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theCardinalbird
Guest
Which Christian denomination was on the Mayflower? Was it a mix of Christian denominations or did these piligrims become one denomination? If so which one was it?
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Cruciferi
Guest
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theCardinalbird
Guest
Thanks Cruciferi!
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Cruciferi
Guest
No problem Joe :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:
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Mattapoisett64
Guest
And of course, they didn’t come over for “freedom of religion,” as the popular image goes. They came over for freedom of THEIR religion, being totally intolerant of anyone’s beliefs but theirs.
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TheLittleLady
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There are two books by the title “Anti Catholicism In America”. They are both very good and give a historical context.
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Zaccheus
Guest
Yep.
Were the Puritans specially known for accusations of witchcraft, either before or after the Mayflower?
Also as I understand it, burnings happened in continental Europe. Witchcraft killings in England and America were usually hangings, occasionally drownings.
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theCardinalbird
Guest
Just look at the Salem witch trials
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EqualinHim
Guest
Joe, I’m going to answer your question and also some misinformation that I think you have. So, contrary to popular belief, Plymouth was NOT the first attempt at an English settlement. Jamestown predates Plymouth by about 13 years. Jamestown was settled in 1607, Plymouth followed in 1620. I’m more of an expert on Jamestown’s history but I do know that there would’ve been no overt Catholics on-board the Mayflower. The same goes for the Jamestown settlers who sailed aboard the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery.
Most of the settlers at Plymouth would’ve been puritans. If there were any closet Catholics, they hid themselves VERY well. Remember, Catholicism was illegal in England at the time and the puritans weren’t the most tolerant lot. The settlers at Jamestown would’ve followed official Church of England teachings. Their lifestyle involved going to church every day, twice a day, and three times a day on Sundays. They were governed by Martial law. The lifestyle at Plymouth was much the same: nearly all day church services on Sunday with shorter services throughout the week.
Now this brings me to one of my favorite subjects of history and one that we don’t know much about: the secret Catholics at Jamestown. There was a fascinating archaeological find at Jamestown where they found what appears to be a small reliquary at the grave of prominent Jamestown citizen, Capt. Gabriel Archer. Archer came from a family that had a history of ‘playing both sides’. Outwardly, some of them went to Church of England services while maintaining secret Catholic identities. This caused them to be distrusted by both communities. John Smith, who is not the oh-so-noble hero that we’re accustomed to hear about in movies, could have potentially known this little fact. We don’t know if Archer was Catholic for sure, or if Smith knew about his family history. Archer and Smith were bitter rivals. There are rumors that some of the Plymouth settlers were Catholics but I don’t believe they’ve found anything substantial like reliquaries or crucifixes to substantiate them. One also has to remember that some high-church Anglicans might’ve still hung on to their reliquaries so, unless we here so straight from a primary source, we’ll never know for certain.
The Spanish Jesuits also established a mission near what is present-day Yorktown. The whereabouts of the mission called Ajacan are unknown, but it’s speculated by some locals that the mission might’ve been located somewhere near present-day Yorktown or somewhere in New Kent County. The Jesuits tried to establish a permanent presence in 1570, but they were betrayed and massacred by the local tribes. They died in a gruesome, horrific way, and they left only one survivor, who might’ve been spared on account of his age. The history of this mission and the mission down in St. Augustine, Florida absolutely fascinates me!
Here is an interesting article regarding closet Catholics at Jamestown:
A fascinating but long read about the Jesuit mission:
http://www.seattlecatholic.com/article_20030830.html
Most of the settlers at Plymouth would’ve been puritans. If there were any closet Catholics, they hid themselves VERY well. Remember, Catholicism was illegal in England at the time and the puritans weren’t the most tolerant lot. The settlers at Jamestown would’ve followed official Church of England teachings. Their lifestyle involved going to church every day, twice a day, and three times a day on Sundays. They were governed by Martial law. The lifestyle at Plymouth was much the same: nearly all day church services on Sunday with shorter services throughout the week.
