As we begin to commemorate the events leading to American independence, we need to remember the roots of that drive for independence and self-governance that started more than a century earlier. The American Revolution did not come from nowhere, but rested on a history that connects puritans and patriots. In this important talk, award-winning historian Francis Bremer explored the early history of resistance to royal interference, beginning with the military preparations to defend Massachusetts against King Charles‘ attempt to seize the colony charter in the 1630s. Click here for an 86-minute presentation by the Partnership of Historic Bostons recorded on May 22, 2025.

Introduced by Lori Rogers-Stokes, Bremer examined the many ways in which the colonists supported the English Puritan cause during the English civil wars of the 1640s. He discussed 18th century patriots’ awareness of that legacy, and concluded with Nathaniel Hawthorne‘s linkage of the Puritans and revolutionaries in the person of a Grey Champion – who would always come forth when freedom was threatened.

(Above) Cotton Mather, John Adams, and John Leverett acknowledged the importance of the Puritan settlers in New England – who, from the outset, resisted royal attempts to curb self-government and established a clear precedent of resistance to arbitrary government. Adams reflected in later years that the growth and defense of New England rested on the relatively democratic structures of “towns, militia, schools, and churches” established by Winthrop‘s generation.

Bremer examined the many ways in which the colonists supported the English Puritan cause during the English Civil Wars of the 1640s which also led to the Revolution of 1689 in New England.