Covenants in colonial period?

Question

I was wondering if anyone could tell me the influence and significance that a covenant had in the colonies?

Answer 1

"Covenants" --in which the people covenanted or compacted together, and all on an equal basis-- were THE basis for the organization, first of the local church, then of civil governments in the Puritan communities of New England. But this form of organization, based on the Puritans' understanding of BIBLICAL covenants (first of all between God and his people) were ALSO found among OTHER colonial settlers who, like the Puritans, were "Reformed" in their theology (as is "Protestant Reformation", a term used for the churches of the "Calvinistic" wing of the Reformation), including Scottish Presbyterians.

This whole system of organization, esp. developed at the local level, but then expanded to larger polities (colonies and even between colonies), was expressed not only in "church covenants" (amongst fellow believers) but in "compacts" (e.g., Mayflower Compact!) and constitutions.

The following article has a good brief overview of "covenant", including the biblical/theological basis for the idea, and its development into "the New England Way".
http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/purdef.htm#Covenant

And here is a very helpful explanation of how covenants developed in the colonies, with examples from nearly all the colonies, and an explanation of how THIS understanding and practice of consensual self-government, which PRECEDED the writings of John Locke** and other "Enlightenment" thinkers.
Daneil J Elazar, "Covenant and the American Founding " The Covenant Tradition in Politics, Volume 3, Chapter 1 (1998)
http://www.jcpa.org/dje/books/ct-vol3-ch1.htm
compare the introduction to this volume - http://www.jcpa.org/dje/books/ct-vol3-int.htm
for more on "the Idea of Covenant" in Western Civilization (including poltical organization), see
http://www.jcpa.org/dje/index-cov.htm


**(Some of Locke's LANGUAGE may have been important to the political discussions leading up to the American Revolutions, but the IDEAS and practices had many other roots, including the development over several centuries of the "British Constitution", common law, and this COVENANT model. Bernard Bailyn's classic *The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution* explores how these various strains came together -- see esp. the first chapters of his book.)

Answer 2

Question needs a little work, not quite sure what you are asking. A convenant is a contract. Are you thinking of a specific covenant? Covenants in general? Between certain groups of people? Specific individuals?