though they insisted on holding them to their labor contract.131 Governor Bradford wrote that the "adventurers" finally threatened in their anger "that if we ever do grow to any good estate they will nip us in the head." 182 133 In these straits the Plymouth people sent Captain Myles Standish (1625) to England to seek help. He could not get the contract cancelled, but succeeded at length in borrowing £200 for the use of the colonists at thirty per cent interest.13 The next year (1626) the "merchant adventurers" sold out their share to the colonists for £1800,- equal probably to at least $20,000 now, - to be paid in nine annual installments. The whole colony went to work with a will, and in six years had discharged the debt and were free men. In future all that they earned was their own. Meanwhile they tried to obtain a royal charter which should give them power to regularly organize a government. In this they failed; but they obtained a patent from the Council of New England which granted them a certain fixed territory (1629), but nothing more. 134 84. The Massachusetts Bay Colony absorbs Plymouth Colony (1691). In 1630 the Massachusetts Bay Company settled Boston. The growth of the new colony was comparatively rapid, and after a time the people of Massachusetts endeavored to secure the annexation of Plymouth. But the Plymouth people preferred to stand by themselves; as one of their chief men quaintly said: the best of them had no desire "to trot after the Bay horse." Massachusetts, however, succeeded in her plans, and in 1691 a royal charter consolidated the two colonies. This, of course, ended the history of Plymouth as a distinct colony. But the little Pilgrim Republic had made its record and could afford to merge its political life in that of the stronger and richer Puritan commonwealth. The Pilgrims were the first settlers who obtained a permanent foothold on the New England coast. In religious matters they showed remarkable tolerance. They too were the first colonists of the New World who established the management of all public affairs in town-meeting. Thereby they laid the foundation in America of that democratic system which ripened in time into government of the people, by the people, and for the people." IVa. MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY (1630). 85. The Puritan emigration to New England; John Endicott; charter of Massachusetts Bay Colony. The emigration of the Pilgrims to America (1620) was the forerunner of a far greater emigration on the part of the Puritans ten years later. Political and religious persecution drove them to seek a refuge in New England. John Endicott, a Puritan of the Puritans, conducted the first party of emigrants (1628) to a point on the shores of Massachusetts to which they gave the biblical name of Salem. In his fiery zeal Endicott (1635) slashed the red cross out of the English flag, because it seemed to him an emblem of popery; and he shipped two members of his council back to England for insisting on making use of the Episcopal prayer-book in public worship. The year after Endicott sailed, a number of wealthy and influential Puritans obtained a royal charter 135 granting them all the territory in New England lying between a point three miles north of the River Merrimac and a point three miles south of the River Charles. Westward the grant extended to the Pacific.186 This charter empowered the Massachusetts Bay Company of England (1) to make laws, provided they should not be "contrary to the laws of England"; (2) to carry on trade ; (3) to drive out obnoxious persons and intruders. Nothing was said about the establishment of any form of worship or of religious liberty. It was practically the charter of a trading company, and it seems to have been understood that the government of the colony was to remain in the hands of the corporation in England.187 86. John Winthrop; settlement of Boston (1630); large emigration; the Puritan church; Puritan government.John Winthrop, a man of wealth and education, was elected (1629) governor of the Company. Believing, as he said, that the Puritans had "no place left to fly unto but the wilderness," 188 he quietly took the charter with him and led a large number of emigrants (1630) from England to Massachusetts. Not liking Salem, Winthrop went to Charlestown; a little later the colonists moved across the river to the three-peaked peninsula of Shawmut, which they named (1630) Boston.189 Salem, SCALE OF MILES 100 One of the first acts of the settlers was to form a covenant church 140 similar to that of Plymouth. Two Puritan ministers were chosen, and all the inhabitants were to be assessed to pay for the "maintenance 25 141 M Cambridge. Charlestown BOSTON ACHUSET CONN. R. I. mouth of these ministers." Before the end of the year a thousand emigrants in all had arrived, and in the course of the next ten years (1630-1640) more than twenty thousand had settled in New England. They were men who came not from hope of gain, but to obtain that religious and political liberty which was denied them at home. They represented the flower of English Puritanism. Meanwhile, the original colonists (that is, the stockholders of the Massachusetts Bay Company) had established a government which was practically independent of both King and Parliament. By the provisions of the charter the freemen were to elect a governor, deputy-governor, and a council of eighteen assistants. This governing body was to meet in a "general court" and make all needful laws, not contrary to the laws of England. 142 87. Alteration in the form of government; limitation of suffrage; the "freeman's oath."-At the first meeting of the General Court (1630) the form of government was altered. The freemen then agreed to surrender a part of their political power, and to let the Assistants choose the Governor and his deputy from out their own number. But less than two years later, the freemen (1632) took this power out of the hands of the Assistants and resumed their charter right to elect the Governor and his deputy.143 Meanwhile (1631) a large number of men petitioned the General Court to be permitted to vote. Their request was granted on their taking the "freeman's oath," by which they swore allegiance to the King and fidelity to the colony. Shortly afterward (1634) the clause demanding allegiance to the King was dropped and all that was required was fidelity to the colony. 88. Important laws enacted; suffrage limited to church members (1631); liberal measures. In 1631 two very important laws were enacted. Following the example set by Plymouth (§ 82), the authorities prohibited any person from settling within the territory of Massachusetts Bay without leave from the Company." 144 Secondly, suffrage was limited by the following statute: "To the end [that] the body of the commons may be preserved of honest and good men . . . no man shall be admitted to the freedom of this body politic but such as are members of some of the churches within the limits of the same." 145 Ten years later (1641) a law was passed to protect the liberties of all classes. It provided that "every man, whether inhabitant or foreigner," voter or not voter, should have the right to make any "necessary motion, complaint [or] petition" in any "court, council or town-meeting." 146 Following this act the General Court (1647) granted to all persons of good character, though they were not church-members, the right to vote in town-meeting on local questions. They also had the right to serve on juries and offer themselves as candidates for town-offices." 147 The liberal movement did not stop here. The conditions of admission to the Church were relaxed by a measure derisively called by its opponents the "Half-Way Covenant" (1662). The natural effect of the Half-Way Covenant, in so far as it came into use, was to increase the number of church-members, and so swell the list of legal voters.148 Two years later (1664) the General Court, finding it expedient to conciliate the King, made a further concession. They gave to all persons who could show a certificate of orthodoxy, signed by an approved minister of the colony, the right to make application for the right to vote.149 89. Establishment of a House of Representatives (1634); purpose of the Puritans. Meanwhile an event of no small importance had occurred. The General Court had levied a tax to build a palisade against the attacks of Indians. The leading citizens of Watertown refused to pay the demand, on the ground that there should be no taxation without representation.150 Their refusal led to the establishment of a House of Representatives (1634) consisting of two persons chosen by each town. The men so chosen met with the Governor and his Assistants to advise with them respecting the raising of public money, and to take part in making all needful laws.15 Thus Massachusetts became the second English colony (§ 43) to obtain the privilege of representative government; but in this case it was the work of the people themselves, not, as in Virginia, the gift of a company resident in England. "God sifted a whole The avowed purpose of the settlers of Massachusetts was to establish an independent Puritan State composed of those, and those only, who professed their faith. They believed themselves to be a divinely chosen people. nation," said Governor Stoughton, "that he might send choice grain over into this wilderness." 152 Their intention, Governor Winthrop declared, was "to square all their proceedings by the rule of God's word" as they understood it.153 They contended that their charter gave them the exclusive ownership and control of Massachusetts (subject of course to the King), and in that charter they believed they found authority to expel any one who should attempt "annoyance to said colony." " 154 |