1. Puritans

2. Historical background

3. In the 1560s, a group of militant English Protestants broke off from the Church of England
They called themselves Puritans because they wanted to “purify” the Church of England
They wanted The Bible, not the Pope, to be the “supreme authority” on religious rules and practices.
They thought the Pope was too inconsistent and did not always rule by The Bible (as God would)

4. They also wished to eliminate many Catholic practices
Saying Mass in Latin
Having priests
Entertainment on Sundays
Though a group of Puritans stayed in England, many traveled to the new world seeking freedom from religious persecution
Puritans were among the pilgrims who landed in Massachusetts in 1620 on the Mayflower

5. Puritanism was dominant in America until 1735
In the community, everyone had to conform to Puritan beliefs
Attending and giving money to the church
Following orders of the church leaders
People who wanted other beliefs (Quakers) were driven out
If they returned, they were killed for being sinners

6. Irony?

7. Moral beliefs

8. Anything that encourages lust is sinful
Life is serious
Joyfulness and pleasures were the devil’s influence
Clothing should be dark and cover the entire body, especially women’s clothing
Anything that encourages lust is sinful
Women were the main cause of the downfall of man
They should be “subdued”
They viewed God as a stern judge
Man as evil
The world as a place of sorrow and sin

9. Social norms

10. They were not a democratic society
Their government was a theocracy (ruled by the church)
The Bible is the final authority
The Puritans signed the Mayflower Compact upon arriving in America
The Compact called for self-government (as opposed to the King’s rule) based on mutual consent
The local religious leader and a few important men made laws and punishments
They had seating arrangements in church, according to wealth and position

11. Home and family were very important
They had many children – sometimes as many as 20
They had a strong work ethic
They believed one should be productive all the time
Idleness was considered the devil’s influence
There is no time for social occasions, such as parties
Social gatherings went against their religious beliefs, because they did not glorify God

12. Religious beliefs

13. Religion was based on John Calvin and his beliefs
They were not Calvinists, however
God is the “supreme judge”
One should fear God
God is omniscient and omnipotent
People are born with original sin
When Adam and Eve ate the apple, they tainted mankind
People are morally capable (able to improve themselves)
They must work their whole lives to attain “grace” from God
A person is bound for hell, unless he/she is the lucky one that gets God’s “grace” (saved and sent to heaven)

14. One cannot earn “grace”
A person never knows if one has “grace” or not
People who were good and pious were thought to have “grace,” but no one knew for sure
Being wealthy might be a sign a person was a chosen one
Wealth=success
Success meant the person was working hard at his/her chosen vocation and God would reward that person
Their beliefs were contradictory
Basically, they believed it was predestined whether they were going to heaven or hell, but the way they lived their life would show which one they were headed to

15. The afterlife Headed to heaven ↓
If you work hard, attend church regularly
Good Puritan
Headed to hell ↓
Horrible life, do not attend church regularly
Bad Puritan

16. Contributions to American government and society

17. Established free public schooling
Secured by the levying of taxes
Applies to you directly
Founded first colleges and universities
Notably, Harvard
Instilled respect for learning
Created first printing press in North America
Cambridge, Massachusetts

18. Established the first representative form of government
The Mayflower Compact
Developed a religious conscience in America
Established a sound work ethic
Developed moral principles for government and society
Literature
Always practical
Focused on spiritual experience
Sermons, hymns, Bible studies, biographies

19. Influence is still around
Americans are uncomfortable with nudity
Some language is considered “bad”