Sixteen forty-one was the first year after the end of the Great Migration. Between 1620 and 1640, an estimated 80,000 people left England because of the religious and political chaos there. About 20,000 each went to one of four places: New England, Ireland, the West Indies, and the Netherlands.
The political situation in Old England came to a critical point in 1640 when King Charles I, who had disbanded the Puritan-led Parliament in 1629, now needed the body to authorize money for his continuing religion-based wars in Scotland, Ireland, and on the Continent. In 1640, King Charles I called Parliament into session, but not only did they refuse to grant the King any money, they convicted one of his advisors of treason and forced the King to sign his death warrant. This led to the English Civil wars, and to the overthrow and execution of King Charles I.
In New England in 1640, therefore, every man who had political hopes for change in Old England suddenly had a reason to return and fight on the side of Parliament; those who might have left now had no reason to go. An estimated 7-10% of the colonists went back to England after 1640, including a third of the clergymen.
The value of cattle and corn, used as commodities in the colonies, dropped by as much as 75%.
Immigration from Old England to New England dropped by fifty percent in 1640, and in 1641 there were only a handful of ship arrivals. The economic effect was immediate. New England was thrown into a depression because of the dearth of English manufactured imports and the lack of cash from trade. The value of cattle and corn, used as commodities in the colonies, dropped by as much as 75%. Workers demanding to be paid at the old value were told by the Court to make do with what they got. Austerity measures were put in place – in anticipation of the lack of cotton cloth to make clothing, colonists were told to cultivate native hemp in their gardens, for example.
Traditionally, historians have written that the colonies pulled out of the depression by turning to export trade, building their own ships, trading more with the West Indies, and initiating the huge mercantile industry for which New England was later to be well known, but in 1641 they had more basic needs. Towns must be built, and infrastructure would be needed to support them – roads, mills, homes. This created jobs and increased manufacturing capabilities for raw goods, such as corn, wood and wool, which they traded amongst themselves. It’s probably where the New Englanders got their reputation for independence.[1]
Note
[1] For a discussion about causes of the depression, see James E. McWilliams, “New England’s First Depression: Beyond an Export-Led Interpretation,” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 33 [Summer 2002]: 1–20.
Exceptional article. Thank you for providing the McWilliams article citation. In order to understand our ancestors best, this kind of background is essential. Thank you again,
Donna TILLINGHAST Casey
Excellent information – underscores again how important it is to know the historical facts of the time period in order to understand what our ancestors faced when immigrating and settling our country. Thank you for this insight.
Diana Morris Wild
Diana, thanks. As I said to someone else, it is hard to put ourselves in 400-year old shoes, but the exercise is worth it.
Diana, The “exercise” as you put it has allowed me to enter into their world and feel their achievements as well as their pain….and absolutely well worth the journey.
My apologies…..my reply about the “exercise” was to Alicia…..but also for everyone interested in this article.
Thank you so much for these insights. Not only doesn’t it explain some family members’ jaunts across the pond, but knowing of the adversity and how they overcame it fleshes out the elusive character of their lives. Thank you, again.
Jane Hanson
This is for everyone interested in this article by Alicia. The full article of “New England’s First Depression…..”, written by McWilliams, is available on-line at JSTOR.com. It is a very interesting read and full of more insights.
Donna, thank you. JSTOR.com is a “must have.”
Jane, Glad it is useful.
Alicia–I LOVE articles like this, giving us background information about what motivated our ancestors to risk everything to come to America. One of my ancestors–Anthony Fisher–made the “Book of Warnings” for writing to folks in England about the miseries of life in NE. Not the first of the family “off-message”.
Thank you.
Katherine Foster
Thank you for pointing out a location, Donna. I also have come to realize that to understand what drove the decisions my 17th century ancestors made, I need to learn more about English history, particularly the Civil War (why weren’t we taught this in school?!). And the 1641 recession, which I was scarcely aware of. This more fully illuminates the drive of my Simsbury/Granby CT ancestors to set up manufacturies and mills. I am thinking that buried in there may be the origins of some of the ancestors I haven’t found yet. I love reading history anyway, and it’s more interesting when you know it applies to your own forebears!
Annie, You comments are right on the money. I can’t get enough of the 16th and 17th century history of England and New England and it does indeed shed a bright light on our ancestors’ lives and dilemmas and choices.
Thank you for this interesting article. My 8x great grandmother’s brother, William DENNIS, was probably one of those who returned to England to fight on the side of Parliament. William DENNIS was born c1617, probably in England. He was a shoemaker by trade and purchased land on Eel River, Plymouth Colony, in March 1638. He sold this land in October 1640 and returned to England. In 1642/3, his father, William DENNIS, Sr., and John WINSLOW settled William DENNIS, Jr.’s affairs in Plymouth Colony. Nothing is known of William DENNIS’ fate in England.
Very interesting history. I have a few ancestors and long-ago uncles who were clergy who returned to England. I had no idea that they were in such good company!