Question

What role did the New England settlers think God played in their land occupation?

Answer 1

The New England settlers, dominated by the Puritan ideology, believed God had ordained them to occupy the land, turning the wilderness into a civilized space as a divine mission. This belief justified their taking of land beyond what was necessary for Native American use, fostering the development of a new model society based on biblical principles.

Step-by-step explanation:

The New England settlers, particularly the Puritans, believed that their occupation of the land was part of a divine plan. Puritan leaders like John Winthrop felt that they had the right to occupy land in New England because the Native Americans, who ‘enclosed no Land, neither have any settled habitation, nor any tame Cattle to improve the Land’, only had a natural right to the land, and thus, the Puritans could lawfully take what was beyond the natives' immediate use. This notion was further reinforced by religious beliefs that the earth was given to the Saints by God, and since they considered themselves to be the Saints, they felt entitled to take possession of the land.

The Puritan belief system integrated the idea that they were a chosen people, elected to create a model society based on their interpretation of the Bible's teachings. To them, the wilderness represented chaos and sinfulness, while orderly towns and cultivated farmlands exemplified God's divine plan. This theology drove their conviction to transform the New England wilderness into civilized spaces, underscoring their view that God's providence justified their settlement and development of the region.

Answer 2

The New England settlers, influenced by Puritan beliefs, thought that God authorized their land occupation, viewing the land as a divine gift to 'the Saints', which justified the taking of land from Native Americans beyond what was needed for Native use.

Step-by-step explanation:

The New England settlers, largely Puritans, believed that God played a pivotal role in their occupation of the land. Puritan leaders like John Winthrop rationalized their settlement and displacement of Native Americans with the viewpoint that since natives did not enclose land or have settled habitations, they had no more than a 'naturall Right' to the land.

Thus, settlers felt entitled to occupy the land beyond what was deemed sufficient for native use. The notion that 'the earth is the Lord's and is given to the Saints' further reinforced their belief in divine permission and mandate to take possession of the new land.

This belief was evident in their social fabric and was even reflected in the Congregational Church, which was established by seventeenth-century Puritans and remained dominant in the former Puritan colonies.