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Comparison of Two Colonies

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Comparison Of Two Colonies

North American history was believed to have started in 1620 with the discovery of Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. Seeking religious freedom from the corrupt Church of England, some 100 people departed on a journey from England to find a place where they could practice their beliefs of Calvinism and Lutheranism free from persecution2. They later formed denominations of Christianity called Separatism and Puritanism3. Although, these pilgrims established 13 original colonies in North America, the settlements of Virginia and Massachusetts show some striking similarities and differences. On one hand, religion as the major motivation, and on the other hand a financial venture sponsored by the queen.

Massachusetts was given its name from a man named John Smith, an English explorer and was named after the native Massachusetts tribe that resided in the area. Other native tribes in the area were the Nauset, a fishing tribe located on Cape Cod; the Wampanoag in the southeast; the Massachusetts in the northeast; the Nipmuc, centrally; and the Pocumtuc, westward. Without their knowledge, Permanent English settlement would soon drastically impact the lives of the native peoples2.

In 1630, Massachusetts Bay Colony was developed and occupied about 1,000 citizens. John Winthrop, the chief figure of the New England Puritans, gave a sermon called “A Model of Christian Charity,” suggesting ideas that the people should find a sense of community with God and one and other, and divinely build a city on a hill as their next course of action. Many people saw Winthrop as a father figure in New England as well as a social reformist and visionary, as he was elected 12 times to be governor3. Church and religion were a major part of the settlers’ everyday lives. Predestination and morality are what was actively preached. They believed if certain things weren’t practiced, the whole community would feel the wrath of God3.

Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson were also prominent figures in the development of religion in Massachusetts3. Williams was a Puritan minister who founded a colony in Rhode Island. His views and beliefs in separation of church and state conflicted with the strong religious and traditional values of Massachusetts; therefore he was banished from the town. Hutchinson was a midwife and nurse who proclaimed that she had the ability to speak with God directly. Like Williams, she was also fault-finding of the Puritan way and was forced to leave. Williams and Hutchinson both were influential enough to have followers into Rhode Island3.

One historical phenomenon in this era was the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 where 19 men and women were hanged from accusation of bewitchment4. Anyone thought to be of demonic possession, even the mentally ill, were tried by judicial means and if found guilty, were hanged for the townspeople to see. The people of Massachusetts were so strong rooted in their Puritan beliefs that they believed this was the only course of action to rid of these evils to protect the town and its people4.

An establishment of a true government did not come until 1776 when the colonies declared independence from England but during the 1600s, government in came in the form of theocracy and self-government5. Mercantilism was the means operation for the colonies as these they were only built to make England much wealthier. Each of the original 13 colonies had a charter, or a written agreement between the colony and the English Parliament5. This meant that even though the Puritans left England, England still had some control over them. Only males who owned property were allowed to vote but governors were chosen by the king. England controlled trade and taxation but soon faced problems with colonists smuggling and trading goods behind its mother country’s back5.

Religion was such a major part of Massachusetts during this time that it was even integrated into the legal system. The governors and authority figures did not believe in separation of church and state so majority of the laws were based on their religious beliefs6. For example, the Massachusetts Education of Law 1642 stated that all citizens must attend Puritan church services. The legal system could be comparable to that of a monarchial system. There was no room for debating or input of ideas. What laws were enforced upon the public had to be followed or serious consequences would follow6. On the “Instruction for the Punishment of Incorrigible Children in Massachusetts,” the colony declared that if any child above 16 years of age were to disrespect their parents by stubbornness and acts of rebellion, he or she would be put to death6.

Religion and politics helped to develop the social aspect of Massachusetts Bay Colony. There were many social constraints from appropriate dress to consumption of alcohol. All colonists were expected to carry a godly and holy demeanor and were held to high social standards3. Different occupations included fishermen, shipbuilding, hunting, lumberjack, and special skills and trades like blacksmith or seamstress. The social structure of the colony included the upper class, which consisted of the clergy, professors, and men of distinguished professions; the middle class, which had most of the colonists, especially traders, shopkeepers, and farmers; and the lower class who fell to some type of enslavement5.

Although the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, their intention was actually to find Virginia1. After settlers finally arrived in Jamestown which was named after King James of England, religious, political, and social developments created a new history. Unlike the people of Massachusetts, Virginians started to practice Anglicanism and they did not believe in a central church authority7. There was also a little more religious tolerance in this town as Anglicans allowed for other practices of Christianity and there was peaceful religious diversification. However, they did not find peace with spiritual practices of African-Americans and Native Americans. Ministers and church people failed to convert the non-believers in the beginning but and chose to ignore, instead of persecuting them7. Faith was more of a family affair and private matters were sermons were discussed within the family group. Virginians had a moderate faith overall and church was more of a social gathering7. This religious lifestyle was much different than the strict views of the Massachusetts townspeople.

The colonial period in Virginia had its origin at Jamestown in 1607, and was founded by the Virginia Company of London. The Virginia Company of London was a group of investors who hoped to profit from the new environment. In 1609, a second royal charter arrived in order to provide ultimate political control from the crown. Virginias first two governors were Thomas West and Baron De La Warr, who achieved a strict set of rules. As a royal colony, Virginias politics operated as a "semi-military dictatorship“ in the fact that governors were elected by the crown.

To sum up, the colonies of Massachusetts and Virginia had their major difference in the sense of religion on one hand, and financial motivation on the other. Massachusetts was a charter colony, and therefore, able to determine their own governor. However, Virginia was much more under the influence of the queen, who took care of appointing a governor herself. These two english colonies are a good examples of how different people were thinking at that time. At one colony, religion is set by law and if you do not belief or behave in the same way you are punished to death. On the other side, Virginia handled the religion aspect much different. As an international student from Germany, I learned a lot about american and european history throughout this essay. It is interesting to see how America developed and what it became after its revolutionary war.

Works Cited

[1] Wolfe, Brendan, ed. Encyclopedia Virginia. 2012. s.v. "Colonial Virgina." http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Colonial_Virginia (accessed October 19, 2013).

[2] History.com, "The Pilgrims." Accessed October 19, 2013. http://www.history.com/topics/pilgrims.

[3] Andy, Crown. "Religious Tolerance in Colonial Massachusetts." Accessed October 19, 2013. http://www.andycrown.net/religious_tolerance.htm.

[4] Salem Witch Museum, "Salem's Most Visited Museum." Last modified 2012. Accessed October 19, 2013. http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/education/.

[5] American Government. Philadelphia: 2008. s.v. "The Colonial Experience."

[6] QuaQua, "Massachusetts Bay Colony." Accessed October 19, 2013. http://www.quaqua.org/pilgrim.htm.

[7] The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. 2013. s.v. "Colonial Williamsburg." http://www.history.org/almanack/life/religion/religionva.cfm (accessed October 19, 2013).

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