Society and religion in the New England colonies | AP US History | Khan Academy

Summary

This video explores the founding myths of the United States, contrasting the Pilgrims' search for religious freedom at Plymouth Rock with the profit-driven adventurers at Jamestown. It delves into the Puritans' quest to purify the Church of England, leading to the establishment of Massachusetts Bay. The video highlights the differences and similarities between the settlers of New England and Virginia, the impact of the environment on their societies, and the strict religious and social norms that shaped early American culture.

Takeaways

• 📜 The founding stories of the United States vary by region, with Pennsylvanians often hearing about the Pilgrims' religious quest at Plymouth Rock, while Virginians learn about the profit-driven adventurers at Jamestown.
• 🏰 Jamestown was established in 1607, predating the Pilgrims' arrival at Plymouth Rock in 1620, and the larger Puritan migration to Massachusetts Bay in 1630.
• 🧙‍♂️ Puritans, distinct from Pilgrims, sought to 'purify' the Church of England from Catholic influences, aiming for a simpler, Bible-focused worship.
• 🚢 The Pilgrims, a smaller group of separatists, intended to start anew in Virginia but landed in New England, hoping to create a righteous society.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Puritans who followed in the 1630s, totaling around 14,000, were part of the 'Great Migration' and settled in Massachusetts Bay with families, differing from the single men in Virginia.
• 🌳 New England's environment, with colder and rockier land, was healthier but unsuitable for large-scale plantation agriculture like in Virginia.
• 🐟 New England's economy was based on family farming, fishing, and trading due to the coastal location and the inability to grow cash crops like tobacco.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The society in New England was more egalitarian with fewer extremes of wealth and poverty, and a more balanced gender ratio due to family-based migration.
• 📚 New England had one of the highest literacy rates globally, driven by the Puritans' emphasis on reading the Bible.
• ❄️ Life in New England was strict under the Congregational Church, with little tolerance for dissent, leading to expulsions and executions of those who disagreed.
• 🏛️ John Winthrop envisioned Massachusetts Bay as a 'city upon a hill,' a model for a righteous society that would inspire England, though this did not come to pass.

Q & A

What were the two different founding stories of the United States mentioned in the script?

The two different founding stories mentioned are the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock in search of religious freedom and the establishment of Jamestown by adventurers seeking gold and glory.

Why did the Puritans believe the Church of England was too similar to the Catholic Church?

The Puritans thought the Church of England was too similar to the Catholic Church because it retained many Catholic rituals and pomp, and they felt there was not enough focus on the Bible itself.

What was the main difference between the Pilgrims and the Puritans who migrated to the New World?

The main difference was that the Pilgrims were separatists who wanted to completely separate from the Church of England, while the Puritans wanted to purify the Church from within and hoped to set an example that would influence England.

Why did the English government persecute the Puritans?

The English government persecuted the Puritans because there was no separation of church and state, and as the king was the head of the church, criticism of the church was seen as criticism of the king.

What was the significance of the year 1630 in the context of the script?

In 1630, a larger group of Puritans landed at Boston and founded the Massachusetts Bay colony, which was part of the Great Migration of about 14,000 Puritans to New England.

How did the environment of New England affect the type of industry and society that developed there?

The colder and rockier environment of New England made it unsuitable for large-scale plantation agriculture like in Virginia, leading to a focus on family farming, fishing, and trading. This, along with the Puritan values, resulted in a more egalitarian society.

What was John Winthrop's vision for Massachusetts Bay?

John Winthrop envisioned Massachusetts Bay as a 'city upon a hill,' a beacon of light that would show the world what a good society could be like, based on Puritan values.

Why did the New England colonies not have a large number of indentured servants or enslaved Africans?

New England colonies did not have a large number of indentured servants or enslaved Africans because the economy was based on small-scale family farming, which relied on family labor rather than large workforces.

What was the impact of the Puritan emphasis on reading the Bible on literacy rates in New England?

The Puritan emphasis on reading the Bible led to one of the highest rates of literacy in the world at that time in New England.

How did the strictness of the Congregational Church affect life in New England?

The strictness of the Congregational Church led to the cancellation of holidays like Christmas and intolerance towards dissenters, resulting in expulsions or executions for those who disagreed with Puritan theology or leadership.

What was the fate of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, who were expelled from Massachusetts Bay?

