The Separatists: Journey To The New World

Words: 888
Pages: 4
Open Document
As Americans we often take for granted the privileges and freedoms, we experience in our daily lives. We can attend church and worship the way we favor, teach our kids the way we believe best, and express our feelings on topics without persecution. This was not a possibility for families living in Western Europe in the early 1600’s. The Separatists, later known as Pilgrims, wanted to separate themselves from their church considering they were not getting these freedoms. They set out on a journey to not only gain freedoms for themselves, but also the freedoms we appreciate today. Let us delve into what led the Pilgrims to abandon their homes in pursuit of an unknown world, the pilgrimage they must endure to reach their brand-new destination …show more content…
They did not feel it was right to be pushed to conform to the Church of England and the violated biblical principles that it represented. They desired freedom to worship freely based on what they perceived to be correct, through the teachings of the Bible. They possessed a strong desire to teach and raise their children with these Biblical views. In 1608, they left England and went to Holland. While in Holland, they obtained freedom to worship how they desired and not suffer a hanging for their beliefs, such as John Greenwood had in 1593 (Worrall, 2006). It was just as they dreamed. They were reading the Bible and worshiping happily until the influence of the Dutch began affecting the English children. English children were beginning to speak and share the culture their Dutch friends were demonstrating. Separatists wanted religious freedom but did not want to lose their heritage. They decided the best way to obtain religious freedom and retain their heritage was to travel to the New …show more content…
However, storms took them further north and they landed on Plymouth in Massachusetts (A., H. J., Rebecca, E., & O., S. R., 2012). They were very meticulous in choosing the site of their settlement. They wanted to make sure it was good for planting, had plenty of drinking water, and good access to the harbor. The new area also had no government control yet. Meaning they had gained religious freedom and the ability to form their own government. The Pilgrims got together and discussed what they each expected and discussed each in detail meticulously. They ended up with The Mayflower Compact (A., H. J., Rebecca, E., & O., S. R., 2012). This important document is what helped shape our Constitution we use today. They began to build a Common House, which would serve as their church and house. Winter came quickly after and with it the cold temperatures and illnesses. They could not plant food until spring, which caused them to have a limited food supply. This harsh winter led to over half of the Pilgrims dying. Finally, spring came and the remaining Pilgrims began learning how to live from the land. They did not complete this task without help. They met one special Indian, named Squanto, who taught them that corn was a very important crop that could grow easily in the area. He taught them how to hunt in the wild and fish. Without his help, the Pilgrims would have struggled, if learned at all, what they needed to survive the New
Show More

Related Documents: The Separatists: Journey To The New World

John Smith vs. William Bradford Essay

Europeans in the early 17th century the Americas seemed as a new land of opportunity. John Smith and William Bradford were two of the first men who left England seeking adventure and freedom in the New World. Both groups had difficulties while trying to form their colonies and Smith and Bradford were both elected to lead. While they were both great leaders they had very different lives before their journey from England. While starting their new colonies they also took different approaches to making…

Words 1098 - Pages 5

Mayflower Compact Essay

created. The “first” colonists to step foot into the New World, were called Separatists for leaving the British government, and way of life. These group of individuals were tired of being persecuted by the British government, and wanted a clean path to walk on in what they thought would be a promising future. They were driven by God, God, and Glory. They left on a ship called the Mayflower and embarked on a life changing journey. We all are familiar with the creation of a country (in this…

Words 321 - Pages 2

Essay on Summer Assignment

major conflict was the French and Indian war. But some good things came as well including the new settlements of Jamestown and Plymouth. The voyage to settle Jamestown started in December of 1906. Three ships were on this Journey. The Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery. They had one hundred and four men/boys total with four total stops on the journey for resupply. Only one man died on the journey. They docked in the Chesapeake bay. There were NO women on these three ships. They arrived…

Words 440 - Pages 2

Compare And Contrast Plymouth Plantation And Olaudah Equiano

and 18th centuries, North American colonies saw vast amounts of migrants from two groups: European colonists and African slaves. Various writers, European and African alike, detailed their journeys to the New World through literature. Two of these writers in particular, William Bradford, an English Separatist, and Olaudah Equiano, a slave, shared different accounts on their Atlantic crossing and reasons for migration, but also paralleled each other in several ways. While not entirely smooth, the…

Words 484 - Pages 2

Essay on Ann Johnson APUSH 7th Period October

Ann Johnson APUSH, 7th period October 11, 2014 DBQ New England and the Chesapeake region was settled by Englishmen of the same ethnicity, but by 1700 they had developed into two distinct societies. The distinction between these two societies was caused by varying economic and social organization, as well as different reasons for settlement. New England was founded for religious reasons, which became the center of social life. On the other hand, the Chesapeake colonies were founded for economic…

Words 818 - Pages 4

Essay on History WA2

adventure are a few of the main reasons for emigration. Some came from aristocratic families and gained charters from kings to embark on their journeys. Some saw the colonization and migration to America as a necessity and some saw it as an opportunity. Along with this colonization they brought with them different ideas of how to take advantage of the new environments and differing ideas of economics. One thing all the migrations and emigrations required was labor. Many English sought religious…

Words 1248 - Pages 5

America’s Earliest Foundations and Their Impacts Essay

their journey across the Atlantic. What these five year olds, and certainly most teenagers, do not know is that England wasn’t the only nation that people voyaged from to settle on the east coast. The Island at the Center of the World is a book that delightfully explains that the English were not the Native American’s only company. The Dutch, fresh from Amsterdam, managed to reach modern day New York City thanks to Henry Hudson, a desperate Dutchman yearning for a path to Asia. The British “New England…

Words 1018 - Pages 5

New World Beginnings Essay

Due: 9/10/12 APUSH Summer Assignment Mr. Hodgson Part I: Textbook Chapter I: New World Beginnings Identify: Christopher Columbus: An Italian explorer who discovered the “New World” while he was trying to reach India with his theory that the Earth is round. Renaissance: The period of time after the Middle Ages in Europe when there was a rebirth of art and science. Mestizo:…

Words 5275 - Pages 22

Essay on The New World: Chesapeake and New England Colonies

THE NEW WORLD In 1609 King James I commissioned the Virginia Company with colonizing North America between the 35th and 45th parallels. The Chesapeake and New England colonies would emerge as the cornerstones of America. The two colonies navigated the world in sight of different objectives, but ultimately through their economic triumphs and the social and political hardships, these colonies would eventually develop into stability. In an effort to financially benefit Europe, the Chesapeake colony…

Words 1069 - Pages 5

Massachusetts Bay Colony Research Paper

faithful Puritans with a religious agenda” (thehistoryjunkie). This means that a lot of things happened to Massachusetts when they were voyaging. They could spread Massachusetts to because a bigger colony. Based on the text, “political power in the new colony was limited to fellow believers, effectively creating a government run by religious officials who would enforce religious principles. Which was called The Great Migration. By royal charter in 1691, Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony…

Words 1158 - Pages 5