Leisler's Rebellion In The 17th Century Essay

Separating from England to create a new place to live was a tough thing to do for colonist in the early 17th century. With no laws or rules in place, many social and political problems occurred throughout the colonies and became a severe crisis quickly. The social problems in the English colonies occurred through many people “rich and poor, free and slave, settler and Indian, and members of different religious groups” (88). Although these problems began as just local problems, they grew to become a crisis throughout all colonies that would become the United States. One of the bloodiest and most bitter conflicts that occurred was located in southern New England. “In 1675, an Indian alliance launched attacks on farms and settlements that were

Although it was not his intention, Leisler’s regime divided the colony along the ethnic and economic line where the Dutch took this as an opportunity to reclaim local power after English rule for 20 years. However, Many Dutch merchants believed Leisler was a tyrant and dictator and therefore he along with this regime was imprisoned and executed. He was hanged and then had his head cut off and his body cut into pieces to reflect the deep hatred of his rebellion. Generations went by where rivals between the Leisler and anti-Liesler parties polarized New York politics (108). Many changes came in New England with Edmund Andros gone and the colonies tried to restore their charters with London. London soon decided to transform the political structure of the Bible Commonwealth. The Governor was now appointed rather than elected, thus Massachusetts became a royal colony. Therefore, it was required to abide by the English Toleration Act of 1690 which spoke to allow all Protestants to worship freely (108). These events produced an atmosphere of considerable tension in Massachusetts creating raids by French troops and Indian allies. Religious toleration created anxieties among the Puritan clergy, who considered other Protestant denominations a form of heresy. These religious attacks served as a huge social issue within the colonies and affected how they

Many Puritans believed in supernatural interventions in the clergy and churches. They interpreted these as expressions of God’s will such events as lightning that struck one house but spared another, and epidemics that reduced the population of their Indian enemies (108). Witches were usually woman, who were accused of entering into a pact with the devil to obtain supernatural powers, which they then used to harm others. In Europe and the colonies, witchcraft was punishable by execution. “It is estimated that between the years of 1400 and 1800, over 50,000 people were executed in Europe for being accused of witchcraft” (109). Until 1692, the prosecutions of witches were local and sporadic, but over the years, many trials took place in the town Salem that made its name by its fanaticism and persecutions. This event started in 1691 when a group of young girls, including the head pastor’s daughter suffered from hallucinations and nightmares that were believed to be caused by witchcraft. Many people in Salem were accused of witchcraft and in the end, 14 women and five men were executed. Luckily, after word got out of this major trial, the governor of Massachusetts ordered that the remaining prisoners would be set free, while the clergymen of Salem named Increase Mather created an influential treatise,