Now this brings me to one of my favorite subjects of history and one that we don’t know much about: the secret Catholics at Jamestown. There was a fascinating archaeological find at Jamestown where they found what appears to be a small reliquary at the grave of prominent Jamestown citizen, Capt. Gabriel Archer. Archer came from a family that had a history of ‘playing both sides’. Outwardly, some of them went to Church of England services while maintaining secret Catholic identities. This caused them to be distrusted by both communities. John Smith, who is not the oh-so-noble hero that we’re accustomed to hear about in movies, could have potentially known this little fact. We don’t know if Archer was Catholic for sure, or if Smith knew about his family history. Archer and Smith were bitter rivals. There are rumors that some of the Plymouth settlers were Catholics but I don’t believe they’ve found anything substantial like reliquaries or crucifixes to substantiate them. One also has to remember that some high-church Anglicans might’ve still hung on to their reliquaries so, unless we here so straight from a primary source, we’ll never know for certain.
The Spanish Jesuits also established a mission near what is present-day Yorktown. The whereabouts of the mission called Ajacan are unknown, but it’s speculated by some locals that the mission might’ve been located somewhere near present-day Yorktown or somewhere in New Kent County. The Jesuits tried to establish a permanent presence in 1570, but they were betrayed and massacred by the local tribes. They died in a gruesome, horrific way, and they left only one survivor, who might’ve been spared on account of his age. The history of this mission and the mission down in St. Augustine, Florida absolutely fascinates me!
Here is an interesting article regarding closet Catholics at Jamestown:
A fascinating but long read about the Jesuit mission:
http://www.seattlecatholic.com/article_20030830.html
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Zaccheus
Guest
I’ve read a bit about Salem. The witch hunts were the result of hysteria, literally. Some teenage girls listened to too many ghost stories, flipped out and started having convulsive fits. People jumped to conclusions and the hunt was on.
It ended eventually when the hunters went after someone powerful enough to defend themselves.
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JimR-OCDS
Guest
Of the 102 passengers on the Mayflower, only 52 were of the Separatist Religious Sect seeking to live in the New World according to their religious beliefs.
The other 50 passengers were Merchant Adventurers and most likely belonged to Henry VIII’s Church of England.
When the Mayflower reached the coast of what is now Provincetown MA, the two groups argued about what laws would be in place and enforced after the disembarked.
The Merchant Adventurers did not want to be under the yoke of Separatists religious beliefs, and the Separatists did not want their beliefs or non-beliefs to infringed upon.
So, they drew up what is known as the Mayflower Compact. This placed the Separatist’s leader William Bradford as the Governor of Plymouth Plantation and it was there that the Separatists religious beliefs would be observed.
The Merchant Adventurers quickly chose to live outside of Plymouth and followed their own beliefs, and one was the celebration of Christmas.
It didn’t take long for more English to arrive in the new world and they opposed the Reforms Queen Elizabeth was enforcing in England. They brought with them their Puritan beliefs and laws.
A book of detail on the subject is “Mayflower,” by Nathaniel Philbrick.
Jim
The other 50 passengers were Merchant Adventurers and most likely belonged to Henry VIII’s Church of England.
When the Mayflower reached the coast of what is now Provincetown MA, the two groups argued about what laws would be in place and enforced after the disembarked.
The Merchant Adventurers did not want to be under the yoke of Separatists religious beliefs, and the Separatists did not want their beliefs or non-beliefs to infringed upon.
So, they drew up what is known as the Mayflower Compact. This placed the Separatist’s leader William Bradford as the Governor of Plymouth Plantation and it was there that the Separatists religious beliefs would be observed.
The Merchant Adventurers quickly chose to live outside of Plymouth and followed their own beliefs, and one was the celebration of Christmas.
It didn’t take long for more English to arrive in the new world and they opposed the Reforms Queen Elizabeth was enforcing in England. They brought with them their Puritan beliefs and laws.
A book of detail on the subject is “Mayflower,” by Nathaniel Philbrick.
Jim
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midori
Guest
“Of Plimouth Plantation” by William Bradford is one of the best primary sources out there. I read it in high school-- the only thing that stuck with me was the bestiality, and the bit about Christmas. 
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