“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” Romans 13:1
Whereas we were not yet a nation in the 1600’s, we were beginning to form as one. We talked about the group people who came over on the Mayflower. Some came for religious freedoms (the Pilgrims) and others to colonize in a new world.
In 1630, a group of Puritans led by John Winthrop came to the New World. They settled in and started their colony in the Massachusetts area. Their goal was to have a colony that upheld their religious principles.
Puritans were a group of people who sought to reform the Church of England from within. They thought the church needed to be purified of Roman Catholic practices that had creeped in. They did not just leave the church but wanted to change it. When they realized this was not going to happen, many of them began to migrate to the New World.
This venture included 11 ships led by John Winthrop and about 700 passengers. He later became their first governor when they settled in to their new world. They set up a system for their city and went about leading a life of piety and carving out a new home for their families.
The majority of the migrants were middle class people such as farmers, tradesmen and artisans. They sought a place of religious freedom more so than materialistic gains. The vast majority were families thus bringing with them people of all ages.
The Puritans’ arrival in 1630 marked a pivotal moment in American history. Here they established a theocratic society that influenced the political and social landscape of New England. The groundwork was laid for a democratic country based on their interest in education and having communities govern themselves.