1636-1699: Women, Religion, and Society in the Connecticut Colony
Introduction
An Analysis of Religious Influence, Settler Origins, and Women's Roles
Connecticut Colony, founded by English Puritan settlers in 1636, became a community deeply shaped by religious values, governance structures, and societal norms. Puritan beliefs dominated social life, reinforcing a strict hierarchy and moral order that strongly influenced women’s roles and behaviors. This essay explores the dominant religion in Connecticut during this period, the origins of its settlers, the religious expectations placed on women, and their limited role in governance.
Dominant Religion in Connecticut (1636-1699)
From 1636 to 1699, Connecticut’s society was rooted in Puritanism, which dictated the colony’s moral and social values. The Puritan church, emphasizing a direct relationship with God and a disciplined, pious lifestyle, exerted influence over both governance and daily life. In 1639, the Fundamental Orders were established, forming a legal and religious framework to guide community conduct. Religious adherence was mandatory, with church membership a prerequisite for voting rights and civic participation.
Local churches and their ministers played an essential role in community governance, maintaining social order and moral conformity. Connecticut’s leaders viewed the colony as a “New England Zion,” an exemplary Christian community. This vision heavily impacted women, who were expected to embody purity, obedience, and modesty in both public and private life.
Origins of the Settlers
The majority of Connecticut’s early settlers came from England, specifically Puritan communities seeking religious freedom and escape from perceived corruption in the Church of England. These settlers, primarily from East Anglia and London, carried with them a strict, communal religious ethos. Motivated by the hope of creating a “city upon a hill,” they brought their beliefs in discipline, obedience, and social hierarchy to the New World. Alongside these English Puritans, smaller groups of Scots, Irish, and other Europeans arrived over time, though English settlers remained the predominant cultural and social group. In addition to free English settlers, a small number of African slaves arrived during the period, marking the beginning of Connecticut’s complex racial landscape.
Religious Expectations of Women (1636-1699)
Puritan ideology established clear, restrictive roles for women within the household and community, emphasizing subordination, modesty, and obedience. Religious doctrine taught that women, inherently susceptible to sin, needed to be guided by male authority. Connecticut’s laws and customs required women to respect and obey their husbands, dedicating themselves to domestic responsibilities such as child-rearing, cooking, and managing the household. Marriage solidified women’s legal dependence on their husbands, as English common law dictated that a married woman’s legal identity was subsumed by her husband’s.
Women’s religious involvement was significant yet confined to roles that aligned with their perceived moral and nurturing nature. Although barred from church leadership, women regularly attended church services, participated in prayer groups, and engaged in charitable work. Puritan ministers taught women to embody virtues such as humility and patience, which they were expected to pass on to their children. Connecticut’s religious expectations allowed women some influence within the family and as moral guides, but their public roles remained limited to private, supportive capacities.
Women's Roles in Governance (1636-1699)
Connecticut’s governance structure, shaped by Puritan values, excluded women from formal political participation. The Fundamental Orders and colonial laws concentrated power in the hands of male church members, reflecting the Puritan belief that only men possessed the judgment and authority to govern. The Connecticut General Court, comprised solely of men, made legislative decisions, leaving women no direct access to political power.
Women’s influence on governance occurred primarily through their relationships with male family members or as members of prominent families. However, this influence was indirect, as women could not vote, hold office, or participate in public decision-making. The patriarchy of the family unit extended into both church and state, reinforcing women’s subordinate role in public life. Although some women, particularly wealthy widows, managed family estates or businesses, their governance roles were restricted by both law and social expectation.
Conclusion
Between 1636 and 1699, Connecticut’s society reflected the dominant influence of Puritan religious doctrine, English settler origins, and a patriarchal social structure that enforced strict gender roles. Puritanism’s emphasis on modesty, obedience, and moral purity shaped women’s roles in the household, church, and community, defining them as secondary to men. Excluded from formal governance, women contributed to society mainly within the domestic and supportive religious sphere, their actions shaped by a deeply embedded patriarchal framework. The social and legal restrictions placed on women reveal Connecticut’s vision of a disciplined and devout society, where gendered roles were maintained to uphold both moral and social order.
