Factors that influenced the Plymouth colony’s views on crime, law, and justice
Plymouth was one of the first settlement areas of the colonialists who had traveled from England after separation from the Church of England. Although many of them had lost their lives during the journey, in December of 1620, they anchored in the shores of Plymouth to form their first permanent settlement after boarding Mayflower three months earlier.
Plymouth’s colony was influenced by immigrants who were escaping war from their original countries following clashes with other nations. These people came in form refugees while other people were also fleeing religious persecutions. Different religious groups such as the Church of England, Martin Luther church, and other Protestants were looking for places where they could worship in freedom. These different people formed groups and cooperation and looked for various opportunities. Stratton also points out that these immigrants were then funded by the host governments to go and form colonies (Stratton, 1986). This was probably how the Mayflower landed on Plymouth after breaking from the Church of England, whom they felt had not completed the actions of reformation and made their first permanent settlement. Most of them had died during the migration, and when they arrived in Plymouth, they formed a friendship and signed treaties with those they found already occupying the place. These later saw them build a new self-sufficient economy.
The second factor that influenced how the Plymouth colony viewed crime, law, and justice was the regional distinction that led to a clash that erupted when the new communities were getting into the Plymouth territory. Previously, there existed trade highways among the cities, and during climate change, people would migrate, and whoever was found along the road was impacted, and most of them were enslaved. Colony describes this situation by explaining that the migration caused a lot of pile up as the moving people pushed other communities like those in turn also pushed others along their migration paths (Colony & Pulsifer, 1861). Because of this, many died of starvation, some were killed, and many more were enslaved. The local communities also resorted to forming alliances with other cities against the colonialists who were taking up their land. The climatic change also led to deaths of more than half of the settlers in Plymouth, especially during winter.
Lastly, Plymouth’s crime, law, and justice were influenced by economic relationships that led to the setting up of industries such as pharmaceutical industries. These companies tried to keep up with competition from other sectors making the same products, and because of this, they made legitimate products and marketed them with their doctors. This leads to rise of class and social mobility. The Plymouth colony was occupied by those who had strong work ethics, and young people were expected to work diligently to provide for their families. The occupants prevented the entry of new people who they feared would bring competition in the workforce.
References
(2020). Retrieved 16 February 2020, from https://historyofmassachusetts.org/plymouth-colony-history/
Stratton, E. A. (1986). Plymouth Colony, Its History & People, 1620-1691. Ancestry Publishing.