence, influenced church membership via conversion interrogations.
John Cotton: Cambridge-educated, emigrated to avoid persecution, defended government's religious enforcement, preached for hours.
Congregations could hire/fire ministers and set salaries.
Separation of Church and State:
Clergymen barred from holding formal political office; endorsed a limited separation.
Shared a "Protestant ethic" of commitment to work.
Social Life:
Believed in God's work on earth; enjoyed simple pleasures but repressed instincts (e.g., New Haven fined couple for kissing).
Connecticut dubbed "the Blue Law State"; life was serious, hellfire real (e.g., Michael Wigglesworth's "Day of Doom").
Trouble in the Bible Commonwealth
Early dissension existed; Quakers persecuted (fines, floggings, banishment, hangings).
Anne Hutchinson:
Challenged Puritan orthodoxy; intelligent mother of fourteen.
Espoused Antinomianism: claimed a holy life wasn't a sure sign of salvation, and the truly saved needn't obey laws.
Banished in 1638 for claiming direct revelation; later killed by Indians in New York.
Roger Williams:
Popular Salem minister with radical ideas and an unrestrained tongue.
Advocated a clean break with Church of England, challenged Bay Colony's charter, condemned land expropriation from Indians, and denied civil government's religious authority.
Banished in 1635.
Rhode Island
Roger Williams fled to Rhode Island in 1636, founding a Baptist church in Providence.
Advocated complete freedom of religion: no oaths, no compulsory attendance, no state church taxes, sheltered abused Quakers.
Established manhood suffrage (later narrowed by property); was more liberal than other English settlements due to religious tolerance.
Other settlements comprised malcontents/exiles; Puritans called it "that sewer" of "Lord's debris."
Individualistic and independent, known as "traditional home of the otherwise minded"; secured a charter from Parliament in 1644.
New England Spreads Out
Connecticut River Valley:
Attracted Dutch/English settlers; Hartford founded in 1635.
Thomas Hooker led Boston Puritans there in 1636.
Wrote Fundamental Orders (1639): a modern constitution establishing a democratically controlled regime, influencing later charters/constitutions.
New Haven:
Founded in 1638 by Puritans seeking a closer church-government alliance; lacked a charter.
Fell out of favor with Charles II for sheltering regicides; merged with Connecticut Valley settlements in 1662.
Maine:
Fishermen/fur traders active before Plymouth; unsuccessfully colonized by Sir Ferdinando Gorges (1623).
Absorbed by Massachusetts Bay in 1677, remained part of Massachusetts for ~150 years.
New Hampshire:
Sprang from fishing/trading; absorbed by Massachusetts in 1641.
Separated from Massachusetts in 1679 by the king, becoming a royal colony.
Puritans Versus Indians
English settlements led to clashes with Indians, weakened by a 1620 epidemic that killed >3/4 of coastal tribes.
Early Relations:
Wampanoag Indians befriended settlers; Squanto aided accommodation.
Chief Massasoit signed a treaty with Plymouth Pilgrims in 1621 and celebrated first Thanksgiving.
Increased English settlement inland caused confrontations.
Pequot War (1637):
Hostilities erupted between English settlers and the Pequot tribe.
English militiamen and Narragansett allies attacked a Pequot village, virtually annihilating the tribe.
Followed by four decades of uneasy peace.
Conversion Efforts:
Puritans made limited efforts to convert Indians, gathering them into "praying towns" to introduce English God/culture.
King Philip's War (1675-1676):
Indians' only hope was unity; Massasoit's son, Metacom (King Philip), forged an alliance.
Coordinated assaults on English villages: 52 Puritan towns attacked, 12 destroyed, hundreds of colonists and more Indians died.
Metacom captured/beheaded, slowing westward English settlement and inflicting lasting defeat on New England Indians.
Seeds of Colonial Unity and Independence
New England Confederation (1643):
Four colonies (Mass. Bay, Plymouth, New Haven, Conn.) banded for defense against foes (Indians, French, Dutch) and intercolonial problems.
Each member had two votes (Mass. Bay displeased); Rhode Island/Maine excluded.
First milestone toward colonial unity.
Benign Neglect:
England paid little attention to colonies during early years due to civil wars, leading to semiautonomous commonwealths.
Royal Authority Asserted:
Charles II restored 1660, determined to manage colonies actively.
Colonial Defiance:
Massachusetts showed defiance; Charles II granted Connecticut sea-to-sea charter (1662) and Rhode Island a new charter.
Massachusetts' charter was revoked in 1684.
Andros Promotes the First American Revolution
Dominion of New England (1686):
Created by royal authority (London); included all New England, later New York & the Jerseys.
Aimed at bolstering defense and enforcing Navigation Laws.
Sir Edmund Andros: Autocratic military man, generated hostility by affiliating with the Church of England.
Curbed town meetings, restricted courts/press/schools, revoked land titles, taxed without consent, enforced unpopular Navigation Laws.
Glorious Revolution (1688-1689):
Dethroned James II, enthroned William III/Mary; Dominion of New England collapsed.
Boston mob rose against Andros, who was shipped to England.
Massachusetts became a royal colony in 1691, losing its charter and church-member-only voting.
Aftermath:
Glorious Revolution impacted colonies; unrest in New York/Maryland until royal governors restored order.
New monarchs relaxed royal grip ("salutary neglect"); more English officials blocked local leaders.
Old Netherlanders at New Netherland
Dutch Independence:
Netherlands rebelled against Spain (late 16th cent.), gaining independence with English aid.
Emerged as major commercial/naval power, challenging England; fought three Anglo-Dutch naval wars.