Bibliography
Books
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Dayton, Cornelia Hughes. Women before the Bar: Gender, Law, and Society in Connecticut, 1639-1789. University of North Carolina Press, 1995.
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Richards, Jennifer. Rethinking Puritan Gender: Law, Religion, and Ideology in Early New England. Routledge, 2020.
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Articles
Bremer, Francis J. "Puritan Law and the Enforcement of Moral Behavior in Early New England." New England Quarterly, 1985. Bremer examines Puritan moral laws and their impact on social norms in New England, focusing on how legal restrictions shaped women’s behavior in Connecticut.
Dayton, Cornelia Hughes. "Taking the Trade: Abortion and Gender Relations in an Eighteenth-Century New England Village." William and Mary Quarterly, 1991. Dayton’s study of gendered moral standards highlights how societal attitudes toward women’s sexuality and autonomy were regulated in Connecticut’s early legal framework.
Foster, Thomas. "Deficient Husbands: Manhood, Sexuality, and Domestic Relations in Seventeenth-Century New England." William and Mary Quarterly, 2002. Foster explores how gender expectations influenced men’s and women’s roles, with a focus on marriage and household dynamics within Connecticut’s Puritan society.
Godbeer, Richard. "Public Indecency and Private Misbehavior: Puritanism and Adultery in Early New England." American Journal of Legal History, 1990. Godbeer discusses adultery laws and their social implications, analyzing how women bore the brunt of social stigma in Puritan Connecticut.
Hall, David D. "The Antinomian Controversy and the Construction of Puritan Women’s Roles." Journal of American History, 1971. Hall reviews how the Antinomian Controversy reflected Puritan beliefs on women’s roles, authority, and moral order in New England communities, particularly Connecticut.
Karlsen, Carol F. "The Devil in the Shape of a Woman: Witchcraft and Women’s Power in Colonial New England." Journal of Social History, 1987. Karlsen analyzes witchcraft accusations, focusing on how women’s perceived independence threatened Puritan social order in New England, especially Connecticut.
Norton, Mary Beth. "Gender and Defamation in Seventeenth-Century New England: The Case of Ann Hibbens." New England Quarterly, 1980. Norton discusses cases of defamation and slander, showing how colonial courts in New England, including Connecticut, managed women’s speech and upheld male authority.
Pestana, Carla Gardina. "The Law and Women’s Work in Early New England." American Journal of Legal History, 1989. Pestana’s work focuses on women’s legal limitations in business and property, highlighting cases where widows in Connecticut gained some economic independence.
Reis, Elizabeth. "Puritan Daughters and 'the Discipline of the Church': Social Control and Female Identity in Seventeenth-Century New England." William and Mary Quarterly, 1990. Reis explores how Puritanism influenced laws governing women’s behavior, highlighting the social controls that reinforced women’s roles in Connecticut.
Ulrich, Laurel Thatcher. "Vertuous Women Found: New England Ministerial Literature, 1668-1735." American Quarterly, 1976. Ulrich analyzes New England ministerial literature that shaped legal practices, emphasizing how sermons promoted women’s submission and influenced Connecticut’s laws.
Woodward, William W. "Slander, Scandal, and Reputation in Early Connecticut." New England Law Review, 1994. Woodward examines Connecticut’s cases of slander, highlighting the legal consequences for women who engaged in disruptive speech or questioned male authority.
Zanger, Jules. "Morality and Law in Puritan New England: The Case of Mary Johnson." Historical Journal of Massachusetts, 1985. Zanger details the case of Mary Johnson, illustrating how Puritan legal systems in Connecticut responded to women’s perceived immoral acts and enforced social conformity.
