According to popular history, democracy, acceptance and equal opportunities for all, were integral parts of society in the United States ever since the settlement of the New England colonies. In Lockridge 's book, he attempts to dispel these myths by using the New England town of Dedham as a case study showing that although Dedham had some these uniquely 'American ' aspects, the majority of them were in fact gradually developed over time. Lockridge refers to Dedham as a “Christian Utopian Closed Corporate Community”. This statement is antonymous to what is considered ‘American’ today. The town of Dedham was strictly governed by Puritan culture and anyone who deviated from them was shunned by the community. Furthermore, when the church was …show more content…
However, as time passed by, the original utopian dream of the settlers in the 1600’s fell apart as it was not suited to the life in North America and was progressively being replaced by religious political and social reforms. The first major change that occurred was the execution of the ‘half way’ covenant which allowed children of saints who did not have the deep emotional and spiritual experience that was required for sainthood to join the church (except for communion) as long they demonstrated understanding and belief and conviction in Christianity and the bible. Initially, the Dedham church was unwilling to compromise in order to preserve the sanctity of their faith but the dwindling number of members and baptisms convinced them to reconsider. This was one of the first signs of the religious flexibility that is present in America …show more content…
In addition, these selectmen were rarely voted in by the people as the position was almost hereditary and most selectmen served for long periods of time. On the other hand, in the 1700’s the right to vote became increasingly important where as previously it didn’t even exist. Furthermore, the world of politics in Dedham was no longer stagnant, alliances and candidates were constantly changing. People were now allowed to have their own opinions and candidates competed for popularity among the people since they now had the power of a vote as opposed to simply running the town unopposed. Moreover, the townspeople formed committees and town officers to help selectmen make positions so more people’s points of view were taken into consideration before decisions were
In general, people believe that America has always been a democracy, but that myth is dispelled by Lockridge with the introduction of Dedham.
In the 1700’s the Puritans left England for the fear of being persecuted. They moved to America for religious freedom. The Puritans lived from God’s laws. They did not depend as much on material things, and they had a simpler and conservative life. More than a hundred years later, the Puritan’s belief toward their church started to fade away. Some Puritans were not able to recognize their religion any longer, they felt that their congregations had grown too self-satisfied. They left their congregations, and their devotion to God gradually faded away. To rekindle the fervor that the early Puritans had, Jonathan Edwards and other Puritan ministers led a religious revival through New England. Edwards preached intense sermons that awakened his congregation to an awareness of their sins. With Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” he persuades the Puritans to convert back to Puritanism, by utilizing rhetorical strategies such as, imagery, loaded diction, and a threatening and fearful tone.
Morison, Samuel E. The Oxford History of the American People, vol 1. New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. 1994.
Edward, Rebecca and Henretta, James and Self, Robert. America A Concise History. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2012.
While residing in England, the Puritans and faithful Catholics faced prosecution, which led to their immigration to the New World. Most left England to avoid further harassment. Many groups and parishes applied for charters to America and, led by faithful ministers, the Pilgrims and Puritans made the long voyage to North America. Their religion became a unique element in the New England colonies by 1700. Before landing, the groups settled on agreements, signing laws and compacts to ensure a community effort towards survival when they came to shore, settling in New England. Their strong sense of community and faith in God led them to develop a hardworking society by year 1700, which Documents A and D express through the explanation of how the Pilgrims and Puritans plan to develop...
During the 1750's, the most wealthy people in the town held the most property, meaning they obtained the most power and money. As time moved on, though, voting requiremen...
“Is there a single trait of resemblance between those few towns and a great and growing people spread over a vast quarter of the globe, separated by a mighty ocean?” This question posed by Edmund Burke was in the hearts of nearly every colonist before the colonies gained their independence from Britain. The colonists’ heritage was largely British, as was their outlook on a great array of subjects; however, the position and prejudices they held concerning their independence were comprised entirely from American ingenuity. This identity crisis of these “British Americans” played an enormous role in the colonists’ battle for independence, and paved the road to revolution.
Religion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These main themes are evident in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mathers, and John Winthrop. This paper will explore the writings of these three men and how their religious views shaped their literary works, styles, and their historical and political views.
Gaustad, Edwin S. The Religious History of America: The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today. N.p.: HarperOne, 2004. Print.
Religious enthusiasm quickly spread from the Presbyterians of the Middle Colonies, to the Puritans and Baptists of New England. To some Puritans, it appeared that New Englanders had taken many of their blessings for granted, and were unconcerned with the theological beliefs their ancestors had brought to Massachusetts in the 1620s. The most distinct example of this "loss of purpose" was the adoption of the Half-Way Covenant by Congregational churches in 1662, an attempt ...
From the beginning of the colonization of America, many people have come here seeking religious freedom. They have not all shared the same beliefs. Roger Williams and Puritan leader John Winthrop believe very differently concerning God’s chosen religion, salvation and how it can be achieved, and the role the church should take in government.
Before the 1700s, English colonies in America struggled heavily with gender inequality, religious tolerance, and general liberties. Throughout the readings of Chapter 2, there are several direct and indirect indications of how the colonies handled the matters of religion, gender, and liberty within the English colonies.
The very history of the country, a major contributor to the evolution of its political culture, shows a legacy of democracy that reaches from the Declaration of Independence through over two hundred years to today’s society. The formation of the country as a reaction to the tyrannical rule of a monarchy marks the first unique feature of America’s democratic political culture. It was this reactionary mindset that greatly affected many of the decisions over how to set up the new governmental system. A fear of simply creating a new, but just as tyrannic...
In the early twentieth century, scholars gain a deeper understanding of the ideology behind those who partook in the American Revolution. People’s motivations throughout the American Revolution are a result of their desire for a new society that is not based on the old world’s standards of monarchy, privilege, and social hierarchy. Likewise, people want a society in the new world to determine one’s status based on one’s abilities, efforts, and talents and to characterize equality. A meritocracy, not monarchy become prevalent in the new world’s society, and one’s family’s reputation, wealth, and titles are no longer important. Therefore, colonists rebuke the old world system, which was questioned throughout the American Revolution. Wood explains that “republic individuals were no longer destined to be what their fathers were” (Wood 99). His explanation shows that scholars treated the American Revolution as an extension of the development America’s meritocracy and as an innovation of America’s resulting society during the early twentieth
The Sovereignty and Goodness of God is a primary source document written in the 17th century, by a well-respected, Puritan woman. This book, written in cahoots with Cotton and Increase Mather, puritan ministers, tells the story of her capture by Indians during King Phillip’s War (1675-1676). For three months, Mary Rowlandson, daughter of a rich landowner, mother of three children, wife of a minister, and a pillar of her community lived among “savage” Indians. This document is important for several reasons. First, it gives us insight into the attitudes, extremes, personalities and “norms” of the Puritan people we learn about in terms of their beliefs, and John Calvin’s “house on a hill”. Beyond that, despite the inevitable exaggerations, this book gives us insight into Indian communities, and how they were run and operated during this time.