Puritans Strengths

1150 Words5 Pages

One of the founding beliefs shared by the early Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay Colony was that they should be role model to all like “a city on a hill” (Evans 21). This belief was shared heavily among the Puritans that came to New England and it can be seen through their beliefs and attitudes. Puritanism was one of the first European religions in America and it has withstood many difficulties in its own way. New England Puritanism had strengths such as a strong work ethic and commitment to self-sufficiency, but was also characterized by strict religious beliefs and intolerance of other religions, which led to the persecution of groups like the Quakers. The banishment of Anne Hutchinson, a prominent Puritan who challenged orthodox beliefs, …show more content…

The Puritans believed that they had a special covenant with God and that they were chosen to build a new society based on their religious principles period to this end, they established a system of self-governance and communal land ownership that allowed them to thrive in the harsh conditions of the New England wilderness. The Puritans believed in the virtues of industry and frugality, and worked hard to build strong, thriving communities. They were skilled farmers and craftsmen, and their self-sufficiency allowed them to thrive in a challenging environment. They also established a system of public education that ensured that their children would be able to read the Bible and uphold their religious values. This led to the establishment of some of the earliest universities in America, such as Harvard and Yale. These strengths helped the Puritans build strong and resilient communities that would have a lasting impact on American culture and …show more content…

One of the most significant was its strict adherence to religious doctrine and intolerance of other religions. The Puritans believed that theirs was the only true faith and that those who did not adhere to it were sinful and in need of conversion. This led to the persecution of other religious groups such as the Quakers, who were expelled from the Puritan colonies for their unorthodox beliefs. The Quakers, also known as the Society of Friends, were a religious group that emerged in England during the 17th century. They were known for their unorthodox beliefs, which included the idea that every individual had a direct connection with God, and the rejection of formal religious hierarchies and sacraments. These beliefs were seen as a direct challenge to the established religious order in England and led to widespread persecution and violence against the Quakers. In America, the Puritans, who had come to the New World to escape religious persecution in England, were similarly intolerant of the Quakers' unorthodox beliefs. The Puritans believed that the Quakers were heretics and sought to suppress their religious practices. This led to a series of violent conflicts between the two groups, with the Puritans using physical violence and legal persecution to suppress the Quakers (Evans 48). The Puritans' intolerance of the Quakers reached its peak in the 1650s, with the passage of laws that made it a crime to be a Quaker in

Open Document