New England Colonies

New England Colonies Religion

The religious foundation of New England came from deeply rooted Puritan morals and ideology. Puritans started in England, where their main concerns revolved around church leadership and worship services in the Church of England. They believed that there was too much pomp and circumstance in the worship practices of the state church. They wanted to strip away the extra and unnecessary rituals and get back to the core of their beliefs. In England, if a group was against the Church of England, the group was also against the King, who brought unwanted attention to the group. In response, the first group of Puritans (the Pilgrims) would flee to the Netherlands then begin to emigrate to North America.

Puritans followed the teachings of John Calvin, a theologian who preached predestination. This idea claims that God has selected (predestined) certain people to go to heaven. Calvin’s theological ideology went directly against the Church of England. Nevertheless, the firm belief in Calvinism coupled with religious freedom pushed Puritans to settle in the New England area. The Puritans disagreed with the reformation of the church and sought to “purify” it. Religion was a motivating factor for the Puritans to come to the New England area. The group would integrate their religious beliefs and values into all aspects of colonial life.

Main Religious Differences between Pilgrims and Puritans

Religion in Plymouth- First Puritan colony:

Embarkation of the Pilgrims 1857 by Robert Walter Weir. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

In the 1620s, a small cross-section of Puritans, known as Pilgrims, set out for the new world and settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Pilgrims were the first Puritans to settle in the colonies permanently. Being separatists, they believed in the complete separation of church and state. Becoming discouraged with the King and the church, Pilgrims wanted to move to the new world to distance themselves from religious persecution. The group spent a short time in the Dutch Republic to escape religious persecution. Then, in 1620, they set sail for the new world and ultimately landed at Plymouth near Provincetown. The first governor of Plymouth, William Bradford, and other separatists presented a direct challenge to unifying the English church. However, when thousands of non-separatist Puritans arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Pilgrims welcomed them, and the colonies worked together in unison.

Religion in Massachusetts Bay Colony:

Portrait of Puritans going to church. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

In the 1630s, a larger group of Puritans, roughly 14,000, arrived in the New England area. This larger group of non-separatist Puritans had temporarily stayed in England with the hopes of changing the state church. However, with anti-Puritan pressure coming from the crown, the group realized that they could not stay in England. In 1629 the group acquired a royal charter from King Charles I to form the Massachusetts Bay Colony which was intended to be an economic venture. However, this non-separatist group of Puritans also sought religious refuge in New England.

John Winthrop, who would become the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, wanted the settlement to be a shining example of Calvinist principles and teachings. Voted in by other stockholders, John Winthrop became the colony's first governor. He had seen the colony as a "city upon a hill," a city that would ultimately spread the gospel and live in religious freedom according to God's will.

Portrait of John Calvin 1550. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

Throughout the colonization of New England, four settlements made up the New England colonies, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. However, many of these settlements were spurred by religious dissent amongst the Puritans. Each of these colonies had founders and leaders, John Winthrop, Roger Williams, Thomas Hooker, and John Mason.

Reasons for the New England Colonies

Seal of the Dominion of New England from 1686-1689 ordered by King James II of England. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain).

Three key concepts generally summarize the reasoning behind English colonization in North America: God, gold, and glory. However, only one of these concepts resonated strongest with Puritans and Pilgrims. Religious freedom became a necessity for both groups as the concern of persecution grew in England. Puritanism escalated tensions within England and would quickly usher Puritans out of England.

The Puritan belief to eradicate or diminish religious festivities and rituals undermined traditional English societal norms and caused a backlash against the Puritans. Eventually, in the early 17th century England banned the preaching of Puritan teachings. The New England area offered a new start for Puritan ideology to spread. However, Puritan leaders felt obligated to ensure that the entire community conformed to the Puritan ideals. Yet, differences in opinion spurred religious dissent that led to the founding of Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Map of Massachusetts Bay and surrounding New England Colonies. Drawn by author.

New England Colony Founders

Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Source: Wikimedia Commons

What was life like in the New England colonies?

• Geography:
  • Bitter cold winters and mild summers
  • The soil was rocky and not made for farming/agriculture
• Daily Life:
  • Early on, the various disease took out nearly half of the Pilgrim population
    • They relied heavily on Native American assistance to survive
  • Young people were expected to work
  • Traditional Gender Roles:
    • Men traditionally worked on farms/businesses
    • Women took on domestic responsibilities like rearing children and making household supplies
  • New England colonies were isolationists- not allowing any outsiders into their religious communities. They believed that allowing outsiders in would ruin their religious control and identity. (However, Pilgrims and Puritans both got along and often worked together.)
• Religion:
  • Religion for both Pilgrims and other Puritans was very strict. All aspects of religious participation adhered to strict Puritan principles.

New England Colonies Facts

Seals and Flag of the New England Colonies. Source: Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

• Settlements that made up the New England colonies were Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

• Puritans/Pilgrims predominantly settled the New England area

• Puritans followed the teachings of John Calvin - they believed in purifying the Church of England

• Pilgrims were separatists meaning that they wanted to completely separate from the Church of England

• Roger Williams was exiled from the Massachusetts colony and went on to found Rhode Island

Summary of the New England Colonies:

The New England colonies consisted of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, primarily settled by religious dissenters known as Puritans. The first permanent Puritan settlement was Plymouth, settled by a group known as Pilgrims (separatists) in the 1620s. Later on, in the 1630s, roughly 14,000 Puritans (non-separatists) arrived and settled in New England. Puritans, as a group, believed that the Church of England needed to be purified or reformed. The New England economy thrived in the maritime industry as seaports became a hub for trade. Finally, each New England settlement had leadership that carried the colonies to new accomplishments and the foundation for future settlers.