Massachusetts

A history of Massachusetts' clergy-led governance and decline. Governor Dudley's 1702 appointment marked the end.

Massachusetts in the 17th century was ruled by a theocratic clergy who enforced strict religious conformity through church and government. When Anne Hutchinson challenged this authority by preaching a personal relationship with God, she became the first major victim of the clergy's intolerance. Her trial and banishment in 1637 marked a turning point in the colony's religious politics. The clergy's grip on power began to weaken as figures like John Wheelwright and John Cotton pushed for religious freedom. The Mathers' attempts to maintain control through Harvard University ultimately failed, and the colony gradually moved toward secular governance. This book chronicles the long struggle for religious freedom in Massachusetts, from the founding of the colony through the early 18th century.