British+New+England+Colonies

By: Morgan Cook and Eliana Ondrejko

Prezi/Declaration: Prezi



Questions:

1. What were the motives for __#|settlement__ for your area and how did those impact the structure of government and relationship with the Mother country? "The social, religious, and economic forces that had made their appearance in the time of Henry VIII were still at work, upsetting the lives of an increasing number of people" (Blum 19). Some of these forces included rising prices, depression in the woolens industry, a series of bad wheat harvests, and taxes without Parliament's consent and repression of religion by the new king. Many teenage and twenty-some-year-old men left England for the New World to __#|find work__. In the 1630s, around 15,000 people, mostly families from the same towns, migrated to New England "looking for a truly new and holier England" (Blum 20). The land was settled primarily on Puritan values, and the government was modeled close to the Biblical way since God was at the forefront of every Puritan's mind. Since the English church was Anglican, the Puritans and the Anglicans hated each other. So much so that the English Civil War was centered on this conflict.

2. How did geography and demography impact the political and social structures that developed? The settlers contained a large number of Puritans, and they wanted a government that would respect the church. Because the settlers were European, European males stayed the controlling population in the new colonies.

Map of New England Colonies:

3. How did the political structure established lead to discontent in the future? The dominance of European males led to the uprisings of black slaves and Native Americans. Also, men like Roger Williams believed that the current system where religion was cooperative with government but was not legally involved was not separation enough. He believed that there needed to exist a total separation of church from state, lest the church become corrupted by the state. Typically today when we think of separation of church and state, we believe that the church would have too much of an influence on state, but it appears as if that was not the concern of those who went to live in Rhode Island with Roger Williams after the Puritans banished him for his views.

4. To what extent did the socio-economic climate in your region lead to a wealth-gap? "Americans could see plainly that merchants and planters had more wealth and dignity than others" (Blum 83). However, through hard work people from the lower __#|classes__ could still improve their statuses.

5. How oppressive was mercantilism to the settlers in your region? Mercantilism influenced the Navigation Acts, repressing the settlers trading freedom and stifling their economy in favor of England's. They gave reason for discontent in the colonies.

Helpful graphic:

6. What were the major labor systems that developed and how did they impact the structure of your society? Who was laboring? Africans were imported as slaves for plantations, as well as some Native Americans from the areas surrounding the colonies. These slaves created a new bottom class and created an unhappy group of people.

7. How were the indigenous populations (Native Americans) treated in your society and what impact did that have on future colonial development? Some Native Americans were enslaved, while the others were driven out of their land to make room for colonial expansion. King Philip's War exemplified the average treatment of Native Americans. While it might at first seem Native Americans were treated badly, they were (at least at first) trusted, and the people had generally peaceful relations with them excepting a few rocky moments. Without the natives teaching the settlers about the farming techniques of the region, it is unlikely that many settlements would have been as successful so early on.

8. To what extent did your region separate church and state and allow freedom of religion ? "They [the New England Puritans] wanted a government that would take seriously its obligation to enforce God's commandments and to support pure religion[...] But, contrary to common assumption, they did not want their clergy to take part in government" (Blum 23). They believed that a church official having any political power was reminiscent of Roman Catholicism. However, within the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the social and political center of every small town was its church, and to get elected into the General Court, one usually had to have good standings within the church. Roger Williams worried that the state would eventually corrupt the church, but John Winthrop (leader of the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony) and others opposed and banished him. He later set up Rhode Island and was joined by Anne Hutchinson and Henry Vale after they too were criticized for being against Puritan values.

9. To what extent did intellectual movements (Baroque, Enlightenment) influence the development of your region? The Enlightenment brought Ben Franklin into the picture. During the movement, "The Enlightenment sang the praises of intellectual freedom; Franklin as a printer defended his right to publish what he pleased" (Blum 82).

Key Terms:

Mayflower Compact: The Mayflower Compact was signed by 41 adult, male pilgrims in 1620 to create a government for Plymouth given its separation from Virginia's control. It is considered to be the first event of true self-rule in the New England colonies

The __#|Mayflower__ Compact:

Separatists vs. Congregationalists: Separatists created the 1620 Plymouth settlement, following Robert Browne after deserting the English church. Congregationalists wanted to reform the church of England from within (Puritans), believing that no general church organization should rule over individual churches and that the church should only admit members with visible evidence of beliefs. Also, under congregationalism individual churches were the center of political and social life for colonists.

Fundamental Orders of CT: Similar to the government in Massachusetts at the time, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut are said to be the first constitution like document of the West. they set up the government and rules of Connecticut and firmly stated that all free men should have suffrage. Elections for governor and magistrates were done by secret ballot. Page 2 of the Fundamental Orders of CT

Navigation Acts: The Navigation Acts were created in 1660 and 1663 with three main parts that stayed constant during subsequent modifications: they prohibited trade with colonies except by ships owned and/or made by colonies or England and with crews of three-fourths English or colonial men; banned the carrying of products like sugar, cotton, indigo, dye woods, ginger, and tobacco to places other than England and other English colonies; and outlawed shipping of European and Asiatic goods to English colonies from places other than England, with a few exceptions. They were intended to constrict the colonial economy and make sure it did not gain economic independence from England.

Dominion of New England: The Lords of Trade created a combined area of New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Plymouth, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine with a royally appointed governor aided by an also royally appointed council.

King Philip's War: King Phillip was the grand sachem (or head) of the Wampanoag Confederacy at the time when mysterious disappearing of Natives was combined with the large purchases of land by settlers. Many diseases brought by the Europeans also greatly threatened the tribes. The discontent led to a war in 1675, and ended in 1678 with the signing of a treaty at Casco Bay. The Puritan's were lead by Benjamin Church, who started what is now the Army Rangers.

King Philip (also known as Metacom or Metacomet), Grand Sachem of Wampanoag Confederacy:

Great Awakening: The Great Awakening was characterized by dramatic preaching about sins, creating converts, undermining the position of clergy, and beginning sporadic revivalisms in various denominations.