The notion of a city upon a hill came from the Bibles Matthew 514, You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. The idea came into the American Puritanical lexicon from a sermon delivered by John Winthrop in 1630, where he introduced the chapter and verse of Matthew as part of his speech A Model of Christianity. Winthrop urged Puritans to create a religious and moral Christian society, since their colony would be held up to intense scrutiny by England.
The Puritans who set out for America likened their journey to the Biblical Exodus, according to The Challenge of American History, by Louis Masur, that it was Gods will for them to seek out unknown lands and bring Christianity to those lands. Winthrop was among the Puritan leaders who developed sermons and literature theologically paralleling the voyage to America with the Exodus to galvanize the community. In truth, the Puritan ideology, of purifying the Church of England was not met with much popularity in Protestant England. Sermons like Winthrops solidified the notion of Puritans going to America to create a New Jerusalem, a city upon a hill that all of the world would see as Gods chosen city, populated by Gods chosen people and His chosen religion.
While this was the idea Puritans came to America with, in the first century of settlement, the execution of this ideal was a bit challenging. Between trying to survive in the inhospitable conditions (the Massachusetts Bay area, for example, was very rocky and infertile), religious intolerance and ideological and theological dissent in the community, the Puritans discovered the ideal, pure Christian society was beyond their ken. With people like Roger Williams presenting both ideological and theological dissent from the Puritanical ideal (he believed in freedom of religion and in paying the Indians for their lands), and Anne Hutchinson protesting the message of the religious leaders, the dissent made it increasingly difficult to maintain the rigorous Puritan doctrine.
Nonetheless, the Puritan community was intolerant of other religions and stamped out any upheavals by casting out (or worse) troublesome community members. Unfortunately, they did not foresee how subsequent generations of Puritans would not be active members of the church. Basically the first generation was very rigorous, but this religious zeal did not pass on genetically, which caused the most profound internal breakdown of the Puritans mission from God.
2.
One of the biggest selling points of America in popular culture today is this idea of it being a cultural melting pot, where cross-cultural exchange and religious tolerance are championed. Even in the early settlement of America, immigrants from different parts of the world came to America. There were advantages and disadvantages that came about as a result of these cross cultural exchanges.
The advantages of the initial cross-cultural exchanges were social and economic growth, learning adaptation skills and technological advancement, not to mention incredible discoveries through exploration. This was true of all European colonies, from the New World, to India. In terms of social and economic growth, the colonists were given a large amount of space to flourish and increase their wealth individually and as a community. Although the Puritanical society did not gain financial wealth, they certainly gained socialspiritual wealth by being the predominant religion.
However, in Africa and India, it was quite possible for the colonists to become financially wealthy by exporting valuable resources. Cross cultural exchanges with the Native Americans and English, French and other European ethnic groups provided those groups valuable survival and adaptation skills. Without these, the Europeans would not have survived the harsh conditions of America. This is generally true of Europeans in any non-native country. Native Africans, Indians, Asians and South Americans provided Europeans with the tools to survive foreign climes. There was also significant exploration done by the English and French, particularly in India, and this yielded discovery of fertile land and resources the home country could benefit from. Cross cultural exchanges between native populations and Europeans also produced technological advancements in farming and ship construction, out of a necessity for them to make faster ships and better farming equipment. Using native technology and improving it with what they already had, Europeans benefited most from the cross cultural exchange.
The disadvantages of cross cultural exchange were largely heaped upon the natives. Eradication and eviction were the biggest disadvantages, enslavement was a close third. In any country Europeans conquered, they exploited the resources of the country, enslaved its native population, evicted them from their land and generally eradicated large tribes. Native Americans and other such tribes throughout the Americas were evicted from their rightful land, and wiped out by European immigration not only from foreign diseases, they were killed outright, and the remaining population stripped of its heritage by forced conversion to Christianity and tribe separation. Africans, too, were evicted from their land, separated from their tribes and enslaved for hundreds of years.
3.
Despite the New World offering greater opportunities and advantages to its immigrants, certain immigrants were equally or further restricted in Colonial America and unable to enjoy the promise of the new environment. Generally speaking people who did not own land (indentured servants, women, slaves) did not enjoy the promise of Colonial America. Of these groups, women and slaves were among the most restricted.
