Immigrants And The Puritans: The Massachusetts Bay Colony

Life in the early 1600’s is a big contrast to the way we live in American in present day times. Back then America was just starting out as there were no official towns yet because not many Europeans lived here. All of that changed in the year 1607 when the first English settlement was built. Years later more came to America for different reasons; some came to have better opportunities and make a decent living but another big reason was to escape religious persecution. This was the beginning of Puritan life in America.

The Puritans influenced the development of the New England colonies, including Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, and Connecticut through the Puritans’ extreme theological values and ideas that create the theocracy, their hard work ethic that increases their economic stability, and their resistance to tolerate other’s different opinions.

The Puritan’s voyage to the New World was recorded in “Of Plymouth Plantation” by William Bradford. The Puritans made this voyage to escape the persecution they were facing in Europe and in hopes of starting a new life that would exert their right to religious freedom. The Puritans believed God’s active and persistent “hand” was present in all aspects of their lives. It was the grace of God that was the sole explanation of every daily occurrence or event. God created everything and therefore he played a significant role in the lives of the Puritans.

The population of the English colonies on American soil slowly but steadily grew: in 1625 it was 2 thousand. People, in 1650 rose to 50 thousand., And by 1700 was already a quarter of a million. Virginia and Massachusetts were the largest English settlement, at the beginning of the XVIII century they lived almost half of the colonists. Another third of the total population accounted for Maryland, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania. In New England, people preferred to settle in cities with dense buildings; in the south dominated by sparsely scattered County; Mid colony combine both types of settlements.

At the close of the 19th century, expeditious advancement of the municipalities was a major factor in linking and dividing the political, social, and economic lives of the American citizens. At this time, cities created the way for people of different ethnicities and backgrounds to band together by living and working together in close quarters. The constant inflow of Scandinavia, Britain, Ireland, and German immigrants generated a population that was diversified and was linked by their countries of origins universal financial quandary, social injustice, and the common goal to achieve the American Dream.

About 124 years ago today, an important woman arrived at our colony, her name was Anne Hutchinson. She was one of our founders and a significant figure, not only known in this colony. Anne had a different interpretation of the Bible, this was against the Puritan rule in Massachusetts, and that’s why she was exiled to Rhode Island.

The non-Separatist Puritans secured a royal charter from King Charles I to form the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1629. The Massachusetts Bay Company was planned to be a business venture, but was also used as a refuge for Puritans. The Bay Colony quickly became the biggest and most influential of all of the New England colonies. For many years, the charter was used as a constitution for the Company. Governmental power rested with the General Court, who then elected the governor and his assistants. The right to vote and hold office was limited to male church members. In local affairs, the General Court developed powers and a structure similar to England’s Parliament. It had two houses: the House of Assistants and the House of Deputies. Also,

In search of religious freedom a group of devout Christians sailed across the ocean only to come across a new land, radically different from the one they left behind. From the initial journey, to the formation of the colonies, and finally their complicated relationship with “non-believers” Puritans strongly held religious convictions has played a key role in all of this.

It was established by a group of puritans led by a John Winthrop with a goal of colonizing a wide area in the New England where they would establish what he referred to as a model religious community in the New World. This was a theocracy that forced people to worship and live in an orthodox way, a theory based on John Calvin’s teachings. John Winthrop was tired of trying to reform the church in England in which he believed there was the need to purify it against the influences of Catholicism. The Puritans had been opposed by both the Anglican Church and the ruling monarch in England. It is for this reason that they migrated to America, established the Massachusetts Bay colony and create their own religious community.

The Boston Massacre was influenced by the British soldiers first shooting the colonists. Due to the commands of Captain Preston, the soldiers were forced to engage in fighting, said by William Wyatt. In his account, the British were ordered around by Captain Preston and were not in the usual formation for a battle. From other perspectives, like George Sanderlin and Andrew, they had heard the captain boom, “Fire! Be the consequences at will.” Both had even heard that the army intended to murder the colonists rebelling. Even Captain Preston’s testimony stated that the soldiers had fired 4 times before the mob of colonists disappeared.

The Intolerable Act was created because of the Boston Tea Party. If you already do not know The Boston Tea Party was a group of men who illegally boarded three ships and threw thousands of pounds of tea overboard because of the Tea Act. Anyways, another name for The Intolerable Acts was “Coercive Acts”. Since the Boston Tea Party occurred Parliament was absolutely tired of the colonists actions towards these acts. The British was able to put up with certain actions, but the destruction of 342 chest of tea that belonged to the British East Indies Company twas absolutely intolerable. The Boston Harbor was closed to any sort of trade until the owners of the thousands of teas cleaned up the mess that the ‘thugs’ created. Important items such as

The ideas constructed by the Puritans were not simply a principal starting point for American culture because they were the first in the country, but because they offered distinct ways of thinking that are still deep-seated in our culture today. Although many of the ideas of Puritans have evolved or vanished over time, it is important to give credit to the Puritan writers and thinkers such as John Winthrop and John Cotton who offered ideas that were new at the time and that stayed with the American consciousness—culturally, socially, and politically.

More than 80% of Americans have Puritan ancestors who emigrated to Colonial America on the Mayflower, and other ships, in the 1630’s (“Puritanism”). Puritanism had an early start due to strong main beliefs that, when challenged, caused major conflict like the Salem Witch Trials.

Like specks of sand on a beach, people are constantly migrating to various areas. Immigration has impacted America in a predominantly negative way. As demonstrated in Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, Mother Tongue by Amy Tan, and The General History of Virginia by John Smith, immigration has induced numerous conflicts, forced people to face adversity from those they met, and caused several people to undergo a number of hardships.

Immigration has been occurring since the dawn of time, People moving from one place to another for better living conditions. Immigration is both good and bad for the country that is involved. People bringing in great new ideas to help grow the country but it can also created over population and less job opportunity for the citizens of the country. These are all mentioned in Plymouth Plantation, Mother Tongue, Balboa, and Blaxicans. Immigrants’ impact on America is both negative and positive depending on the viewpoint of the original culture.