In search of religious freedom a group of devout Christians sailed across the ocean only to come across a new land, radically different from the one they left behind. From the initial journey, to the formation of the colonies, and finally their complicated relationship with “non-believers” Puritans strongly held religious convictions has played a key role in all of this. The Puritans were a group of reformed Protestants seeking to reform the English Church. After the fall of the Roman Catholic Church, a new church was established “The English Anglican Church”. While most Puritans sought to reform the church others wanted nothing to do with it these Puritans would eventually be known as Separatists.
The Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay colony had originally planned for a government that was to be ruled by God 's laws, however over time the colony would become democratically ruled. Rather than living under a democratic society, John Winthrop, along with other stockholding members, preferred to have the Puritan settlement be run by “godly rule” (9) . The original intention of the Massachusetts Bay colony was to set a model of an uncorrupted church and godly society (12) which would in turn help those in England see God 's will and be saved by it (13) . The Puritans, however did believe in the separation of church and state, but this did not mean a separation of the state from God. Despite the idea of separation, the government still
The Puritans were the first and surprisingly largest colonists of America during Colonial Times. A separatist group that had migrated from England to escape persecution and to find a place where they could be religiously satisfied and undisturbed. The Puritans built their society in North America that revolved around a strong connection towards God and family. Although the Puritans were not the only group of people to migrate to North America or only group present in colonial times, they were one of the most impactful, and many of their ideals, morals, and values influenced the economic, political, and social development of New England.
The Chesapeake Bay area was settled by unruly and disorderly young men who were either looking for a fresh start or had been “put out” of England due to their past criminal activity. Puritans who were wealthy and stable participants in society settled the Massachusetts areas. The Puritans left England because of religious persecution and the lack of religious freedom. England’s churches were made up of a church hierarchy that included bishops and other higher -ranking officials.
The Puritans had a huge influence on New England politically through their government as shown in documents A, F, G,and H. Document A is from John Winthrop, as he discusses how all of the Puritans must work together in order for this colony of theirs to work, “...wee must be knit together, in this worke, as one man.” Which is taken to interpret a government run by a group of people,which is basically the sort of government
Puritans living in early America Life in the early 1600’s is a big contrast to the way we live in American in present day times. Back then America was just starting out as there were no official towns yet because not many Europeans lived here. All of that changed in the year 1607 when the first English settlement was built. Years later more came to America for different reasons; some came to have better opportunities and make a decent living but another big reason was to escape religious persecution.
The Puritans broke away from England after trying to purify the Church of England. They eventually became upset after King Henry refused to allow them to make the church pure and departed to the New World. There, the Puritans had to create their own form of government. They formed the Mayflower Compact; a document stating 41 men will work together to govern the people with religion being the center of the colony. The Puritans tried to create a democracy for ruling the people of the New World, but ruling with a democracy was almost impossible for them.
They wanted to create pure, moral Christian society based on moral living. By hard working, integration of religion in politics, and social development of certain lifestyle practices, Puritans had a large influence on the development of the New England colonies from 1630s through the 1660s. Puritans believed in hard work as the pathway of success since they thought they were favored by God to succeed (Doc I). They tried to shun idleness and believed that being lazy is not profitable (Doc C).
In the 1500s, the Protestant Reformation swept through England and caused people like John Calvin to make up their own religions. Henry VIII made the Anglicanism the official religion of England, and any dissenters, even dissenters who belonged to the Church of England, were persecuted. Puritans were some of these dissenters, and they migrated to the New World seeking religious freedom, a place to live the way they believed was pleasing to God. As the Puritans' lives were shaped by their religion, so too did their religious values and ideas influence the political, social, and economic development of the New England colonies. That their belief that people should obey religious authority and their value of unity shaped the northern colonies'
Evidence shows that the Puritans had politically influenced their colonies with their religious values. In the New World, a group of Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. There, the Puritans would create a government that would revolve around their covenant with God. On the way to the New World, John Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, led a sermon, titled “A Model of Christian Charity”, about Puritan ideals (Winthrop). As well as determining Puritan ideals, the sermon urges colonists to unite as a “city on a hill” for others to look up to (Winthrop).
The ideas constructed by the Puritans were not simply a principal starting point for American culture because they were the first in the country, but because they offered distinct ways of thinking that are still deep-seated in our culture today. Although many of the ideas of Puritans have evolved or vanished over time, it is important to give credit to the Puritan writers and thinkers such as John Winthrop and John Cotton who offered ideas that were new at the time and that stayed with the American consciousness—culturally, socially, and politically. “John Winthrop's legacy can be seen primarily in the fields of government, commerce, and religion. It was religion that would most impact John's life; his religion would ultimately impact the
The colonists wanted religious freedom. One reason they originally left England was to escape the Catholic Church. Some called themselves Puritans. They wanted the church and the state to be more separate.
The Puritans was a huge deal in the 1600s. It consisted of colonists who were seeking religious tolerance. Puritans were so strict that it was so far fetched from tolerant. One would be punished to not attend church, it was against the law. Men and women were separated through the day long services.
They were Congregationalists who felt each congregation should independently run its own affairs. They puritans believe in seeking salvation as success indicated God’s grace, but God had already determined who was going to be saved. They felt because of their strong urge to bring religion
The New England colonies grew in the 1600’s with many of their ways derived from the Puritans. Socially, the importance of education which continues to this day was from the Puritans. The other side of this the treatment of the American Indians changed enormously. Politically, small town democracy was from the Puritans, but religion is removed from politics. Economically, agriculture economy is kept with the thought of wanting wealth is accepted.