The Colonization Of Colonial America

Colonists from England like the Puritans wanted to escape persecution they were experiencing in England. The Puritans settled in New England and attempted to create a religious utopia where everyone would live by Puritan rules based on the

Evidence shows that the Puritans had politically influenced their colonies with their religious values. In the New World, a group of Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. There, the Puritans would create a government that would revolve around their covenant with God. On the way to the New World, John Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, led a sermon, titled “A Model of Christian Charity”, about Puritan ideals (Winthrop). As well as determining Puritan ideals, the sermon urges colonists to unite as a “city on a hill” for others to look up to (Winthrop).

The New Englanders took religion seriously, making unitary laws according to Puritan standards. John Winthrop, later chosen as the first Massachusetts Bay Colony governor, was seeking religious freedom. Wishing to inspire the colonists to dwell in brotherly unity, he summoned them together to remind them “that if we [colonists] shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.” On the other hand, those in the Chesapeake region came for the wealth that America promised. They were there to become prosperous or die trying.

One country had several different motives when settling the Americas, which played a great role in their development. New England was originally founded by the Massachusetts

By March of 1630 they had funds ready to start their journey to the Massachusetts Bay Area. The leader, John Winthrop, led nearly 9,000 Puritans to the colony between 1630 and 1643. Making them the most rapid growing religion of their time. The

The, “Freedom from religious persecution motivated the Pilgrims to leave England...and settle in the New World.” [nps.gov]. The settlers did not agree with what the English government made them believe in. They wanted to have independence religiously, with a say, and the only place for this was the Massachusetts colony in the New World. In the colony, the settlers had the ability to believe what they wanted to in harmony without

They came here as pilgrims looking to escape the corruption of the English Anglican church. They wanted a fresh start with their families to pursue their faith the way they wanted to. The Puritan pilgrims of Plymouth were framers themselves, so they had no intention of using slaves. They were more self-sufficient and wanted to establish churches and schools at the center of their communities. The Puritans originally had good relations with Native Americans, but this friendship would soon fade as the pilgrim population grew too quickly and they felt the need to expand.

Besides English settlers there were numerous other representatives of the European countries settling in the new land. And as the Puritans came to practice their own believes so did other nationalities, as explained in the study material. In my own interpretation America represents change and the believe system as well as the way religion was previously practiced was now changing. This change was greatly influenced by the intellectual movement called Enlightenment, which started in Europe and this influence had bearing on the Great Awakening. Besides Puritans now there were Catholics in Maryland, Quakers in Pennsylvania and the Episcopal Church in the southern states.

The settling of the Northern Colonies began with the arrival of the Pilgrims, or Puritan separatists, to Plymouth. The Massachusetts Bay Colony, led by John Winthrop, was formed shortly after and became known as the "Bible Commonwealth" for its large religious influence. However, religious tensions began to arise with dissidents like Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams. The Rhode Island Colony was formed as a haven for these dissenters and exiles, and it became known as being strongly liberal and individualistic. The third New England colony, Connecticut, was led by Thomas Hooker and was the first to establish a "modern constitution" through the Fundamental Orders. The last northern colony, New Hampshire was created in 1679. Conflicts with the

“ In time, the Pilgrims replicate the humble little farm communities they had known in England” (Brands et al., 37). The Puritans became fisherman, farmers, artisans, and even developed trade (Lecture, “Economies of Early British Colonies”). The

The colonists wanted religious freedom. One reason they originally left England was to escape the Catholic Church. Some called themselves Puritans. They wanted the church and the state to be more separate.

The Puritans broke away from England after trying to purify the Church of England. They eventually became upset after King Henry refused to allow them to make the church pure and departed to the New World. There, the Puritans had to create their own form of government. They formed the Mayflower Compact; a document stating 41 men will work together to govern the people with religion being the center of the colony. The Puritans tried to create a democracy for ruling the people of the New World, but ruling with a democracy was almost impossible for them.

The New England colonies grew in the 1600’s with many of their ways derived from the Puritans. Socially, the importance of education which continues to this day was from the Puritans. The other side of this the treatment of the American Indians changed enormously. Politically, small town democracy was from the Puritans, but religion is removed from politics. Economically, agriculture economy is kept with the thought of wanting wealth is accepted.

Freedom to Prosecute Religion Colonial America is often thought of as a safe haven from religious persecution. Future colonists had been persecuted for not accepting their countries ' religious doctrine and were willing to travel long distances in search of religious freedom. Religious freedom would still be far from grasp as Puritans would continue their homelands traditions of persecution for many more years. Puritans, unlike the Pilgrims (who sought to completely separate from the Church of England), wanted to purify the Church.

In American history, many overlook the violence that occurred when New England colonists encountered the Native Americans. When the New England colonists arrived in Plymouth in the 1620s and interacted with the Native Americans, they lived in peace with each other for more than 50 years. The colonists instigated a war with the natives to gain more land from the Native Americans and resulted with a massacre. This resulted in colonialism affecting the lives of colonists and Native Americans because both experienced forming an alliance, enduring social change, and deaths.