U.S. History 2.4

The Massachusetts Bay Colony & Puritan New England Notes

1. Founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony

• In the 1630s, many English Puritans left England.

• They founded:

  • Massachusetts Bay Colony

  • New Haven Colony

  • Connecticut Colony

  • Rhode Island

• Unlike Chesapeake settlers, New England settlers came with:

  • families

  • educated ministers

• Governor John Winthrop wanted to create a model Christian society called a:

  • “city upon a hill”

2. Goals of Puritan New England

• Build a religious, orderly Christian community

• Convert Native Americans to Christianity

• Massachusetts Bay seal showed a Native American saying:

  • “Come over and help us”

3. Puritan Missionary Efforts

• Puritans tried to convert Native peoples.

• John Eliot:

  • created “praying towns”

  • translated the Bible into Algonquian (1663)

  • hoped Native converts would become preachers

Religion and Culture in Puritan New England

4. Education and Literacy

• Puritans stressed literacy so everyone could read the Bible.

• Founded the first college in English America:

  • Harvard College

• First book printed in North America:

  • Bay Psalm Book (1640)

5. Belief in the Supernatural

• Puritans believed:

  • God controlled events

  • witches worked with the Devil

• Many accused of witchcraft were women.

6. Salem Witch Trials (1692)

• Began in Salem

• Young girls accused townspeople of witchcraft.

• Courts used “spectral evidence”:

  • dreams or visions as evidence

• Results:

  • 20 executed

  • several died in jail

Religious Intolerance in Massachusetts Bay

7. Lack of Religious Freedom

• Puritans wanted freedom for themselves, but not for dissenters.

• People who disagreed with leaders were punished.

8. Roger Williams

Roger Williams

• Opposed taking Native land unfairly

• Wanted separation of church and government

• Believed government should not punish beliefs

• Banished from Massachusetts

• Founded Rhode Island

9. Anne Hutchinson

Anne Hutchinson

• Criticized Puritan ministers

• Believed in direct revelation from God

• Challenged male religious authority

• Banished in 1638

• Later killed by Algonquins in 1643

Puritans and Native Americans

10. Early Relations

• Relations started tense and became worse as colonies expanded.

• In 1621:

  • Wampanoag leader Massasoit made peace with Plymouth settlers.

11. Pequot War (1637)

• Puritans allied with:

  • Narragansett

  • Mohegan

• Against the Pequot

• Attack at Mystic River became a massacre.

12. King Philip’s War (1675–1676)

• Led by Metacom

• Native groups fought English expansion.

• Native forces destroyed many frontier towns.

• English eventually won with Native allies.

Effects of the War

• Many Native captives sold into slavery in the Caribbean

• English attitudes toward Native Americans became more hostile

Important Vocabulary