Donald,  It is my understanding that the Pilgrims came to MA first, they
started the Plymouth colony and they separated from the Anglican church.
The Puritans came later started the Mass Bay Colony and they wanted to
reform the Anglican church not separate from it.  Ruth





At 10:53 AM -0400 4/12/04, Donald B. White wrote:
>Py--I know I am days late on this, but I hadn't checked my CompuServe email
>in 5 days--you have found one of the key elements in American colonial
>history that seems to be often overlooked, that is the connection between
>politics in the home country and their effect on the colonies. The Puritans
>were indeed the founders of some of the colonies--we call them the
>Pilgrims--and who founded which colony affected its future development.
>
>Virginia was founded in 1607 by a private corporation started for the
>purpose and headquarted in London. It was therefore closely allied with the
>"establishment" and business interests in England. It tended to be
>conservative and conventional, and still is.
>
>Massachusetts was founded in 1620 by Puritan "Pilgrims" who were made
>unwelcome in England, relocated to Holland, wanted a home of their own free
>from outside influences, and obtained permission to settle in Virginia. Due
>to a navigational error (or possibly by connivance) they were landed far
>from Virginia (although virtually the entire English claim tended to be
>called by that name) out of reach of English government influence. They had
>also been set up as a private company but managed to have all their
>directors as colonists and thus were the first of the colonies to be
>self-governing. They sought freedom of worship, but only for their own
>beliefs--dissent was not tolerated. Rhode Island was founded by a group
>that split off from them.
>
>But in 1640 the Puritans in England took over the country, beheaded King
>Charles I and instituted a theocratic, restrictive govermment. Suddenly the
>despised dissenters were running things, which they did for 26 years,
>Charles II returning from exile in 1666.
>
>Maryland was founded in 1640 by Royalist "Cavaliers" who found it prudent
>to be out of England at this time. In other words, by the losing side in
>the English Civil War. Interestingly, it was the only one of the 13
>colonies to have religious freedom written into its original charter.
>
>Georgia was a prison colony.
>
>Oh, yeah, and New York started off Dutch and got taken over by the English
>later.
>
>These are just a few examples of the 13 colonies.
>
>Given that the roots of the tension between extremes we have all through
>our society started with the original colonies, it's amazing they ever
>decided to unite. Fear and greed are powerful.
>
>Don White
>[log in to unmask]
>www.DBWhite.com
>
>--
>To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
>uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
><http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>

--
Ruth Barton
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Dummerston, VT

--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
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