For women immigrating to Colonial America, the cultural restrictions of the Old World carried over to the New World. In actuality, Puritanical society restricted the roles of women even more than they were in England. Women were not allowed to participate in politics, own land, sign contracts, or conduct business. Furthermore, they were considered subordinate to men, and inherently morally weak (because of Eve). Everything belonged to men, including children, and although women and men were considered spiritual equals, it did not translate to societal equality. Although they had a higher status, generally speaking, women were not much better off than slaves in the amount of freedom they had.
Africans, on the other hand, suffered a fate worse than being a white woman in Colonial America they were enslaved. Slaves were treated no differently than cattle their families were owned by the masters, so a marriage was not recognized. Slaves were not allowed an education, held absolutely no rights or status, and basically, were not recognized as human beings.
For these groups, Colonial America held no promise of freedom, and no advantage to the home country, in fact, living in Colonial America took away any freedoms these two groups might have enjoyed otherwise.
4.
The New England and Chesapeake areas may have been colonized by the English, but these colonies had unique identities, with significant differences that developed between the 17th and 18th centuries due to completely different mindsets between the settlers.
New England colonies were established primarily by Puritans who came to the New World from the belief that they were sent there by God. Puritan Christianity had a very strict moral code that translated into a highly restricted society. The New England economy relied on shipbuilding, farming and fishing, which came from small family farms and urban communities together in a compact town. New England towns were primarily made of white, Puritans who were extremely intolerant of other religions and communities, believing they were superior in goodness and godliness. While there may not have been a class system in New England, the church ruled all politics and major decisions. If a landowner did not belong to the church, he could not be involved in politics, among many other disadvantages, so most families were active participants in religious activities. Wealth was not the goal of the New England settler, being Gods chosen people in Gods chosen land was their driving force.
Unlike their New England counterparts, settlers in the Chesapeake colonies were not terribly religious. God was not a motivator for Chesapeake colonists, it was all about money. The Church of England was the major accepted religion, but religious attendance or participation was low, with virtually no religious participation from the slave and indentured servant communities that made up the bulk of the Chesapeake population. Religion did not significantly affect culture or politics, unlike New Englands colonies. Settlers arrived in the Chesapeake area either to make money, because they owed money (indentured servants), or because they were enslaved While New England had small, tight and religious communities, the Chesapeake colonies were made up of large, isolated plantations filled mostly with slaves who were controlled by a wealthy and powerful white families. By the 1700 these plantations were thriving, producing large amounts of tobacco, which created a need for more slaves (thus fueling the slave trade) and increased the number of immigrants that came to America as indentured servants.
Although they would be united by the end of the 18th century, these colonies were worlds apart in terms of their culture, religion and development of family structure.
The slave trade in colonial North American was driven by the southern colonies plantations. The Chesapeake colonies consisted of large, isolated plantations that produced a variety of crops, but primarily, tobacco. This boom in tobacco plantations was an excellent economic bump for the Chesapeake colonies, and as plantations grew, they needed more people, more cheap labor to harvest the crops.
Although this function was initially fulfilled by indentured servants, (white males whose immigrations were financially sponsored by colonists, who worked on the plantation to pay off the debt), the colonists could not import indentured servants fast enough, and they cost a lot. The need for cheap, expendable labor is what galvanized the Atlantic slave trade, to the immense benefit of wealthy plantation owner and to the detriment of the poor white colonist.
The Atlantic slave trade shipped over countless African slaves to the New World. During the long voyage, many slaves died, and the remaining survivors where sold at high prices. While the average or poor colonial farmer could not afford a slave, the rich plantation owners became richer, buying and breeding enough slaves to keep up with their crops and increase profits. The poorer plantation owners and farmers were left out of this loop. Once the slave trade became more popular, it negatively impacted the immigration of white males through indentured servitude. Since slaves were overall much cheaper to keep than an indentured white man, and society had no qualms about using slaves like cattle, the Atlantic slave trade would also negatively impact the immigration of European laborers.
