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Difficulty: EasyNew England Colonies

"We must delight in each other; make others’ conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, as members of the same body. . . . For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us."
— John Winthrop, "A Model of Christian Charity," 1630

Based on the excerpt, what was the primary goal of the Puritans who settled the New England colonies?

  1. To build a cohesive, faith-based society that would serve as a moral example for othersAnswer
  2. B
    To establish large-scale commercial plantations for the export of warm-climate cash crops
  3. C
    To import large numbers of indentured servants to address agricultural labor shortages
  4. D
    To promote free-market capitalism and unrestricted trade with other European nations

Answer

To build a cohesive, faith-based society that would serve as a moral example for others
The correct answer is correct because John Winthrop's 'A Model of Christian Charity' explicitly calls on the Puritan colonists to live as a unified Christian community. The phrase 'city upon a hill' represents their goal of creating a model, reformed society that would showcase godly living to the rest of the world.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the Winthrop excerpt for key themes and terminology.
The text emphasizes mutual support ('labor and suffer together'), communal unity ('members of the same body'), and setting a moral standard ('city upon a hill').
Identifying the central argument of the primary source helps determine the settlers' core motivations.
2
Compare the core themes of the text with the historical development of early English colonies.
The religious and community focus matches the Puritan settlers of New England, who arrived in family groups to build a society aligned with their religious covenants.
Differentiating New England's religious focus from the economic focus of other regions prevents conceptual confusion.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the option that correctly identifies New England's primary settlement goal.
The option describing a cohesive, faith-based society serving as a moral example aligns with the Winthrop text, while other options describe Southern cash crops, indentured labor, or mercantilist economic systems.
Eliminating options that contain regional or economic errors reveals the correct answer.

Key Concept

Puritan religious motives and social cohesion in early New England colonization
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Topics

New England Colonies

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