THE PURITANS WHO WERE THEY ENGLISH PROTESTANTS WHO

THE PURITANS

WHO WERE THEY? • ENGLISH PROTESTANTS WHO WANTED TO “PURIFY” THEIR CHURCH (the Church of England – Anglican Church) BY ELIMINATING ALL CATHOLIC INFLUENCE • PERSECUTED IN ENGLAND, SO THEY FLED TO FRANCE, HOLLAND, AND NEW ENGLAND • IN 1620, ESTABLISHED THE COLONY OF PLYMOUTH (where ½ died the first winter) • PURITANS ARE ALSO KNOWN AS PILGRIMS

PURITAN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS • People are born in original sin and are naturally depraved • Unconditional election – God saves some people, the elect, and damns the rest. (People can do nothing to save themselves) • Limited atonement - Jesus died for the elect only, not for everyone. • Predestination – God has chosen the elect from the beginning of time • Whether a person is going to heaven or hell is predetermined but unknown until judgment day.

PURITAN RELIGIOUS BELIEFS 2 • Living a virtuous life allowed people to think they were among the elect • Puritans constantly looked for signs that they were in God’s grace – (financial prosperity was one such sign)

WHAT DID PURITANS BELIEVE ABOUT… THE BIBLE • It’s the supreme authority on earth. • Both private and public life should be governed by it. • So they established a theocracy – a government that is ruled by religious authorities.

WHAT DID PURITANS BELIEVE ABOUT… THE DEVIL • He’s everywhere – especially in the forest • People must be on constant watch to escape his influence. • Bad things that happened in the community were signs of the devil’s influence (sick cows, neighbors bickering, Indian attacks, people skipping church) • Ministers’ sermons about the devil often inspired fear and paranoia.

WHAT DID PURITANS BELIEVE ABOUT… THE COMMUNITY PUNISHMENT • Community should be unified group with the same beliefs. • Those NOT of Puritan faith should leave or convert. • Community should be a “city on a hill” – everyone should see that they were a model of how God’s chosen should live. • Breaking the rules of the community was met with disapproval and punishment. • (Punishment included banishment, whipping, prison, burning at the stake, hanging, and public humiliation such as the stocks, the pillory, or wearing some sign of your disgrace (scarlet letter “A” worn by adulterers). )

PURITAN PUNISHMENT The Stocks Puritan Whipping

PURITAN CONTRIBUTIONS • BELIEF IN THE VALUE OF HARD WORK – (believed that work honored God and that idleness provided opportunity for the devil). • THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION – (reading the Bible is essential to a good life, so everyone must be literate (able to read)). • FIRST FREE SCHOOLING FOR CHILDREN • FIRST AMERICAN COLLEGE (HARVARD) • FIRST BOOKS FOR CHILDREN

Native Americans and Puritans Comparison Native Americans • Harmony with nature • Community survival more important than the individual • Can’t have good without evil (balance) • Tolerance of individual difference(balance) Puritans • Nature can harbor the devil and must be tamed • Community survival more important than individual • Evil is of the devil and must be eliminated • No tolerance of individual difference (especially religious)