Overall, the Atlantic slave trade brought in cheap and expendable labor to colonial North America, which served to increase production of valuable crops and increase the overall wealth of colonial North America.
The Puritans who set out for America likened their journey to the Biblical Exodus, according to The Challenge of American History, by Louis Masur, that it was Gods will for them to seek out unknown lands and bring Christianity to those lands. Winthrop was among the Puritan leaders who developed sermons and literature theologically paralleling the voyage to America with the Exodus to galvanize the community. In truth, the Puritan ideology, of purifying the Church of England was not met with much popularity in Protestant England. Sermons like Winthrops solidified the notion of Puritans going to America to create a New Jerusalem, a city upon a hill that all of the world would see as Gods chosen city, populated by Gods chosen people and His chosen religion.
While this was the idea Puritans came to America with, in the first century of settlement, the execution of this ideal was a bit challenging. Between trying to survive in the inhospitable conditions (the Massachusetts Bay area, for example, was very rocky and infertile), religious intolerance and ideological and theological dissent in the community, the Puritans discovered the ideal, pure Christian society was beyond their ken. With people like Roger Williams presenting both ideological and theological dissent from the Puritanical ideal (he believed in freedom of religion and in paying the Indians for their lands), and Anne Hutchinson protesting the message of the religious leaders, the dissent made it increasingly difficult to maintain the rigorous Puritan doctrine.
Nonetheless, the Puritan community was intolerant of other religions and stamped out any upheavals by casting out (or worse) troublesome community members. Unfortunately, they did not foresee how subsequent generations of Puritans would not be active members of the church. Basically the first generation was very rigorous, but this religious zeal did not pass on genetically, which caused the most profound internal breakdown of the Puritans mission from God.
2.
One of the biggest selling points of America in popular culture today is this idea of it being a cultural melting pot, where cross-cultural exchange and religious tolerance are championed. Even in the early settlement of America, immigrants from different parts of the world came to America. There were advantages and disadvantages that came about as a result of these cross cultural exchanges.
The advantages of the initial cross-cultural exchanges were social and economic growth, learning adaptation skills and technological advancement, not to mention incredible discoveries through exploration. This was true of all European colonies, from the New World, to India. In terms of social and economic growth, the colonists were given a large amount of space to flourish and increase their wealth individually and as a community. Although the Puritanical society did not gain financial wealth, they certainly gained socialspiritual wealth by being the predominant religion.
However, in Africa and India, it was quite possible for the colonists to become financially wealthy by exporting valuable resources. Cross cultural exchanges with the Native Americans and English, French and other European ethnic groups provided those groups valuable survival and adaptation skills. Without these, the Europeans would not have survived the harsh conditions of America. This is generally true of Europeans in any non-native country. Native Africans, Indians, Asians and South Americans provided Europeans with the tools to survive foreign climes. There was also significant exploration done by the English and French, particularly in India, and this yielded discovery of fertile land and resources the home country could benefit from. Cross cultural exchanges between native populations and Europeans also produced technological advancements in farming and ship construction, out of a necessity for them to make faster ships and better farming equipment. Using native technology and improving it with what they already had, Europeans benefited most from the cross cultural exchange.
The disadvantages of cross cultural exchange were largely heaped upon the natives. Eradication and eviction were the biggest disadvantages, enslavement was a close third. In any country Europeans conquered, they exploited the resources of the country, enslaved its native population, evicted them from their land and generally eradicated large tribes. Native Americans and other such tribes throughout the Americas were evicted from their rightful land, and wiped out by European immigration not only from foreign diseases, they were killed outright, and the remaining population stripped of its heritage by forced conversion to Christianity and tribe separation. Africans, too, were evicted from their land, separated from their tribes and enslaved for hundreds of years.
3.
Despite the New World offering greater opportunities and advantages to its immigrants, certain immigrants were equally or further restricted in Colonial America and unable to enjoy the promise of the new environment. Generally speaking people who did not own land (indentured servants, women, slaves) did not enjoy the promise of Colonial America. Of these groups, women and slaves were among the most restricted.
