Chapter 7: The Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth Centuries - Policies, Agreements, Court Ruling, etc.

Policies, Agreements, Court Ruling, etc.

      The first document that involved the freedom of religion was the Act of Toleration. This act was followed by the Maryland Toleration Act. These acts allowed anyone to join and be a Puritan as long as the rules were followed and sermons were attended. The partial church membership was granted to many other not eligible to participate in the church by the Half-Way Covenant, which was made in New England in 1662. The first notable change was the Maryland Compact that was during the sailing and settlements of today's North America. The French had also made an agreement that promoted civil unity, for example the rights to work in a field of State. This was the Edict of Nantes. F=

      The first agreement of colonies was the Dominion of New England, which connected the English colonies and New England, but the geography prevented from any governing of one person within these areas. Proposals for the government set ups in towns and cities were made by the Fundamental Order of Connecticut. The order has some writings that truly resemble the Constitution, however it was for the colonies only. More strict laws were made, like the Navigation Acts. This prevented foreign trade by the shipping from New England to its colonies and vice versa. This forcibly developed colonies that were favorable to England, or in other words, the most successful and bountiful.

    

      

Chapter 7: The Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth Centuries - Places

      Places

       During the early eighteenth centuries, there were many colonies that were now established. One of the locations was the Chesapeake, which was the bay of Captain John Smith. One particular colony that still exists today is located in Virginia. The colony, Jamestown, was found in 1607 but was an official town until 1619. The Jamestown settlement was one of the colonies that experienced the crucial "starving time". In the east coast of North America is the Massachusetts Bay colony that was founded in 1628. The settlement resembled parts of New England at the time it was found. Most colonies were packed together as the Middle colonies. These colonies, which were thirteen, were located in the middle region where New York, Delaware and New Jersey are located.
 
       The colonies that included the first African Americans were in the lower south.

Chapter 7: The Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth Centuries - People

People (Individuals and Groups)

      It should be noted that there were important individuals and groups of people who greatly influenced the process of the emergence of the New World. One of those individuals is Anne Hutchinson, whom developed interests in theology and religion. Her father was condemned for his views on the subsequent religions during the colonial era. Because she, her family, and others had new views in Puritanism, they were all forced to migrate to the colonies controlled by Puritans of New England, where they could freely practice their faith without interference;(http://www.annehutchinson.com/anne_hutchinson_biography_001.htm).  Though not have practiced theology, Benjamin Franklin had so much talent that was exposed within America. He helped find a new nation through literacy by printing an almanac and his observations that he wrote down. Some of these observations were even scientific; (http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/).

      Religion became more independent when congregationalists ascended. What they did was form congregationalism, which is a version of Protestant Christianity. One exception of congregationalism is that it does not submit to human authorities. More religious entities rose among the colonies, one of them being George Whitefield. Whitefield became a missionary in a new colony in Georgia in America. Before traveling to the colony, he preached and was surprised to find that people actually clung to his words.

    

      Other races had their independent groups involved with religion. Huguenots were one of them, and they were the French Protestants. The followers' leader was John Calvin; (http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0824470.html).    

      Ambushed by deer hunters in December 1607, John Smith was captured by Indians. He was carried to the chief Powhatan, where his fate would be decided. Note that Powhatan ruled over the Powhatan Confederacy, a group of Native Americans who prevented the takeover of some of their lands by Englishmen. Powhatan was impressed by the instruments Smith had carried, so rather than being executed, Smith had been part of a ritual. In the ritual, it was revealed that Pocahontas was involved with the decision of John Smith's fate, so she was a hero to him. (Unfortunately, she was captured, converted to Christianity, and married John Rolfe).After saving the Jamestown colony, he had instituted a harsh policy, "He who does not work, will not eat." He then had an accident on October 1609, which prevented him from ever returning to Virginia.

