What were the priorities of the New England colonies?
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The New England Confederation Transcript During the English Civil War, the Puritans tried to separate from the Church of England. While the English Civil War was going on, the English were going to be distracted, and they wouldn’t be able to pay as much attention to what was going on over in America. The Puritans took this chance to try to assert their independence from the Church of England. They wanted to be separate from the Church of England. They had originally left England so that they could
practice their religion freely without persecution. Now that England was preoccupied, they wanted to assert more separation from England and the Church of England. They issued the Body of Liberties in 1641, which stated that Massachusetts Bay was independent of England and was, therefore, no longer bound by English civil law. They’re asserting their independence from England and their independence from the church. They wrote out the Body of Liberties, which was going to be
their own sort of governmental charter. It was saying that they were independent, and they were no longer bound by English civil law, which meant that the rules that applied in England no longer applied to them, unless they were rules that were also in this Body of Liberties. They weren’t going to be taking orders from England anymore as they had been. They wanted to be independent. The Body of Liberties also said that there could be no arbitrary governors appointed to dissolve local
legislatures and that town meetings of qualified voters would be held to discuss local issues. The Puritans were saying no more governors could be appointed. In the past, England has appointed a governor to the colony and that governor and be the representative from England who would pretty much have the final say on how things went. There may be some kind of council locally that some people could speak in and that would weigh in on decisions, but this governor appointed from England would
have the final say. They said that was no longer going to happen, and instead, they were going to have town meetings of qualified voters to decide on local issues. They were going to meet with qualified individuals, vote, and use that method to determine how things were going to play out locally. They would make their own decisions now instead of listening to England. Later, in 1643, a New England Confederation was formed. In 1641, Massachusetts Bay declared its
independence from England and from the Church of England. Then, in 1643, the New England Confederation was formed. This consisted of Massachusetts Bay, New Plymouth, Connecticut River Valley, and New Haven. These four colonies joined together to form a confederation. This confederation was going to be used to work together as a kind of cooperative government. They were going to work together apart from England. The goals of this confederation were to protect the colonists from the French in Canada and the Indians; to safeguard their commercial interests from the Dutch in New Netherlands, which would later be known as New York; and to return runaway slaves. These colonists joined together primarily for protection. They wanted to make sure that the colonists were all going to be protected from the French and from the Indians and that their commercial interests were going to be protected from the Dutch in New Netherlands, later called New York. They wanted to make sure that runaway slaves were going to be returned and not harbored. No harboring of these fugitive runaway slaves would be allowed. The Confederation was going to work together to accomplish these goals. Now, in actuality, that wasn’t very successful. Everyone didn’t really do their part. They took care of their own colony but didn’t really uphold the promises they made to the Confederation as a whole. The New England Confederation was important because it showed that the colonists could separate from England. They were making that first step toward asserting their independence and saying they weren’t going to be ruled harshly by England. They were going to do their own thing. First, the Puritans in Massachusetts Bay declared their independence and came up with the Body of Liberties. Then, they joined the New England Confederation, which was a group of colonies that were saying “We are going to be separate from England. We want to join together and form a new kind of government.” Even though the New England Confederation wasn’t exactly successful and didn’t follow through on all of its goals, it was an important step toward the colonists asserting their independence from England. 745315 Europe’s period of exploration and colonization was fueled largely by necessity. Europeans had become accustomed to the goods from Asia, such as the silk, spices, and pottery that had for centuries traveled the Silk Road. By the middle of the 16th century, however, this trade was under threat. The rise in power of the Ottoman Turks and the decline of the Mongol Empire disrupted traditional trade routes. At the same time, there were a number of improvements in shipbuilding and navigation, making it possible to travel farther and for longer periods of time. European countries recognized the potential profits of securing better trade with Asia and sought new routes by sea. Commissioned by Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus was among the first who sought a faster, more direct route to Asia by sailing west rather than east. In 1492, Columbus landed on an island in the Caribbean. Although Columbus mistakenly believed he had landed on an island in East Asia, later explorers added to the knowledge of the land, and—thanks in part to the voyages of fellow Italian Amerigo Vespucci—determined that Columbus had reached a “New World.” Each of the major European powers—Spain, France, the Netherlands, and England—sent explorers to the New World. Colonization, or the desire to establish permanent settlements, soon followed. Some of these European countries fought one another for control over trade and the riches of the New World. While they all shared a desire for wealth and power, their motivations for colonization differed somewhat, and thus the pattern and success of their colonies varied significantly. God, Gold, and Glory Spain was driven by three main motivations. Columbus, in his