The Puritans

Origins In 1534, British King Henry VIII severed ties with the Roman Catholic Church and created the Church of England (Anglican Church) The Anglican Church was very corrupt, and many factions formed. In the early 17th Century, extremely conservative religious groups did not like this direction and set sail to the newly “discovered” America.

Puritans or Pilgrims? Pilgrims Puritans Established American colony in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620. Broke completely with the Church of England Flagship: The Mayflower Founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony around present day Salem and Boston in the 1630s Attempted to reform, or “purify,” the Church of England Flagship: The Arbella

17th Century New England

Concept of Covenant Covenant between God and the community. A contract w/ God: God promises redemption for his chosen, people promise a faithful life. As Puritan towns rose, each wrote a covenant (see p. 40 of Hellfire Nation). A modern term for covenant would be a ‘contract.’ Once a covenant is drawn- even a King can be charged w/ violating it. Covenants are in many ways forerunners of constitutions in America. “…

Calvinistic Beliefs Followers believed in the teachings of John Calvin (1509-1564) Calvin taught that human beings were depraved sinners and that God had chosen only an unknown few for salvation. Those not chosen by God were condemned to eternal damnation No one really knew if he or she was saved or damned; Puritans lived in a constant state of spiritual anxiety, searching for signs of God's favor or anger. Being good was not enough. It was important to be converted in the soul.

Rules to live by Mandatory church attendance Education/reading is good – if you can read, you can read the Bible Live in accordance with God’s will ACTIVITY

New England Primer

Puritan Society Individuality was frowned upon. Conformity to religious beliefs was required and dissent was only tolerated under strict limits. Governments were also to be held responsible for the salvation of the people. (NO SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE!) Hard work and self-discipline were very important Puritans strongly disapproved of sexual relations outside of marriage, of drunkenness, and of activities such as gambling, drama (acting), and celebrating holidays, such as Christmas.

Beliefs & Values Ethnocentric – “City set upon a hill” Predestination – God would save those he had chosen and would damn the rest Simplicity Education – If you could read, you could read the Bible Group discipline and individual responsibility

And you thought being grounded was bad…. Stocks

The Scarlet Letter

Whipping Public Shaming

Branding Ducking stool

Gossiping, nagging, scolding

Not on Sunday! You could be fined or punished for doing the following on Sunday: Running Cooking Make a bed Shaving Gee whiz, Lois! You mean I don’t have to make my bed today?

Didn’t these people ever have fun? YES alcohol NO drunkenness YES dancing NO grindage YES colorful dress ….within reason YES celebrations & feasts NO Christmas

Puritans considered the woods the home of the Devil Puritans considered the woods the home of the Devil. But what, or who, is in the woods?

Puritans believed in demonic forces, such as witchcraft and magic, which were sent to tempt humans.

Roger Williams Criticized the church he asserted that the civil magistrates may not punish any sort of "breach of the first table [of the Ten Commandments]," such as idolatry, Sabbath-breaking, false worship, and blasphemy, and that every individual should be free to follow his own convictions in religious matters. Three principles: separatism, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state believed that soul liberty freedom of conscience, was a gift from God, and that everyone had the natural right to freedom of religion. Religious freedom demanded that church and state be separated. Williams was the first to use the phrase "wall of separation" to describe the relationship of the church and state.

Salem Witch Trials Refers to a series of hearings around Salem, Mass. from May 1692 to May 1693 in which courts attempted to prosecute men and women accused of witchcraft. Any accusation of witchcraft would be taken seriously, while denials would not be. Overall, 19 people were executed during the witch trials and several others died while in jail. This is the setting (time and place)for The Crucible by Arthur Miller.

Decline of Puritanism By the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Puritanism was on a clear decline. Fiery speakers such as Jonathan Edwards (P. 72) brought a brief revival of Puritanism in New England in the late 1720s and early 1730s, but this did not last long. Puritans blamed this decline on swearing; a tendency to sleep at sermons; the spread of sex and alcohol, especially in taverns, where women were known to bare their arms and, upon occasion, even their breasts; and, most telling, the marked increase in lying and lawsuits

Puritanism’s Effect on America While there are not many “Puritans” in America today, their influence is still felt. Here are some of the believed influences: Hard work and discipline are valued work traits Man is an individual Covenants/Constitutions Survival and self-sufficiency Regular elections The quest for religious freedom, while being intolerant of other religions Secret ballot Compulsory schooling and universities A negative view of alcohol Town meetings – self-government A negative portrayal of sexuality and of the human body beginnings of “separation of church & state” Public scrutiny of public figures/celebrities