Colonial New England Thomas Morton, Roger Williams, and Jonathan Edwards
Dec 31, 2015
Colonial New England
Thomas Morton, Roger Williams, and Jonathan Edwards
Thomas Morton
The Maypole of Merry Mount
Thomas Morton
Lawyer Native American trader Extremely well-educated
Better educated than most Puritans Disagreed with the Puritan concept of
“fun” Angered Puritan leaders
by trading guns to Native Americans by having May Day dances
Puritan View of the Maypole
A Pagan symbol
A sign of idol worship or Devil worship
Another View of the Maypole
The Maypole
A phallic symbol Symbol of May Day
or Beltane Celtic celebration Celebration of
Queen of the May Roots in Roman
and Greek society Morton aware of
these roots
Intolerance William Bradford (left) recorded numerous examples of the Pilgrim’s intolerance towards others. When Thomas Morton sailed to New England in 1624, he used liquor to entice the Algonquin Indians to trade for furs:
“They ... set up a May-pole,” [Bradford wrote] “drinking and dancing about it many days together, inviting the Indian women [to be] their consorts, dancing and frisking together, (like so many fairies, or furies rather,) and worse practices.”
Miles Standish, the Pilgrim military commander, led an armed party to seize Morton and send him back to England. They destroyed Morton’s makeshift camp and his Maypole.
The Puritans saw Morton as the embodiment of the Devil.Devil.
Puritans and Sex
To the Puritans, sex was for procreation, not recreation
The Maypole’s symbolism of sexual pleasure was abhorrent to them However, they did not fully understand
the symbolism, only knowing that, to them, it was “evil.”
Morton mocked their ignorance, using his superior education.
Roger Williams1603-83
Governor of Rhode Island 1654-8
No Democracy○No early colony democratic
○Puritans banned Roger Williams from the Massachusetts Bay
●interpretations of the Bible disagreed with the prevailing view
●criticized lack of separation of church and state
●disapproved of taking lands away from Indians
Rhode Island
Williams ordered back to England Secretly slipped away Established Rhode Island
greater religious toleration friendlier relations with the Indians.
Rhode Island first colony to allow freedom of religion.
Jonathan Edwards
And the Great Awakening
The Great Awakening
Religious revival that spread throughout the colonies in late 1700s Variation of Puritan belief of salvation of
the elect Provided salvation to all who would believe
and obey Title misleading: not one continuous
revival One cannot be awakened unless one
has been asleep
Background
○ Scientific discoveries weakening believers’ faith
○ Newton’s Principia Mathematica, a cornerstone of the emerging rationalism, viewed as a threat to religious piety and the inerrancy of the Bible● compare to Origin of the Species in
1800s○ Second and third generation Puritans
more morally lax
Moral Laxity Youth of the second and third
generations given to mirth and frivolity spend the greater part of the night in
coed parties Increase in children conceived out
of wedlock
Some Results of Great Awakening
1. Unified colonists in a common evangelical view of life
2. Dissent and dissenters greater respect
3. Increased emphasis on education4. Greater sense of responsibility for
slaves and Native Americans
Jonathan Edwards
Born October 5, 1703, East Windsor, Conn.
Fifth of eleven children to the Rev. Timothy and Esther Edwards Puritan evangelical household father Congregationalist minister grandfather influential minister and author
Education study of the Bible and Christian theology classics and ancient languages
Edwards the Preacher
In 1734, preached a series of sermons emphasizing God’s all-powerful offer of grace
Brought about a number of conversions in the Northampton congregation. Was asked to prepare an authoritative
account of the “Awakening.”
Edwards’ Convictions
Must do more than merely comprehend religious ideas
Must be moved by these ideas Must know them experientially However, a person can do nothing
to earn salvation Only God’s grace could save
Reality versus Perception
○ Edwards preached pure Calvinism: “You can’t control Salvation.”
○ People heard: “If one tries, God will aid the Salvation.”
○ Edwards referenced God’s power to save whomever He pleases (predestination).
○ Puritan listeners heard this as a chance that they could achieve salvation through acts or beliefs.
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
Preached in July, 1741 Represents, in many persons’ minds the
bleak, cruel, and hell-bent outlook of Edwards and his Puritan predecessors
“Sinners” aimed at a particularly hard-hearted congregation
A classic statement of Puritans’ literal vision of Hell and of belief in humanity’s utter dependence upon God
Form and Format of Sermon
Repetition of main ideas, with slight variations, over and over, in poundingly repetitive rhythms, drilling into his audience the precariousness of their situation bow of God’s wrath is bent arrow made ready on the string justice bends the arrow at your heart and strains the bow
Edwards as Speaker
Sinners not a normal speech for Edwards
He usually appealed to logic and reason
Spoke in a monotone Stared at the bell rope as he spoke Hysterical audience
Reactions to Sermons
Many religious conversions
Exaggerated behavior accompanied conversions
Barking, shouting, and running
Effects of Edwards
Meetinghouse filled Named “backsliders” from the pulpit Tried to restore power of church Required public confessions of
salvation Angered influential townspeople Dismissed from pulpit