In the New World, Africans were not only marginalized from cultural, ethnic, and social roots. They ceased to be regarded as individuals. There was a situation where differences in geographical position, social past, languages, religious beliefs, huge distances from the homeland, and scattering throughout the colonial territory did not allow for to creation of a social institution for the preservation and development of paternal African culture. The Africans were forced to adapt to a new alien and hostile environment. The process of linguistic, everyday, and socio-cultural assimilation of the Negro population began. It took over the traditions, customs, skills, and English language. This was also facilitated by the accession of Africans to Christianity. The broad missionary activities of the Baptists and Methodists laid new emotional and psychological bonds – a religion that gave the Nephites the hope of salvation, and liberation from suffering and gave meaning to their lives. This formed the objective preconditions for the emergence of a new social-racial community. The formation of the brotherly ties was influenced by racial discrimination, the ideology of ‘white superiority’, and the lifelong ‘racial inferiority’ of the black ones. The ideas of racism deeply penetrated the consciousness of the American colonists, retarding the pace of assimilation that was different in the Southern and Northern colonies. Despite the fact that throughout the New World, s
lavery was perceived as a mere fact, the socio-cultural, and economic situation in New England created more favorable conditions for the cultural assimilation of peoples. The multidisciplinary economy, the prevalence of farming, and the development of cities required skilled labor for slaves, which were often considered family members. They directly encountered home life, the work of white masters. Increased racial mixing, as a result of which the mulatto became part of the black population, the local in particular. In the middle of the XVIII century in the cities of New England, a stratum of free blacks appeared. On May 31, 1638, the well-known leader of the American Puritans and the founder of Connecticut Thomas Hooker delivered his first sermon at the First Church of Hartford. It said that ‘the foundation of power is based on the free consent of people, emphasizing the democratic principle of electoral power in a new colony. Thomas Hooker advocated greater religious tolerance with respect to all Christian denominations. He believed that, due to the will of God and His law, people have the right not only to elect their officials and judges but also to determine the limits of their authority. Thomas Hooker, as one of the most authoritative priests and statesmen who managed to organize the functioning of democratic processes in American colonies, is rightfully considered one of the ‘founding fathers of the United States’ and ‘father of American democracy.’