      Theologian Jonathan Edwards helped the Native Americans, because he was their missionary. He was acknowledged to be the the most important and original philosophical theologian. He delivered a sermon during the Great Awakening for the revival of religion at his First Church. (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/edwards/). Another theologian, Roger Williams, believed in the freedom of religion and the separation of Church and State. He had also learn the language of the Native Americans to make fair deals with them.

      Sir Walter Raleigh had something in common with Jonathan, Roger, and Benjamin. He had great talents such as poetry, writing, spying, and aristocracy. He had popularized tobacco in England. He was on Queen Elizabeth I's side. He had even heard of the "City of Gold" in 1594 and contributed to that legend through his writings.

      Though important people struggled with their ideas given to the public and religious groups fought for freedom, there was still some diversity. Separatists had removed other ethnic groups (Africans and Indians) from major groups such as Puritans.

     

Chapter 7: The Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth Centuries - Events

            Events/Timeline

               1607 - Due to little agricultural experience, the English settlers from Jamestown,Virginia of 1607 did not have sufficient skills to provide sources with food. Without food, the "starving time" slowly arrived as sources were depleted. Local Indians denied helping them and Captain John Smith, explorer, adventurer, and soldier, placed rigid discipline and agricultural cultivation that helped provide food sources. A gunpowder accident forced Captain John Smith to come back from England, but the colonists had to struggle through the chaotic winter, which started the "starving time".

              1637 - Attempting to reconcile differences, the Native Americans and English settlers continued to have feuds and this foreshadowed the Pequot War of 1637. The Natives and the English were on a war against each other, as well as other Indian tribes away from Connecticut. Leaders Captain John Mason and Captain John Underhill burned the Pequot villages with the help of Mohegan and Naragansett tribes (http://www.colonialwarsct.org/1637.htm).
            1620-1640  - There was religious conflict in the Church of England  that worsened in 1625 when King Charles I became king. Charles I eliminated Parliament to neutralize his enemies, whom included some Puritans. Because Puritans wanted to practice their religion, they quested for freedom. These motivations lead them to gather their family into groups and settle in America. These English settlers traveled towards Massachusetts and West Indies islands for their commodity. The great migration heavily populated the English colonies, who were no longer starved.
            1675-1676  - As problematic as the disagreements during the Pequot War and cause of the great migration, the Pequot War influenced Philip's War. Greatly ignored, this even was another cause from the English and Indian sides' fighting. Though not the actual name, Philip was a translated version of the name Metacom, Metacomet, or Pometacom. There was much property damage as well as deaths on both sides of the war.
            1675-1676  - Virginians such as Nathaniel Bacon, a wealthy Englishman, labeled all Indians in general as enemies. They believed they had to "defend" themselves and thus started his own rebellion, known to us as Bacon's Rebellion. Bacon and some of the colonists were now against the Natives.

             1688-1689 - A union of parliamentarians overthrowed King James II of England because his policies of religious tolerance became opposed. The king was opposed by his troubles with Catholicism and his close ties with France. This became known as the glorious revolution of England.

 

            1689-1697 - Around the same time as the glorious revolution, the English and French were at a war for the ownership of North America. This war was named after King William III of England, King William's War. The French were allied with some Indians. These allies fought on English colonial settlements and raided some villages along coasts. During the time, many colonists were terrorized and killed by Indians.

            1692-1693 - In Massachusetts, Salem Village, approximately 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. 20 of those people were executed. The accusations were a form of injustice and paranoia from the colonists. The trials projected religious intolerance.
Girl accused and tried for practicing witchcraft.

             1703-1791 - From the amount of restrictions applied when joining a religion, many had left. That is until Europeans wanted to revive religion. The Great Awakening swept over western Europe. The revival received contributions from the conditions in the colonies such as rationalism in New England.

             1739 - British colony of South Carolina experiences high rates of slavery, including the death of sixty people. An Angolan named Jemmy led twenty slaves to organize a rebellion in the banks of Stono River. Most of the rebels were killed by white colonists while the group marched. Remaining survivors were traded in the West Indies and sold. The rebellion proved to be successful in a way that the slaves were treated minimally better than before.