“The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, might be happy."

- H.L. Mencken

Religion Leads to Offshoots

The Great Migration

1630-1640

Oppression at Home pushes many to seek refuge and

redemption in the colonies

Essential Theme:Every society constructs

what one scholar has called a “perimeter fence,” which sets the boundary

between actions and beliefs that are acceptable

and those that are not.

BELIEVED THAT BECAUSE GOD HAD BLESSED THEM, THEIR VIEWS ON WHAT WAS TO BE BELIEVED AND PRACTICED WERE BEYOND QUESTION

Never lost awareness of the fact that they were unworthy of God’s love and still imperfect in their understanding

Ultimately, the belief that if the colonists lived as God desired them to, he would allow them to “see much more of his wisdom, power, goodness and truth than we have formerly been acquainted with.”

- John Winthrop

As 1000s more colonists migrated to the Americas and 2nd and 3rd generation colonists began  to drift away from their original religious purpose. - The Halfway Covenant (1662) provided a partial church membership. - Puritan preachers hoped that this new plan would keep some of the church's influence in society, and would allow for new half-way members to see the benefits of being a full member and they would want to be born again in order to experience the full membership.

Puritan “Rebels”Puritan “Rebels”Young, popular minister in Young, popular minister in Salem.Salem.

Argued for a Argued for a full break full break with the Anglican Church.with the Anglican Church.

Condemned MA Bay Condemned MA Bay CharterCharter..

• Did not give fair Did not give fair compensation to Indians.compensation to Indians.

Denied authority of civil Denied authority of civil govt. to regulate religious govt. to regulate religious behavior.behavior.

1635 1635 found guilty of preaching found guilty of preaching newe & newe & dangerous opinionsdangerous opinions and was exiled. and was exiled.

Roger Roger WilliamsWilliams

The Bloody Tenant of Persecution… by Roger

Williams [1644]

The Bloody Tenant of Persecution… by Roger

Williams [1644]

1636 1636 Roger Williams fled thereRoger Williams fled there..

MA Bay Puritans had wanted to exile him MA Bay Puritans had wanted to exile him to England to prevent him from founding a to England to prevent him from founding a competing colony.competing colony.

Remarkable Remarkable political freedom political freedom in in Providence, RIProvidence, RI

• Universal manhood suffrage Universal manhood suffrage later later restricted by a property qualification.restricted by a property qualification.

• Opposed to special privilege of any kind Opposed to special privilege of any kind freedom of opportunity for all.freedom of opportunity for all.

RI becomes RI becomes known as the “Sewer” known as the “Sewer” because it is seen by the Puritans as a because it is seen by the Puritans as a dumping ground for unbelievers and dumping ground for unbelievers and religious dissentersreligious dissenters More liberal than More liberal than any other colony! (any other colony! (Becomes settlement Becomes settlement for Baptists as well.)for Baptists as well.)

Rhode IslandRhode Island

Intelligent, strong-willed,Intelligent, strong-willed,well-spoken woman.well-spoken woman.

Threatened patriarchal Threatened patriarchal control.control.

AntinomialismAntinomialism [direct [direct revelation]revelation]

Means “against the law.”Means “against the law.”

Carried to logical extremes Carried to logical extremes Puritan doctrine of Puritan doctrine of predestination.predestination.

Living a Holy life (Good Works) was no sure Living a Holy life (Good Works) was no sure sign of salvationsign of salvation..

Truly saved didn’t need to obey the law of Truly saved didn’t need to obey the law of either God or man. Could attain it through either God or man. Could attain it through Faith AloneFaith Alone

Puritan “Rebels”Puritan “Rebels”

AnneAnneHutchinsonHutchinson

1638 1638 she confounded the Puritan she confounded the Puritan leaders for days.leaders for days.

Eventually bragged that she had Eventually bragged that she had received her beliefs DIRECTLY from God.received her beliefs DIRECTLY from God.

Direct revelation was even more serious Direct revelation was even more serious than the heresy of antinomianism. than the heresy of antinomianism. WHY??WHY??

Puritan leaders banished her Puritan leaders banished her she & she & her family traveled to RI and later to NY.her family traveled to RI and later to NY.

She and all but one member of her family She and all but one member of her family were killed in an Indian attack in were killed in an Indian attack in Westchester County.Westchester County.

John Winthrop saw God’s hand in this!John Winthrop saw God’s hand in this!

Anne Hutchinson’s Trial

Anne Hutchinson’s Trial

• In 1636, Thomas Hooker , a Cambridge, Massachusetts minister, established the first English settlement in Connecticut. – Convinced that government should rest on free consent, he

extended voting rights beyond church members.

– Eventually helped formulate the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut (arguably the 1st constitution in the colonies) which granted the franchise to male citizens recognized by the colony

Note: Two years later, another Massachusetts group founded New Haven colony in order to combat moral laxness by setting strict standards for church membership and basing its laws on the Old Testament.

• This colony was incorporated by Connecticut in 1662.

ConnecticutConnecticut

New England Spreads Out

New England Spreads Out

New England Colonies, 1650

New England Colonies, 1650

Persistent questions: What is the source of religious authority? Is it the individual or the community? Who decides? How much dissent can a religious community tolerate? What are the limits, if any?

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The QuakersThe QuakersThe QuakersThe QuakersCalled Quakers because they “quaked” during intense religious practices.

They offended religious & secular leaders in England.

Refused to pay taxes to support the Church of England.

They met without paid clergy

Believed all were children of God refused to treat the upper classes with deference.

Keep hats on.

Addressed them as commoners ”thees”/“thous.”

Wouldn’t take oaths.

Pacifists.

Quaker MeetingQuaker MeetingQuaker MeetingQuaker Meeting

Aristocratic Englishman.

1660 – attracted tothe Quaker faith.

Embraced Quakerismafter military service.

1681 he received agrant from king toestablish a colony.

This settled a debt the king owed his father.

Named Pennsylvania [“Penn’s Woodland”].

He sent out paid agents and advertised for settlers his pamphlets were pretty honest.

Liberal land policy attracted many immigrants.

William PennWilliam PennWilliam PennWilliam Penn

Royal Land Grant to Royal Land Grant to PennPenn

Royal Land Grant to Royal Land Grant to PennPenn

Penn & Native Penn & Native AmericansAmericans

Penn & Native Penn & Native AmericansAmericans

Bought [didn’t simply take] land from Indians.

Quakers went among the Indians unarmed.

BUT…….. non-Quaker Europeans flooded PA

Treated native peoples poorly.

This undermined the actions of the Quakers!

Penn’s Treaty with Penn’s Treaty with thetheNative AmericansNative Americans

Penn’s Treaty with Penn’s Treaty with thetheNative AmericansNative Americans

Government of Government of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania

Government of Government of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania

Representative assembly elected by landowners.

No tax-supported church.

Freedom of worship guaranteed to all.

Forced to deny right to vote & hold office to Catholics & Jews by English govt.

Death penalty only for treason & murder.

Compared to 200 capital crimes in England!

Pennsylvanian SocietyPennsylvanian SocietyPennsylvanian SocietyPennsylvanian Society

Attracted many different people

Religious misfits from other colonies.

Many different ethnic groups.

No provision for military defense.

No restrictions on immigration.

No slavery!!

“Blue Laws” [sumptuary laws] against stage plays, cards, dice, excessive hilarity, etc.

A society that gave its citizens economic opportunity, civil liberty, & religious freedom!!