Essay on Massachusetts Bay Colony

First, England wanted to let American Colonists make their own Government and they did. The colonist from colonies in Massachusetts made their Government around religious ideas, in Pennsylvania made theirs around religious tolerance, and Virginia made the first elected government call the House of Burgess. At The House

Jamestown presented more prospects to colonists than Massachusetts Bay Colony by allowing more than one religion, workers rights, and freedom of speech. Jamestown settlers had a bond from England guarantees the rights of settlers, as they would have had it in England. The Puritans formed the Massachusetts Bay Colony and they established a charter also. Both colonies had their have and have not in them. Massachusetts Bay Colony encourage the church greatly and Jamestown boost working over religion. The starting of a democracy, equality was from Jamestown.

The middle colonies liked bread so much their nickname was the breadbaskets the new england mostly focused on religion.

Between 1607 and 1733, Great Britain established thirteen colonies in the New World along the land’s eastern coast. England’s colonies included Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Though the colonies were classified as New England, middle or southern colonies, the colonists developed a unifying culture. With this new American culture, the colonists throughout the colonies began to think differently than their English cousins. Because colonial America displayed characteristics of a democratic society and, therefore, deviated from England’s monarchic ways, it was established as a democratic society.

As for Massachusetts first year times were rough. The first year over 700 women, men, and children arrived here, but 200 died by the fall of winter. Luckily 12,000 people migrated to Massachusetts in the 1630’s. From king Charles I, Massachusetts obtained a charter to colonize. The people were Calvinists, governing them was a system run by a government based entirely on a godly common wealth. Government was 18 “assistance” elected by “freemen” who meet in a general assembly where people voted on the code. The towns people where the ones who elected these “freemen”. The code was know as Laws and liberties of Massachusetts.

     Absolutism became the primary form of government for many Europeans in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It appealed to so many for reasons the same as other governments. “Absolutists contended that social and political harmony would result when subjects obeyed their divinely sanctioned rulers in all aspects“ (Text 594). Absolutists rulers felt God gave them their ability to teach the masses the proper ways to live.

For instance, the Puritans, who ironically were the religious minority in their own colony, were the only ones allowed to run public affairs. Only two-fifths of the population was actually Puritan, as the other percentage of the population moved for access to the fertile West Indies. Although the rules system set up by the colonists was one of the earliest instances of some sort of government run by the people, the Bay colony was far from a democracy, due to the exclusive nature of the elections. Another example of the effect religion had on the Bay colony government was evident through the fact that certain powers were denied to Even though said leaders had control over who was granted attendance to church, or those who were deemed to be “damned”, religious leaders were unable to hold a position in the government. Since religious leaders and government officials in the Bay colony both held similar measures of power, this natural system of balances was instated to prevent either religious or political leaders from becoming too

America. In 1607, a group of merchants, known as the Virginia Company, settled at Jamestown, Virginia on the Chesapeake Bay (Divine, 72); while Puritan leader John Winthrop, stationed himself and his followers at Massachusetts Bay in 1630. (Divine, 90) Although both settlements started off relatively the same, the greater success of one over the other has caused continuous debates between many, including the descendants of these early Americans. Some might argue that the Virginia Colony was more successful than the Massachusetts Bay Colony because of the Virginia colonists’ motivation and interest in profit (Divine, 76). However, when efforts for income

Massachusetts Bay was settled by Pilgrims with religious goals in mind.  This was my colony of choice due to the fact that some of the moral views would be more evident in this colony, which would render a much safer place than the other colonies. Surely, it would not be an ideal place as they would later become absorbed by their own religious views and retaliate against those individuals  who did not follow the religion according to their

The colonies turned away from Britain’s monarchy and started to lean towards forming a Republic. The colonists wanted to form a republic that allowed all the citizens to have a voice in government. According to the British, the only ones who were allowed to have any kind of authority was the King and

Rhode Island and Pennsylvania were examples of the two most democratic colonies of colonial America. Not all of the colonies were like this. For example, in (1629) non-separatists Puritans left from England and started a new colony called the Massachusetts Bay Colony. People who did not agree with their views were often banished. Anne Hutchinson was one of these people who were banished. She was banished because she argued against the Puritan belief of predestination. She had a trial and from there was forced out of the colony. Another person that was kicked out of the colony was a man named Roger Williams. Williams was exiled from the colony because he was found to have “new and dangerous opinions” that disagreed with already established Puritan beliefs. Also, men that were not a part of a Puritan congregation could not vote in provincial elections. Freedom in this colony was somewhat limited.

The Puritans did not believe in hierarchy. They had town meeting in churches and the decision were made by majority rule. The Puritans tried to set-up a temporary government called the Mayflower Compact in 1620. The Mayflower Compact was the early birth of America’s democracy. This shaped the America we know today by leading Americans into democracy.

Each of the thirteen colonies had a Charter. Charters were an organized group for direct rule by the King of England. Also with colonial governments there were colonial legislatures. Colonial legislatures were a body to lead one of the thirteen colonies. Colonial governments had Governors as well. Governors were appointed by the King of England, and had complete control. This theory got misconstrued, because the Legislation controlled the Governors wages, so the legislation could in fact control the Governor but only so far, England had the final say in

The founders of New England had one major benefit when they were settling. The charter given to their company, the Massachusetts Bay Company, contained a provision that allowed the government of the colony to be located in the colony itself. This allowed the like-minded individuals who settled the colony, to begin with, to set their own laws, and elect their own government officials. These founders did not want the church to be controlled by the State, as they felt it was in England, so they made it illegal for Ministers and Preachers to hold Public office. They did, however, expect the community to live up to certain religious standards. They wanted to live as saintly as possible to prove they were members of the elect, destined for heaven, and they wanted to uphold Gods Laws so that God would prevent great hardship and disaster from befalling the colony.

The Founding Fathers and Puritans came to America for one reason, to protect their only rights as humans. They wanted a change that was never going to happen living in England under a British monarchy. Both these groups wrote a written framework for government ( Mayflower Compact and Constitution). The government would be run by the people and would take all considerations