Roger Williams was expelled for questioning the Puritans' treatment of Native Americans and went on to found Rhode Island. Anne Hutchinson was expelled for preaching the Bible as a woman and also contributed to the establishment of Rhode Island as a haven for religious dissenters.

Outlines

00:00

🏰 Founding Myths and Puritan Origins

The paragraph discusses the differing narratives of the United States' founding depending on regional perspectives. The instructor's personal experience in Pennsylvania contrasts with those from Virginia, highlighting the Pilgrims' search for religious freedom at Plymouth Rock versus the profit-driven adventurers at Jamestown. The video aims to explore the New England colonies, focusing on the Pilgrims and Puritans, and their distinct yet parallel experiences and motivations. It sets the stage for understanding the early settlers' reasons for migration, their religious backgrounds, and the establishment of colonies like Massachusetts Bay. The Puritans' desire to purify the Church of England and their eventual emigration due to persecution is also detailed, along with the timeline of early American settlements.

05:00

🚢 Distinctions Between Pilgrims and Puritans

This section delves into the differences between the Pilgrims, who were separatists seeking complete independence from the Church of England, and the Puritans, who aimed to reform it from within. The Pilgrims' small, family-based settlement at Plymouth is contrasted with the larger, more structured Puritan migration to Massachusetts Bay. The Puritans' vision, as exemplified by John Winthrop's 'city upon a hill' metaphor, is explored, highlighting their goal to set an example for a righteous society. The paragraph also discusses the environmental and social conditions in New England, which influenced the region's economic activities and social structure, leading to a more egalitarian society compared to Virginia. The influence of the Puritans on American culture and the challenges of life in New England, particularly regarding religious strictness and intolerance, are also covered.

10:02

⛪ Life and Challenges in New England

The final paragraph examines the strict religious environment of New England, where the Puritans' Congregational Church imposed significant restrictions on social life, including the cancellation of Christmas. It contrasts the Puritans' own experiences of intolerance in England with their own intolerance towards dissenters, leading to expulsions like that of Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson. The paragraph concludes by setting up the next video's exploration of New England's political life and its interactions with Native Americans, hinting at the complex and often harsh realities of early American settlements.

Keywords

💡Pilgrims

The Pilgrims were a group of English Puritans who separated from the Church of England and sought religious freedom in the New World. They are known for their historic voyage on the Mayflower and their landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620. In the video, the Pilgrims represent the early settlers who were primarily motivated by religious reasons rather than economic gain, contrasting with the settlers of Jamestown.

💡Puritans

Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to 'purify' the Church of England from its remaining Roman Catholic practices. They believed in a simpler, more 'pure' form of worship focused on the Bible. The video explains that unlike the Pilgrims, who were separatists, the Puritans who arrived later in the 1630s wanted to reform the Church of England and serve as an example for it to follow.

💡Jamestown

Jamestown, founded in 1607, was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was established by a group of men seeking gold and glory rather than religious freedom. The video contrasts the motivations of the Jamestown settlers with those of the Pilgrims and Puritans, highlighting the diverse reasons for European settlement in the New World.

💡Massachusetts Bay

Massachusetts Bay was a colony established by Puritans in 1630, led by John Winthrop. It was part of a larger migration of Puritans to New England, which became known as the Great Migration. The video describes how this colony was intended to be a 'city upon a hill,' a moral example for the rest of the world, reflecting the Puritans' desire to create a righteous society.

💡Great Migration

The Great Migration refers to the large-scale movement of around 20,000 Puritans from England to New England, primarily to Massachusetts Bay, between 1620 and 1640. This migration is highlighted in the video as a significant event that shaped the demographic and cultural landscape of New England, distinguishing it from other colonies like Virginia.

💡Separatists

Separatists were a subgroup of Puritans who believed the Church of England was beyond redemption and chose to separate from it entirely. The Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 were Separatists. The video explains that their decision to separate was due to their belief that the Church of England was too corrupt to be reformed.

💡Congregational Church

The Congregational Church was a form of Protestantism practiced by the Puritans in New England, characterized by self-governing local congregations. The video discusses how the strictness of the Congregational Church influenced the social and religious life in New England, including the expulsion of dissenters like Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson.

💡Cotton Mather

Cotton Mather was a prominent Puritan minister and a significant figure in the religious and intellectual life of colonial New England. The video mentions him as an example of the influential religious leaders among the Puritans, highlighting the Mather family's enduring theological legacy in Massachusetts.