voyage, sought fame and fortune, as did his Spanish sponsors. To this end, Spain built a fort in 1565 at what is now St. Augustine, Florida; today, this is the oldest permanent European settlement in the United States. A few fledgling Spanish settlements were established nearby, but clashes with Native Americans who lived there, and the lack of gold or other riches made many of them short-lived. Spanish conquistadors had better success in South America, where they conquered the Aztec and Inca Empires and claimed the land for Spain. Spain soon grew rich from ample deposits of gold and silver in Mexico, Central America, and South America. In addition to the quest for gold, however, Spain sought to spread Christianity. To this end, missions were founded in present-day Florida, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California—indeed, anywhere the Spaniards had influence. The first mission was founded in New Mexico by friars who accompanied a 1598 expedition by Don Juan Oñante, who explored the southwest in search of gold. It would take another 70 years before the Spanish began to settle in California; Father Junipero Serra built Mission San Diego, the first mission in present-day California, in 1769. To protect these missions, the Spanish established presidios, where soldiers lived. The main goal of these missions was to convert Native Americans to Christianity. Missionaries worked in schools to convert Native Americans to Christianity and also how to farm and adopt other European ways. Some missions also served as posts where explorers set out on the quest for riches. Many claimed larger areas of land around them to farm and raise animals. Over time, these missions grew into villages and then cities. Some of today’s largest cities in the southwestern United States began hundreds of years ago as missions. Fur Fervor In 1534, navigator Jacques Cartier claimed northern North America for France; in 1608, fellow explorer Samuel de Champlain founded the first French settlement of Quebec on the cliffs over the St. Lawrence River. France focused its attention on establishing commercially viable trading posts in the New World to supply Europe with its seemingly never-ending demand for furs. To this end, France fostered good relationships with Native Americans, and built on mutual benefits of the trade of beaver furs for French goods. In comparison with England, the colonial population of New France was relatively small. The Netherlands also became interested in the New World because of its economic promise. For such a small country, the Netherlands was a naval powerhouse. The Dutch East India Company controlled trade with the so-called Spice Islands, which are now part of Indonesia, making the Netherlands one of the world’s foremost commercial centers. The Dutch government gave the company the power to establish colonies, which enabled the company to control trade. Its foray into North America began in 1609, when the Dutch East India Company employed English explorer Henry Hudson to search for a water route by which it could reach its markets in Indonesia more quickly. Hudson did not find the so-called Northwest Passage, but he explored the river bearing his name. The Dutch established settlements in what it called New Netherland. It purchased the island of Manhattan from the Native Americans in 1626 and renamed it New Amsterdam. The primary motivation for Dutch settlement of this area was financial—the country wanted to add to its treasury. To this end, Dutch traders formed powerful alliances with Native Americans based on the trade of beaver pelts and furs. Farmers and merchants followed. Success was short-lived, however. In 1664, Britain took over the colony of New Netherland and renamed it New York. England Establishes Permanent Colonies Of all the European countries, England established the firmest foothold in North America. Like the other European countries, England was motivated in part by the lure of both riches and the Northwest Passage. In 1606, King James I granted a charter to colonize Virginia to the Virginia Company of London, a joint-stock company of investors who believed there was a profit to be made. They settled the colony of Jamestown. Yet, Britain soon had populated permanent settlements in the new world for a different reason. The settlement of these colonies was motivated by religion. In 1620, a group of settlers left Plymouth, England, to join the settlers in Jamestown. Among them were the separatists, a group of people who believed the Church of England to be corrupt and thus sought to break from it. They believed the New World would offer them an opportunity to live and worship in accordance with their beliefs. They left England later than they had planned, and their ship was blown off course. They landed on the coast of present-day Massachusetts and named their settlement after the town from which they had set sail. These Pilgrims were followed by countless others who settled along the Atlantic Coast. Britain encouraged these settlements, benefiting from the vast array of raw materials the colonies found and cultivated. In New England, the colonies engaged in fishing, lumber, and shipbuilding. Farther south, colonies provided tobacco, rice, and indigo. For almost 200 years, until the colonies fought and won their independence, England benefited financially from the relationship with its North American colonies. Articles & Profiles Audio & Video What were the key New England colonies?The New England Colonies of British America included Connecticut Colony, the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, and the Province of New Hampshire, as well as a few smaller short-lived colonies.
What were the goals of England in establishing colonies in North America?Like the other European countries, England was motivated in part by the lure of both riches and the Northwest Passage. In 1606, King James I granted a charter to colonize Virginia to the Virginia Company of London, a joint-stock company of investors who believed there was a profit to be made.
What were the founding principles of the New England colonies?The New England colonies were established by the Puritans for religious freedom. Established in the 17th century, the New England colonies were some of the first colonies in North America and were a haven for Puritans seeking religious freedom.
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