Introduction
The Massachusetts Bay Colony area was located in the East Coast region of America, and it harbored English refugees that had migrated from England in 1630. The majority of the population at the Massachusetts Bay Colony was the Puritans. The Puritans had a firm belief in theocratic issues, and Puritanism was deeply rooted in the idea of the need for a personal covenant with God and the community. The Massachusetts Bay Colony later birthed Rhodes Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. During its existence from 1630-1691, there were significant events that took place, such as the Cambridge Agreement and Pequot War in 1967. Such occurrences prompted the writings of numerous notable people within the region. While there is predominantly information in most of the articles captured in this text, several fallacies have been pinpointed.
A Model of Christian Charity by John Winthrop
One of the fallacies that can be spotted in Winthrop's article is the assumption that a particular population of people requires diversity among its members to promote a sense of brotherhood and affection. According to Winthrop, there is a sense of community accompanying population diversity and the need for unequal structures, such as having some people on the end of wealth and others on the opposite side of poverty. On the contrary, observations in the early lives of the Puritans at the Massachusetts Bay Colony reveal that they had strict rules of limiting profiteering to prevent a large gap between the poor and rich in the community. Another misconception is on the exterior threats prompted by a stable public life for the time it exists. A committee of elected members at the Massachusetts Bay Colony region ousted Winthrop in 1965.
From the Apologia of Robert Keayne
In this article, Robert Keayne penned down this article alongside his will to help clear his name regarding being associated with bad business practices such as excessive profiting from the items he death with from relatively poor people. He was accused of oppressive business practices that went against the spirit of enlightening the soul through observation of Christian traditions and conduct. One prevailing misconception in this article is the people's consideration of business practices morality by criminalizing capitalism. However, Keayne's article and concept became the cornerstone of capitalism within the region and in other parts across the globe.
From the Sovereignty and Goodness of God by Mary Rowlandson
Mary Rowland is a Christian woman that represents injured survivors that existed as a product of the tiff between the Puritans and Native Americans who seemed to thrive on physical confrontations. In this article, Rowland appears to share in the confusion that comes with the imagination of the number of days they had to struggle with the colonialists and the changes they introduced to a different way of life. The central fallacy in this article is that Rowlandson alongside other Puritans were afraid of getting used to the New World's way of leading life and losing their long-held traditions.
Christ knows How Many Devils There Are -1963 by Samuel Parris
Samuel Parris headed the Salem Witch trials that marked the highlight of 1692 at the Massachusetts Bay Colony region. Parris was held in high regard in the region because of his input in the community as a minister. In this article, the focal point is the revelation of the invasion of witches in Salem who had been there all along. Interestingly, he played a considerable role in the ruling of drawing the witches out of Salem following the bewitchment allegations against his daughter.
Ann Putnam's Deposition, 1962
Putnam was the only accuser of the witches who provided a public confession in 1706. She was one of the frontline accusers of the Salem Witch Trials that led by Samuel Paris after the ordeal of bewitchment befell his family. Strangely, Puritanism was deeply rooted in Christian teachings that promoted unity among the community members in all ways possible.
Conclusion
While there is a lot of truth contained in the five articles featured in this text in regards to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, there are also some fallacies observed through the cracks of each narrative relayed. In the article by John Winthrop – A Model of Christian Charity, there is an in-depth exploration of the need for diversity in a communal setting to promote a sense of goodwill among the people. From the Apologia of Robert Keayne, there is documentation of Keayne's description of how he conducted businesses to emerge among the riches people within the Massachusetts Bay Colony at the time. Mary Rowlandson, through her article, From the Sovereignty and the Goodness of God, is an article recording her struggles with accommodation the teachings of the New World after the invasion of the Colony by the Native Americans.
