New England: New England: Moral AthletesMoral Athletes

• (’74) Puritanism bore within itself the seeds of (’74) Puritanism bore within itself the seeds of its own destruction. Apply this generalization. its own destruction. Apply this generalization.

• (’83) In the seventeenth century, New (’83) In the seventeenth century, New England Puritans tried to create a model England Puritans tried to create a model society. What were their aspirations, and to society. What were their aspirations, and to what extent were those aspirations fulfilled what extent were those aspirations fulfilled during the seventeenth century? during the seventeenth century?

• (’81) To what extent and why did religious (’81) To what extent and why did religious toleration increase in the American colonies toleration increase in the American colonies during the seventeenth and eighteenth during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries? Answer with reference to three centuries? Answer with reference to three individuals, events, or movements in individuals, events, or movements in American religion during the seventeenth and American religion during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. eighteenth centuries.

• (’98) Analyze the extent to which religious (’98) Analyze the extent to which religious freedom existed in the British North freedom existed in the British North American colonies prior to 1700. American colonies prior to 1700.

I. The Rise of PuritanismI. The Rise of Puritanism

A. True ChristiansA. True Christians• Although Henry VIII broke w/Catholics Although Henry VIII broke w/Catholics

over divorce and remarriage (Anne over divorce and remarriage (Anne Bolyn, etc.) and formed Bolyn, etc.) and formed Church of Church of EnglandEngland ( (Anglican ChurchAnglican Church), kept ), kept ceremonies of Catholicismceremonies of Catholicism

• Elizabeth I balanced tradition with Elizabeth I balanced tradition with ReformationReformation unifies people around unifies people around moderate Protestantismmoderate Protestantism

• ““True ChristiansTrue Christians” (Puritans by ” (Puritans by enemies): extreme Protestants who enemies): extreme Protestants who considered C of E too Catholicconsidered C of E too Catholic

• CalvinistsCalvinists: believe in : believe in predestinationpredestination: fate (damned or : fate (damned or electelect//saintsaint) already determined by ) already determined by God, God, cannot cannot change His mind change His mind through good works (unlike through good works (unlike Catholics, Arminians, Methodists)Catholics, Arminians, Methodists)

B. Moral AthletesB. Moral Athletes

• Terrible burden: am I elect?Terrible burden: am I elect?• SanctificationSanctification: ease anxiety by acting : ease anxiety by acting as if as if

one of the electone of the elect “moral athletes” “moral athletes”• Calvinism a source of spiritual activity not Calvinism a source of spiritual activity not

passivitypassivity

C. Puritanical Puritans?C. Puritanical Puritans?

• Social critic H.L. Mencken: Social critic H.L. Mencken: “haunting fear that someone, “haunting fear that someone, somewhere is happy”somewhere is happy”

• Puritans believed things of the world Puritans believed things of the world created by God in order to be created by God in order to be enjoyed: sin lies in the enjoyed: sin lies in the abuseabuse of of worldly thingsworldly things– Enjoy alcohol, condemn drunkardsEnjoy alcohol, condemn drunkards– Enjoy sex, condemn adulteryEnjoy sex, condemn adultery

II. “A Citie on a Hill”: The II. “A Citie on a Hill”: The Puritan Social VisionPuritan Social Vision

A. The End is NearA. The End is Near• Took more than spiritual anxiety Took more than spiritual anxiety

to found colony, took a social to found colony, took a social visionvision

• Believed Old England in Believed Old England in imminentimminent danger of God’s wrath danger of God’s wrath (Old Testament-style smiting)(Old Testament-style smiting)

• England had failed to keep the England had failed to keep the national covenant:national covenant: agreement agreement w/God: if keptw/God: if kept prosperity and prosperity and peace; if brokenpeace; if broken death and death and destructiondestruction

““World of Wonders”World of Wonders”

• David HallDavid Hall• God acts in this worldGod acts in this world

– Lightning, earthquakes, birth defects, Lightning, earthquakes, birth defects, etc.etc.

