Puritans

Historical background

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)

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

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

Irony?

Moral beliefs

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

Social norms

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

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

Religious beliefs

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)

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

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

Contributions to American government and society

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

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

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