Crime_in_Early_Massachusetts

Crime in Early Massachusetts Crime and Punishment in Colonial Massachusetts Throughout Massachusetts’s colonial history the interest and confusion can be targeted to the punishments done, for the crimes committed. Presentism is a major idea to remember when reflecting on the actions taken during colonial times. The below excerpt is taken from The Body of Liberties of 1641 and can add to the understanding of why and how such punishments discussed were carried out. Perhaps the magistrates in power took things too far; Possibly the law enforcers took the word of God too literally. Nevertheless Colonial Massachusetts proves to have been a place for persecution, guilty or not, and a place to affirm power and the interpretation of God’s law. The free fruition of such liberties Immunities and priveledges as humanitie, civilitie, and christianitie call for as due to every man in his place and proportion with out impeachment and Infringement hath ever bene and ever will be the tranquillitie and Stabilitie of Churches and Commonwealths. And the deniall or deprival thereof, the disturbance if not the ruin of both. We hold it therefore our dutie and safetie whilst we are about the further establishing of this government to collect and expresse all such freedomes as for present massachusetts, punishment, quakers, law, colonial, out, crime, colony, adultery, people, letter, laws, sabbath, public, god, death, colonies, against, sex, seen, punishments, person, new, found, ever, crimes, considered, carried, being, around, 1641, witch, strict, scarlet, punishable, one, offender, magistrates, made, guilty, been, although, yet, winthrop, upon, two, tried, several, same, religious