< p > The Puritans, who were Anglicans that separated from the Anglican Church because they believed it resembled Catholicism, increased in population in England. John Winthrop, a landowner's son, was one of them. Eventually, King Charles gave a charter to merchants for creating a trading colony. Afterward, the shareholders decided to relocate the company to Massachusetts Bay colony, where the Puritans opted to reside under a "godly rule".< /p >
John Winthrop was elected governor and pledged to govern under God's authority (Wells 596).
Government System
The Puritan government was based on divine rule, creating a theocratic system. Although they favored the separation of church and state, they believed that God should still govern the state. The government included a governor, deputy, and seven appointed assistants who were in charge of enacting laws.
The government had the responsibility of protecting the church thro
...ugh the punishment of sinners; church ministers were prohibited from holding any governmental positions. The governmental system allowed only freemen to vote and hold office, resembling England's parliament. The Massachusetts Bay parliament comprised two houses, the house of assistants and the house of deputies. Town hall meetings, attended exclusively by men, were held in each community to manage local affairs. In addition to its theocratic nature, the government included some democratic elements as all male church members were eligible to vote.
Political Ideologies and Socio-Economic
From its inception, Massachusetts was founded on divine principles. Theocratic in nature, it maintained that the government should uphold and enforce God's rule and laws, serving as a safeguard for the church. Consequently, the leaders' religious perspectives gave rise to diverse political ideologies. John Winthrop's notion of covenant
theology posited that the government acted as an intermediary between the Puritans and God. Thus, the government's purpose lay in generating novel religious concepts in this nascent land.
All adults from the Puritan congregations had the opportunity to vote and hold leadership positions in the colony. However, individuals who were not religious were prohibited from voting or having any governmental roles. The Puritans were strongly influenced by their religious beliefs and values, which had significant implications for the conduct of government affairs and social matters. Despite this, their religious and political ideology played a role in shaping their economic activities, particularly in terms of trade alliances with neighboring colonies. The Puritans focused on establishing trade connections with individuals who shared their religious beliefs, and they actively participated in import and export trade that aligned with their religious principles (Frey 1578).
This was considered a better alternative for their economic prosperity, at the same time limiting their political influence in strategic regions. Their religious and political ideology played a critical role in shaping social classes and values. In the colony, individuals could gain freedom and the right to vote by joining the church. They utilized religion to identify political candidates and distinguish between social classes. The Puritans' religious ideology heavily influenced the societal structure and economic practices. Religious beliefs served as a basis for judging certain social behaviors, thus impacting economic policies and regulations.
Work Cited
- Frey, Donald E. "Individualist Economic Values and Self-Interest: The Problem in the Puritan Ethic." Journal of Business Ethics 17.14 (1998): 1573-80. ProQuest.Web. 27 Sep. 2016.
- Wells, Michael V. "Public Administration in Early America: Sex and the Law in Puritan
Massachusetts." Management Decision 40.5 (2002): 596. ProQuest.Web. 27 Sep.
The year 2016.
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