💡John Winthrop

John Winthrop was a lawyer and a leader of the Puritans who became the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony. The video emphasizes his vision for the colony as a 'city upon a hill,' symbolizing the Puritans' aspiration to create a model society that would inspire others.

💡Egalitarian

The term 'egalitarian' refers to a social, political, or economic system that emphasizes equality among all people. The video describes New England society as relatively egalitarian due to the absence of large plantations and the presence of small family farms, which meant fewer wealthy landowners and enslaved people compared to Virginia.

Highlights

The founding mythology of the United States has different narratives depending on the region.

In Pennsylvania, the story of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock is prevalent.

The Pilgrims were a group of religious people seeking freedom from persecution in England.

In Virginia, the story of Jamestown's founding by adventurers seeking gold and glory is common.

Jamestown was founded in 1607, predating the Pilgrims' landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620.

Puritans began to emigrate to the New World in the 1620s due to increasing persecution in England.

Puritans believed the Church of England was too similar to the Catholic Church and sought to purify it.

The Pilgrims, a subset of Puritans, were separatists who wanted to completely separate from the Church of England.

The Puritans who arrived in 1630 aimed to set an example of a righteous society to influence England.

John Winthrop, a Puritan leader, envisioned Massachusetts Bay as a 'city upon a hill'.

New England's environment was colder and rockier, leading to a focus on family farming, fishing, and trading.

New England society was more egalitarian compared to Virginia, with fewer wealthy landowners and indentured servants.

Puritans' strict religious beliefs led to high literacy rates but also intolerance of dissent.

Christmas was canceled by Puritans, and dissenters faced expulsion or execution.

Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson were expelled from Massachusetts Bay for religious dissent.

The video will continue exploring New England's politics and policies toward Native Americans in the next installment.

Transcripts

- [Instructor] Depending on where you grow up

in the United States, you might hear a different story

about the founding of this country.

Now, I grew up in Pennsylvania

and the story that I heard was about

the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock.

They were a group of deeply religious people,

who had been persecuted in England

and were looking for a new world,

where they could practice their religion freely,

but many of my friends grew up in Virginia

and the story they heard

was about the founding of Jamestown,

where a group of men from England,

who were adventurers looking for gold and glory,

landed in the New World, hoping to make a profit.

And I think both of these stories tells us a little bit

about the founding mythology of the United States.

Were the original settlers here

looking for religious freedom

or were they here looking to make a quick buck?

Well, in this video I'd like to take some time

to explore the New England colonies,

the story of the people who landed at Plymouth Rock

and then later, at Boston, to begin the colony

of Massachusetts Bay and we'll see as we go along,

just how different the settlers in Massachusetts Bay were

from those at Jamestown and also some of the ways

in which they were quite similar.

Now, there's no question about who got here first.

As you can see, Jamestown was founded in 1607,

but it wasn't too much later that the Pilgrims landed

at Plymouth Rock in 1620, and then they were followed

by a much larger group of Puritans,

who landed at Boston and founded Massachusetts Bay in 1630.

So let's talk about Puritans.

So who or what was a Puritan?

This is an image of Cotton Mather,

he was a prominent Puritan minister,

fact the Mather family will go on to be one

of the great theological families of Massachusetts.

Puritans started in England and their main concern

was that they believed the Church of England,

the Anglican Church, was too much like the Catholic Church

and this is a fairly legitimate criticism,

because in many ways, the Anglican Church

was very similar to the Catholic Church,

except that instead of being headed by the Pope,

the Church of England was led by the king.

So Puritans hoped that they could purify

the Church of England from its many Catholic influences.

So that's where Puritan comes from, purify,

and by this, they meant that there were too many rituals,

too much pomp and circumstance,

and not enough focus on the Bible itself.

So they kind of wanted to strip away

a lot of the fanciness of the Church of England.

In the 1620s, the Puritans began to face

more persecution in England.

Now, why did the English government care

about a group of religious folks

who were not big fans of the Church of England?

Well the answer is, that there was no separation

of church and state and so as the king

was the head of the church, if you're casting doubt

on the church, you are then casting doubt on the king

and so the Puritans did not make themselves

very popular in England and sensing

that they might be in trouble,

many Puritans began to emigrate to the new world.

