The Colonial and Puritan Period The New World

Colonial Period Background

Pre-colonial- The First Americans The first migration to the Americas was NOT by the British. The first migration occurred 20 – 40,000 years ago when Ice Age Hunters traveled from Siberia to Alaska. Slowly these people and their descendants migrated south. When European exploration began, these were the people who were living in the New World; we know them as Native Americans.

The New World When Columbus discovered America in 1492, stories began to circulate about its bountifulness. Explorers wrote about and praised this New World, and it became viewed as the land of plenty, the land of peace and hospitality, and the land of riches. These descriptions became appealing to Europeans and others who were rooted in turmoil and persecution.

The Spaniards One of the first groups of Europeans to explore America was the Spaniards, most notably Cortes, De Soto, and Coronado. Native Americans played a huge role in helping these explorers with communication and survival skills. However, Native Americans were still mistreated, and many of their civilizations were wiped out by war and diseases their bodies couldn’t handle.

English Colony Establishment While the Spaniards began settling their colonies in Florida and New Mexico through the 1500s, English settlers did not establish a colony in North America until 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia.

Famous English Colonies Colony of Virginia (1607): first successful permanent English settlement in Jamestown, or the Chesapeake Bay area Plymouth Colony (1620): group of Pilgrims, also referred to as Puritans, that sailed on the Mayflower who enforced self-governing policies and wished to worship God as they pleased Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629): group of Puritans seeking to reform the church to a purer level; their goal was to make a “nation of saints” by punishing sinners

The Mystery of Roanoke Colony (The Lost Colony) In 1584, expeditions began to establish what was meant to be the first English settlement in Roanoke (present day North Carolina). John White led the expedition. The 115 settlers established their colony, and John White went back to England for more supplies However, he could not return due to war. When he did return one year later, the entire colony (buildings and people) were gone. The only evidence left behind was the word “Croatoan” carved on a tree. The mystery of Roanoke still stumps historians to this day.

Colonial Literature The period of European exploration brought with it a huge body of literature that is referred to as a literature of witness or exploration narratives. The early settlers brought with them their knowledge of written communication with its particular style and content. They wrote about their new experiences in forms that were familiar to them – letters, factual records, sermons, and poems.

Discuss Picture this. You are sitting here in your favorite class ever listening to me teach when all of a sudden there is breaking news: a new world has been discovered across the ocean. They are asking for explorers to pick up and leave everything behind to help pioneer this new land. The rumor is that it is beautiful and bountiful and full of opportunities. However, no one knows what or who is on the land, and you would be starting out fresh by building everything on your own, figuring out what vegetation is edible, etc. Would you go? Why or why not?

Puritan Period Background

Colonial vs. Puritan The Colonial Period is the period when the British ruled North America, which began around the time Columbus discovered North America (early 1500s). The Puritan Period is coined through the early 1600s to the 1750s, when English settlers were coming to the New World.

Puritan Lifestyle Puritans believed in the simplicity of life, both through attire and religious ceremony. In their society, any sin was considered a crime, and therefore it must be punished accordingly for justice. Puritans believed they must reject attractions of the world. They believed hard work was needed for material success (which conflicted with trying to reject attractions).

Puritan Religion Religious values were put above everything else in Puritan society. Children were exposed to strict religious values from an early age. Puritans believed salvation was attained through Christ and pure work was a sign of your commitment to Christ.

Puritan Beliefs Predestination: the idea that God knows where each person will end up in eternity (heaven or hell). The Covenant of Grace: the idea that Christ would save all those who believed in Him and that people might prepare their hearts for the experience of grace. Puritans do NOT believe salvation can be earned. It is predetermined.

Puritan Literature Genres that the Puritans favored: Sermons, religious poetry, historical narratives, and journals. THEY DID NOT FEEL LITERATURE WAS FOR ENTERTAINMENT. Novels and plays were frowned upon, due to a perceived lack of practical religious value.

Discuss Have you ever… Played cards? Laughed on a Sunday? Disobeyed your parents? Sworn at a person or an animal? Disrespected a teacher? If you had, and you lived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the authorities would arrest you! You would go to jail! Knowing this, what can you predict the conflicts of our two upcoming novels will revolve around?