Dutch Colonial Power:
Dutch Republic was a leading colonial power; Dutch East India Company held a profitable empire in East Indies.
Henry Hudson's Exploration:
Employed by Dutch East India Co., sailed into Delaware/New York Bays (1609), ascended Hudson River, claiming the area.
Dutch West India Company:
Less powerful; maintained enterprises in Caribbean, captured Spanish treasure ships (1628), established African outposts/Brazilian sugar industry.
Establishment of New Netherland:
Planted 1623-1624 in Hudson River area by Dutch West India Co. for fur trade; Manhattan Island bought from Indians cheaply.
New Amsterdam:
Company town with no enthusiasm for religious toleration, free speech, or democracy.
Governors appointed by company were harsh; religious dissenters suspected.
Colonists eventually received a local body with limited lawmaking.
Aristocratic Tint:
Colony gained aristocratic tint; vast feudal estates (patroonships) granted to promoters settling 50 people.
Cosmopolitan Population:
New Amsterdam attracted diverse people; 18 languages spoken.
Friction with Neighbors
Incompetent Directors-General:
Company shareholders prioritized dividends over colony's expense.
Conflicts with Indians:
Indians retaliated to Dutch cruelties with massacres; settlers erected Wall Street as defense.
Hostility from New England:
Connecticut ejected Hollanders; Massachusetts vetoed military force against New Netherland.
Swedish Intrusion:
Swedes planted New Sweden on Delaware River (1638-1655).
Peter Stuyvesant led a Dutch military expedition in 1655, ending Swedish rule.
Swedish Residues in New York:
Left Swedish place names and log cabins.
Dutch Residues in New York
Weakness of New Netherland:
Secondary interest for Dutch; honeycombed with New England immigrants.
English Takeover:
English viewed Dutch as intruders; in 1664, Charles II granted area to Duke of York.
Peter Stuyvesant surrendered without a fight; New Amsterdam renamed New York.
Continued Illiberal Features:
Autocratic spirit survived; influential landowning families wielded power.
Monopolistic land policies discouraged European immigrants.
Dutch Cultural Imprint:
Left place names (Harlem, Brooklyn, Hell Gate) and gambrel-roofed architecture.
Dutch Legacy:
Made a colorful contribution: Easter eggs, Santa Claus, waffles, sauerkraut, bowling, sleighing, skating, kolf (golf).
Penn's Holy Experiment in Pennsylvania
The Quakers:
Arose in England mid-1600s, officially the Religious Society of Friends; "quaked" under deep religious emotion.
Quaker Beliefs and Practices:
Refused Church of England taxes; met in simple meetinghouses without clergy, spoke up themselves.
Believed all were equal; kept hats on for "betters"; used "thee" and "thou"; refused oaths.
Quaker Principles:
People of deep conviction, abhorred strife/warfare, refused military service, advocated passive resistance, contended for religious/civic freedom.
William Penn:
Attracted to Quaker faith 1660, suffered persecution, sought asylum for his people in New World.
Pennsylvania Grant (1681):
Secured immense fertile land from king (debt to father), named "Penn's Woodland."
Designed as a Quaker haven and experiment in liberal government.
Advertising Pennsylvania:
Penn sent agents, distributed pamphlets in multiple languages; offered truthful inducements.
Liberal Land Policy:
Encouraged substantial landholdings, attracting heavy immigrant inflow.
Quaker Pennsylvania and Its Neighbors
Launch of Pennsylvania (1681):
Penn launched with existing "squatters"; planned Philadelphia ("brotherly love") with wide streets.
Indian Relations:
Penn bought land fairly from Indians, allowing unarmed Quakers to interact peacefully; some tribes migrated for haven.
Non-Quaker European immigrants (e.g., Scots-Irish) undermined Quaker Indian policy.
Government:
Representative assembly elected by landowners; no tax-supported state church.
Freedom of worship guaranteed (London forced denial for Catholics/Jews in office).
Death penalty only for treason/murder; no military defense provision; no immigration restrictions; easy naturalization.
Social Reform:
Quakers strongly disliked black slavery, contributing to social reform.
Offered economic opportunity, civil liberty, religious freedom; prohibited "ungodly revelers."
Growth:
Attracted diverse ethnic groups, quickly becoming prosperous by exporting grain/foodstuffs.
Rapidly gained population/wealth, surpassed only by Virginia/Massachusetts.
William Penn's Challenges:
Never fully appreciated by colonists; quarrels with governors; became too friendly with deposed James II.
Thrice arrested for treason, thrust into debtors' prison; died sorrowful.
Neighboring Colonies:
New Jersey:
Started 1664; New Englanders flocked; West New Jersey sold to Quakers 1674; crown combined two Jerseys in 1702.
Delaware:
Three counties; named after Lord De La Warr; granted own assembly 1703; remained with Pennsylvania until American Revolution.
The Middle Way in the Middle Colonies
New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.
Fertile soil and broad lands led to "bread colonies" (heavy grain exports).
Role of Rivers:
Susquehanna, Delaware, Hudson tapped fur trade; few waterfalls meant little milling/manufacturing.
Industry:
Deep river estuaries/landlocked harbors stimulated commerce and seaports.
Society:
Intermediate landholdings; local government blended New England town meetings and Southern county government.
Population and Religion:
More ethnically mixed; unusual religious toleration and democratic control.
Quakers notably influenced freedom.
Economy:
Land easily acquired; economic/social democracy prevailed.
Benjamin Franklin:
Representative American personality of his era; emigrated to Philadelphia as a 17-year-old in 1720.
Society Develops:
Population/trade increased; transportation/communication improved; British maintained "hands-off" policies.
Colonists realized they were thriving, not just surviving.