• TheodicyTheodicy– 9/11 (Jerry Falwell); Katrina9/11 (Jerry Falwell); Katrina

B. “A Model of Christian B. “A Model of Christian Charity”Charity”• March 1630: Fleet leaves March 1630: Fleet leaves

England under joint stock England under joint stock Massachusetts Bay CompanyMassachusetts Bay Company (more important than Plymouth (more important than Plymouth and Pilgrims)and Pilgrims)

• Aboard the ship Aboard the ship ArabellaArabella, , John John WinthropWinthrop gives a lay sermon gives a lay sermon—“A Model of Christian —“A Model of Christian Charity”—laying out the Puritan Charity”—laying out the Puritan social vision for the “New social vision for the “New Jerusalem” in America (Doc Jerusalem” in America (Doc A)A)

• Puritans would keep Puritans would keep the covenant with God, the covenant with God, would prosper, would would prosper, would set example for the set example for the worldworld

• Last, best hope for Last, best hope for mankind (falling under mankind (falling under power of anti-Christ power of anti-Christ Pope)Pope)

• ““Christian Charity”: love in actionChristian Charity”: love in action• ““City”: Christian living is City”: Christian living is communalcommunal

living: fallen live for themselves, living: fallen live for themselves, elect live for Christian loveelect live for Christian love

SocialistSocialist vision: excess profits vision: excess profits should be given up to support those should be given up to support those in needin need– Wage and price controls (Doc E)Wage and price controls (Doc E)

III. New England Town Life III. New England Town Life and Christian Watchfulnessand Christian Watchfulness

A. Transplanted TownsA. Transplanted Towns• Winthrop’s sermon a literal statement of Winthrop’s sermon a literal statement of

how colony should behow colony should be formation of towns formation of towns• Emigrants (often entire Emigrants (often entire congregationscongregations) )

would request land grant from would request land grant from General General CourtCourt in order to establish a town (unlike in order to establish a town (unlike headright system in VA)headright system in VA)– Sometimes entire towns would pick up and Sometimes entire towns would pick up and

move together to New England (and keep their move together to New England (and keep their hometowns name: Plymouthhometowns name: Plymouth Plymouth; New Plymouth; New London, etc.)London, etc.)

– (Doc B + D)(Doc B + D)

• First structure was the First structure was the meetinghousemeetinghouse (even before planted (even before planted fields)fields)

• Towns physically tight knitTowns physically tight knitMeetinghouse

• Practiced Practiced diversified diversified farmingfarming on the English on the English model: wheat, rye, maizemodel: wheat, rye, maize

• Towns an Towns an extended extended kinship networkkinship network: people : people knew each other’s knew each other’s businessbusiness– Primary sources, esp. Primary sources, esp.

adultery cases, reveal how adultery cases, reveal how much neighbors knew; much neighbors knew; gossip rampantgossip rampant

– The Onion

B. Christian B. Christian WatchfulnessWatchfulness

• Seen as positive value: Seen as positive value: Christian Christian WatchfulnessWatchfulness

• Puritans had not only the right but the Puritans had not only the right but the obligationobligation to watch over each other to watch over each other and admonish wrong actionand admonish wrong action– Those who did not inform on criminals Those who did not inform on criminals

would be charged as accessorieswould be charged as accessories• Certain officials (constables, night Certain officials (constables, night

watchmen, tithing men—supervised 10 watchmen, tithing men—supervised 10 families) elected/appointed to watch, families) elected/appointed to watch, could enter any home they wishedcould enter any home they wished

Why?Why?• Social covenantSocial covenant: : allall must live w/in God’s must live w/in God’s

law or law or allall punished punished– Used to explain warfare with Indians (esp. Used to explain warfare with Indians (esp. King King

Philip’s WarPhilip’s War), deformed births, bad harvests, ), deformed births, bad harvests, etc.etc.

Shows: 1) did Shows: 1) did notnot literally establish social literally establish social utopia but 2) did represent attempt + utopia but 2) did represent attempt + established means to control sin (Doc E)established means to control sin (Doc E)

1662: Half-Way Covenant: non-baptized, non-1662: Half-Way Covenant: non-baptized, non-converted could partake of partial services converted could partake of partial services (no communion, no voting)(no communion, no voting)

Arminianism: covenant of works (Salem Arminianism: covenant of works (Salem Town); 1686 Dominion of New England; Town); 1686 Dominion of New England; 1689 Act of Toleration 1689 Act of Toleration

C. King Philip’s WarC. King Philip’s War• King Philip’s WarKing Philip’s War (1675-76): (1675-76):

under pressure from colonial under pressure from colonial land expansion, Indian land expansion, Indian population decline, a falling population decline, a falling away from Indian traditions away from Indian traditions (John Eliot’s (John Eliot’s Praying Praying IndiansIndians)) Indian leader Indian leader Metacomet Metacomet (King Philip) leads (King Philip) leads pan-Indianpan-Indian movement against movement against EnglishEnglish– Jill Lepore: caused by fear of Jill Lepore: caused by fear of

Middle Ground cultural loss on Middle Ground cultural loss on both sidesboth sides