They'd seen lots of tracts about Virginia

and how one could make a new life there

and they thought that perhaps,

if they went to Virginia and they were originally aiming

to go to Virginia, they ended up landing

a bit north of there, that they could set an example

of what a righteous church and a righteous society

would look like, because they believed that the church

and the society of England were becoming much too corrupt,

much too divorced from the principles of the Bible.

So in 1620, one group of Puritans

set out for the new world and landed at Plymouth Rock

and we call them the Pilgrims,

and then in 1630, a second group set out

and they were just Puritans more broadly.

And over the course of the 1630s,

about 14,000 Puritans emigrated from England

to New England, Massachusetts Bay,

in what's called the great migration.

So what was the difference between these two groups,

The Pilgrims and the Puritans?

Well, the Pilgrims who arrived in 1620,

they were separatists and what that means

is that they thought that the Church of England

was so corrupt that there was just no chance

that they were going to be able to save it.

So they wanted to separate from that church altogether

and live a completely separate life at Plymouth.

They had a pretty small settlement,

about a hundred people crossed over on the Mayflower,

the ship that brought them to the New World,

but the group that came over in 1630,

the Puritans, they did not want to separate

from the Church of England altogether.

They wanted to purify it and they hoped

that by setting an example of a righteous society,

they would actually convince people back in England

to adopt their ways, invite them back,

and that all of England could become like New England.

This man here is John Winthrop

and he was a lawyer who became a leader of the Puritans,

he was elected governor pretty much for his entire life

and he wrote that he wanted Massachusetts Bay

to be like a city upon a hill

and be a kind of a beacon of light,

showing the world what a good society could be like.

Now, obviously the New England Puritans

did not get their way, they were not invited back

to England to become the model of English society,

but they did become the model of society

in Massachusetts Bay and New England, more generally,

and I think a strong influence

on American culture, writ large.

So how did life in New England

compare to life in Virginia?

Well, a lot depended on the different environment

of the colony and the reasons

that migrants came to New England.

Because the environment of New England

was colder, the land was rockier,

it was both a healthier place to live,

because tropical diseases couldn't flourish there

the way that they could in the marshy areas of Virginia

and it was also the unsuitable place

for large-scale plantation agriculture.

So they couldn't grow the kinds of crops

that Virginia grew, like tobacco

or even sugar in the West Indies.

So that meant that in New England,

most of the industry was either family farming

and fishing and also some trading,

since they were on the coast.

And because most Puritans came over to help build

this city upon a hill, they came in family units,

not as single men, like in Virginia,

so there was a much more even ratio of men to women.

The families that came over tended to be well-off enough

to pay their own passage across the Atlantic,

tended to be kind of middle-class, artisan types

and so New England didn't have the kind of influx

of indentured servants that Virginia had,

nor did it have an influx of enslaved Africans

as laborers, because most New Englanders

were farmers and they were small farmers,

so they relied on their own family as labor.

So a major consequence of these motivations

for emigrating and this environment,

was that New England society was relatively egalitarian.

There were very few very wealthy landowners,

like there were in Virginia,

and very few people who were completely at the bottom,

like servants and enslaved people.

People who lived in Virginia had a life expectancy

of up to 70 years, which was one of the highest

life expectancies in the world at this time

and because reading the Bible so important

to the Puritans, New England also had one

of the highest rates of literacy in the world at this time,

but for all of these positives,

there were plenty of reasons why living in New England

wasn't so much fun.

Most of them related to the strictness

of the Congregational Church.

Puritans canceled Christmas,

that they thought was too much of a pagan ritual

and though you would think that their own experience

of religious intolerance in England

would have led them to be more tolerant

to dissidents, that was not the case.

Anyone who disagreed with a Puritan theology

or leadership, was given the option

to go somewhere else or be executed.

For example, Roger Williams, who questioned

the Puritans' actions toward Native Americans

was expelled from Massachusetts Bay in 1636

and he went on to found the colony of Rhode Island,

where religious dissenters could find a place of refuge

from Massachusetts Bay, just as the people

of Massachusetts Bay had found refuge from England.

One of these was a woman named Anne Hutchinson,

who in 1637, was expelled from Massachusetts Bay

for daring to be a woman who preached the Bible.

So in this video, I've explored some of the background

to Puritans and Pilgrims and aspects

of New England society and religion.

In the next video, we'll continue our exploration

of New England's life through its politics

and policies toward Native Americans.