The first Puritans who settled in New England brought with them a passion and conviction in their religious beliefs. Many also believed in the reality and efficacy of magic. Especially in New England, the culture of wonders was rooted in providentialism, a belief that God governs the world at each moment through His will and that all events occur as part of His ordained plan. Providentialism provides that one can best understand the natural world as the organic expression of God’s desire.
In an effort to reverse this trend, Puritan ministers developed the Half-Way Covenant in 1662. This declaration allowed for a new category of members who were converted but did not have full communion rights. In addition, this covenant allowed children of the converted to have church membership even if they had not been baptized. This partial church membership led to greater religious participation, but at the same time weakened the purity of religion. As members of the church’s elite grew increasingly frustrated and concerned about the effects of the Half-Way Covenant, these tensions spilled over into the events that would come to be known as the Salem Witch Trials.
King Xerxes tried to carry on his father Darius I's attempt to establish an ethnic frontier by subjugating mainland Greece, as the mainland Greek states were fomenting rebellion in the Greek states in Asia which were under Persian control. He lost, and Athens established an anti-Persian league which dominated the eastern Mediterranean.
<span>Although the internal fighting in the Greek world subsequently eroded the strength of the Greek states, and Persian gold was able to buy influence in them, the rise of Macedonia, and Philip II's and then Alexander's control of Greece tipped the balance of power against Persia. </span>
<span>Alexander took the empire's Mediterranean coastline and so removed the Persian fleet, and as on land Persia's military forces were unable to match the power of Macedonian-Greek forces, he was able to defeat them in three major battles, and so take over the Persian Empire.</span>
<span>The connection was that the Franks and Catholic Church formed a partnership to rule the 'West'. the Church gave the Franks legitimacy and the backing of religion, the Franks gave the Church military and secular power so the Church would be obeyed and could get rid of any rivals. Hope this helps answers your question. </span>
appalachian plateau, valley and ridge, blue ridge, piedmont, and the coastal plain