• Attack over 1/2 all Attack over 1/2 all Massachusetts towns, Massachusetts towns, destroyed 13destroyed 13

• Disease, food shortage, inter-tribal Disease, food shortage, inter-tribal division, Metacomet’s deathdivision, Metacomet’s death collapse Indian resistancecollapse Indian resistance

• 10% Mass. men capture/killed (in 10% Mass. men capture/killed (in proportion to population, most costly proportion to population, most costly war in all of American history)war in all of American history)

• Almost entire generation of Indians Almost entire generation of Indians killedkilled

• Outcomes: 1) destroyed Indian Outcomes: 1) destroyed Indian resistance to expansion, 2) resistance to expansion, 2) racialization of Indians: conversion racialization of Indians: conversion no longer made Indians equals (1/3 no longer made Indians equals (1/3 Praying Indians joined Philip; many Praying Indians joined Philip; many sold into slavery in Mass or sold into slavery in Mass or Caribbean), 3) strengthens Puritan Caribbean), 3) strengthens Puritan declensiondeclension narrative (falling away) narrative (falling away) and and jeremiads jeremiads (righteous prophecy (righteous prophecy of doom)of doom)– Perry Miller: jeremiads evidence of Perry Miller: jeremiads evidence of

NOT falling awayNOT falling away

IV. Little Commonwealths: IV. Little Commonwealths: Puritan Family LifePuritan Family Life

• Families were the single most Families were the single most important social institution in New important social institution in New England (as opposed to indenture)England (as opposed to indenture)

• Puritans migrated largely as families Puritans migrated largely as families and communities (VA as individual and communities (VA as individual men)men)

• ““Little Little CommonwealthCommonwealth”: ”: little state in and of little state in and of itself, the basis for itself, the basis for the social orderthe social order

• Key to order: Key to order: subordinationsubordination to to family authority: family authority: wife to husband, wife to husband, children to parents, children to parents, servants to mastersservants to masters– ““Hiving out”Hiving out”

• Family ties grew Family ties grew strongerstronger in NE in NE than OEthan OE

• NE mortality rates low, sex ratio NE mortality rates low, sex ratio more equal (still more men than more equal (still more men than women), marriage universal, divorce women), marriage universal, divorce infrequent, more childreninfrequent, more children

V. English Cultural V. English Cultural Persistence: New England Persistence: New England

vs. Chesapeakevs. Chesapeake• History of early VA: social disorder History of early VA: social disorder

+ cultural disintegration+ cultural disintegration• History of early NE: social order + History of early NE: social order +

cultural persistencecultural persistence

ChesapeakeChesapeake New EnglandNew England

Emigrate as Emigrate as individuals, individuals, dispersed dispersed plantations, slipshod plantations, slipshod houses, slow to form houses, slow to form familiesfamilies

Emigrate as Emigrate as families/communitiesfamilies/communities, settled towns, fine , settled towns, fine homeshomes

New cash crop + New cash crop + agricultural system agricultural system (market based (market based plantation ag.)plantation ag.)

Primarily traditional Primarily traditional English crops and English crops and practices (crop practices (crop rotation)rotation)

IndividualisticIndividualistic CommunalCommunal

• New Englanders were establishing a New Englanders were establishing a moremore traditional society than England itselftraditional society than England itself

• Virginians were trying to remake Virginians were trying to remake themselves, to rise up the social ladder themselves, to rise up the social ladder (although the hierarchy they created (although the hierarchy they created would resemble that in England)would resemble that in England)

Where did America begin, New England or Where did America begin, New England or Virginia?Virginia?

Theoretical Overviews of Theoretical Overviews of American HistoryAmerican History

• Progressives (Charles Beard) vs. Progressives (Charles Beard) vs. Consensus School (Richard Hofstadter)Consensus School (Richard Hofstadter)

• Germ theory vs. American Germ theory vs. American exceptionalismexceptionalism– Classical Republicanism (Gordon Wood) vs. Classical Republicanism (Gordon Wood) vs.

Frontier thesis (Frederick Jackson Turner) Frontier thesis (Frederick Jackson Turner) vs. Slavery (Edmund Morgan)vs. Slavery (Edmund Morgan)

• Frontier thesis vs. Middle Frontier thesis vs. Middle Ground/Borderlands (Richard Ground/Borderlands (Richard White/Patricia Limerick)White/Patricia Limerick)

• Marxists vs. Intellectual historians Marxists vs. Intellectual historians vs. Social historians vs. vs. Social historians vs. Microhistorians vs. FeministsMicrohistorians vs. Feminists