For women immigrating to Colonial America, the cultural restrictions of the Old World carried over to the New World. In actuality, Puritanical society restricted the roles of women even more than they were in England. Women were not allowed to participate in politics, own land, sign contracts, or conduct business. Furthermore, they were considered subordinate to men, and inherently morally weak (because of Eve). Everything belonged to men, including children, and although women and men were considered spiritual equals, it did not translate to societal equality. Although they had a higher status, generally speaking, women were not much better off than slaves in the amount of freedom they had.
Africans, on the other hand, suffered a fate worse than being a white woman in Colonial America they were enslaved. Slaves were treated no differently than cattle their families were owned by the masters, so a marriage was not recognized. Slaves were not allowed an education, held absolutely no rights or status, and basically, were not recognized as human beings.
For these groups, Colonial America held no promise of freedom, and no advantage to the home country, in fact, living in Colonial America took away any freedoms these two groups might have enjoyed otherwise.
4.
The New England and Chesapeake areas may have been colonized by the English, but these colonies had unique identities, with significant differences that developed between the 17th and 18th centuries due to completely different mindsets between the settlers.
New England colonies were established primarily by Puritans who came to the New World from the belief that they were sent there by God. Puritan Christianity had a very strict moral code that translated into a highly restricted society. The New England economy relied on shipbuilding, farming and fishing, which came from small family farms and urban communities together in a compact town. New England towns were primarily made of white, Puritans who were extremely intolerant of other religions and communities, believing they were superior in goodness and godliness. While there may not have been a class system in New England, the church ruled all politics and major decisions. If a landowner did not belong to the church, he could not be involved in politics, among many other disadvantages, so most families were active participants in religious activities. Wealth was not the goal of the New England settler, being Gods chosen people in Gods chosen land was their driving force.
Unlike their New England counterparts, settlers in the Chesapeake colonies were not terribly religious. God was not a motivator for Chesapeake colonists, it was all about money. The Church of England was the major accepted religion, but religious attendance or participation was low, with virtually no religious participation from the slave and indentured servant communities that made up the bulk of the Chesapeake population. Religion did not significantly affect culture or politics, unlike New Englands colonies. Settlers arrived in the Chesapeake area either to make money, because they owed money (indentured servants), or because they were enslaved While New England had small, tight and religious communities, the Chesapeake colonies were made up of large, isolated plantations filled mostly with slaves who were controlled by a wealthy and powerful white families. By the 1700 these plantations were thriving, producing large amounts of tobacco, which created a need for more slaves (thus fueling the slave trade) and increased the number of immigrants that came to America as indentured servants.
Although they would be united by the end of the 18th century, these colonies were worlds apart in terms of their culture, religion and development of family structure.
The slave trade in colonial North American was driven by the southern colonies plantations. The Chesapeake colonies consisted of large, isolated plantations that produced a variety of crops, but primarily, tobacco. This boom in tobacco plantations was an excellent economic bump for the Chesapeake colonies, and as plantations grew, they needed more people, more cheap labor to harvest the crops.
Although this function was initially fulfilled by indentured servants, (white males whose immigrations were financially sponsored by colonists, who worked on the plantation to pay off the debt), the colonists could not import indentured servants fast enough, and they cost a lot. The need for cheap, expendable labor is what galvanized the Atlantic slave trade, to the immense benefit of wealthy plantation owner and to the detriment of the poor white colonist.
The Atlantic slave trade shipped over countless African slaves to the New World. During the long voyage, many slaves died, and the remaining survivors where sold at high prices. While the average or poor colonial farmer could not afford a slave, the rich plantation owners became richer, buying and breeding enough slaves to keep up with their crops and increase profits. The poorer plantation owners and farmers were left out of this loop. Once the slave trade became more popular, it negatively impacted the immigration of white males through indentured servitude. Since slaves were overall much cheaper to keep than an indentured white man, and society had no qualms about using slaves like cattle, the Atlantic slave trade would also negatively impact the immigration of European laborers.
Overall, the Atlantic slave trade brought in cheap and expendable labor to colonial North America, which served to increase production of valuable crops and increase the overall wealth of colonial North America.
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