The Great Awakening

During the Great Awakening, there were many different social groups that expressed different religions. The different early establishments around the colonies all had different views and strict rules on religion. The most lenient of all of the communities were the Quakers in New England. Every other colony had a punishment for not attending the local church gathering. These punishments consisted of anything from a whipping, being put in a stock, jail time, or a fine. The “revivalists” were a small group of people who claimed that one could regain religious faith by good behavior. They used a scaring tactic in their sermons in order to scare people into believing that they were sentenced to hell. During the 1730’s the revivalist group began to expand. There were four men who established this movement and began traveling around the country to different colonies to express their views. These men were Theodore Frelinghuysen, William Tennent Jr., and Gilbert and John Tennent. The critics of these revivalists did not believe their ways. The Evangelicals (the critics) believed that one could be saved through the graces of god, and did not just need to behave well for a certain period of time before being saved. Although George Whitefield was criticized for publicly giving sermons from Jonathan Edwards A faithful narrative of the Suprizing Works of God, he was also praised for the fact that he would speak to people in parks, etc where the people who felt uncomfortable in church could go to listen. When the Great Awakening was over, it had a huge impact on colonial America. The different religious beliefs and movements were drastically different from colony to colony and helped the early American society become what it is today.

Liberty for the English?

The English had a very different view of "liberty" than others. They believed that having the most land meant the most liberty. For the Indians, their own liberty meant living on their own minding their own business. The English constantly moved in on the Indians land and tried to take it over; which cause their colonies to fall and the English colonies to The Puritans were really strict on religion, and they had their own set ways that were necessary to follow in the community. If any of the norms were violated or if anyone was seen doing anything other than what was preached about, they would be put to trial. Ex: Anne Hutchinson, Tituba, etc. Roger Williams was the only male in the community who actually stood up to these certain "bible commonwealth" rules. He also said that it was unfair to punish someone based on their own sins from religious nature. He even claimed that they should treat Indians with respect instead of attacking them for more land. the difference between the idea of liberty for the New England colonies and the Virginia colonies was the whole idea of religion. The New England colonies did not stray from the norm at all and any person or people who did were kicked out of the colony.
The differences between the New England colonies and the Indians led to a few big battles. the Puritans did not view the Indians any different than the other colonies (they believed that they were savages). The Puritan people tried to convert the Indian people into one of them. They felt as if the land that the indians occupied should be theirs because they "didnt make any attempt at improving the land." The first major war between the two was the Pequot War where colonists slaughtered the whole town. The next was King Philip's War. During this war the Indians attacked certain colonies that were isolated and killed everyone in sight. During this time, the Puritans gave up on the fact that indians were civil human beings and only thought of them as the "savage" human beings that they previously were.

English Colonization

There were many differences between the way the Spanish wanted to colonize the world and how the English wanted to colonize the world. The Spanish were planning on taking over in a way of “domination”, and thought of the Indians as savages who were not worthy of their time. However, they also contradicted themselves in such a way as having their women marry Indian men because there were not enough Spanish men in the town. The English wanted to colonize based on freedom. Their concept of “moral” liberty. To the English moral liberty meant “A liberty to do only what is good.” (freedom, 25). They followed Christianity and believed that “a woman’s own choice makes such a man her husband; yet being so chosen, he is her lord, and she is to be subject to him, yet in a way of liberty, not bondage” (freedom, 27). This statement proves that the English were very faithful to the term or liberty or freedom unlike the Spanish who forced their women to marry people whom they believed were savage and unworthy.
Richard Hakluyt’s reasons for colonization were very clear. He thinks it would benefit the country as a whole. He claims that settlement in the new world would hit spain as if they didn’t know it was coming. He said that the Indians would be saved from “Catholicism and tyranny” (liberty, 56). The Indians were crying out for England’s help to get away from the Spaniards. Hakluyt also explained how trade would become not only the major element in the success of the British empire, but to every person within the country who did not have a job, for the opportunity to go to another country and “become somebody”.
Richard thinks that the Indians will welcome the English as bearers of liberty because they would be saving them from the Spanish. The Spanish people used the Indians as slaves and thought of them as less than people. Going into a new country and spreading the idea of liberty and freedom to the Indians was the best way to get them to abide by their rules. They do not know anything other than the ways of the Spanish so another regime coming to show them a better life would always be accepted.