The evidence for this will mostly come from the Puritan colonies, founded in New England. Settlers in Virginia were not entirely secular in their outlook, but most were not seeking a haven, they were either seeking profit or were brought to labor on the behalf of profit-seekers. Modern historians would describe their motives and experiences as more typical than those of the religious dissenters that founded the New England colonies. Of the New England settlers,...
The evidence for this will mostly come from the Puritan colonies, founded in New England. Settlers in Virginia were not entirely secular in their outlook, but most were not seeking a haven, they were either seeking profit or were brought to labor on the behalf of profit-seekers. Modern historians would describe their motives and experiences as more typical than those of the religious dissenters that founded the New England colonies. Of the New England settlers, two writers, both of whom were leaders of their respective colonies, stand out. The first, William Bradford, is very clear that he views the Plymouth Colony, for all the difficulties encountered in planting it, is a haven provided by God for the benefit of the Pilgrims. His work, Of Plymouth Plantation, is primarily intended to demonstrate how God has provided for the Pilgrims in the new lands they settled. John Winthrop, a leader in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, established shortly thereafter, famously referred to the colony they were founding as a "city upon a hill," not just a refuge but an example of a "Bible commonwealth" that he hoped future generations would emulate. Some historians have cited this conviction as the foundations of an ideology, still seen in political rhetoric today, known as "American exceptionalism".
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