Title and table of Contents

Lauric HENNETON (CV)

Mémoire de majeur de Maîtrise de
Civilisation Américaine

Département d'anglais

Université Paris XII-Val-de-Marne

Supervisé par Naomi Wulf

Soutenu le 28 Juin 2000

Mention Très Bien (17/20) - Prix de la SENA du meilleur
mémoire de maîtrise 1999-2000 (février 2001)

Texte de mon intervention lors de la remise du Prix de la SENA (1er mars 2001)

Master's Thesis - American History
English Department

University of Créteil-Val de Marne

Research supervised by Naomi Wulf

June 2000

Edition électronique: février 2001

If you wish to use part of this
document, please contact me beforehand

This document is subject to copyright

Establishing "a due form of government,

both civil and ecclesiastical"

²œ

A Reassessment of Theocracy,

Aristocracy and Democracy

in Early New England

Contents

Introduction

I Grants, Patents and Charters: Vehicles for the Crown's Plan for New England

1. The Corporate Origins of the New England Colonies

a. Trade Competition among European Nations and the Situation in North America

b. The Trading Companies

2. The content of the New England charters

a. Territorial Extent

b. Reasons Invoked for Settlement

c. Shape of Government

d. The Missing Clause

II The Covenant as a Concept and a Tool: The Ideal of the Special Commission, or God's Plan for New England

1. The Covenants in the Bible

2. The Covenants of the New Englanders

III Citizenship and Church Membership: Aristocracy vs. Democracy?

1. The Opening of Freemanship to Non-Stockholders 1630

2. The Restriction of Freemanship to Church Members 1631

3. The Introduction of Representation 1632-1634

4. The Negative Voice Controversy 1634-1636

5. The Body of Liberties 1636-1641

6. Robert Child and the Remonstrance 1645-1648

7. The Township Act and Local Democracy 1647

8. The Body of Laws 1648

9. The Halfway Covenant and the End of the Religious Restriction 1662-1664

10 The Neighboring Colonies

11 A Dictatorship of the Regenerate?

IV Crime and Punishment in Triangular Perspective: Assessing Theocracy and the Transfer of Culture

1. The Judicial Systems in Early New England and Early Stuart England Compared and Contrasted

2. A Triangular Analysis of Criminal Law

a. Serious Crimes, Threatening Life and Property

b. Sins and Other Offenses against Morality and God

c. Specifically Scriptural Offenses

3. Theory and Practice: Beyond the Laws, the Actual Treatment of Crime

a. Death

b. Corporal Punishments

c. Fines

d. Humiliating Punishments

4. Church and State Relations: Civil Justice and Religious Matters

a. Church Attendance and Sabbath Breach

b. Religious Dissent and Uniformity

Conclusion

Bibliography