Introduction to Puritanism–
1560-1750
1560-1750
Characteristics:
1. Religion was the center of everything; it dominated lives alongside literature.
2. Followed along with the 3 main Puritan
beliefs:
a. Everything is predestined by God
b. Humans are born inherently evil
c. The Bible is the supreme law
3. Hypocritical
a. The original Puritans came from England to escape religious oppression, but then became the persecutors of anyone who didn’t follow and/or agree with their religious laws.
4. The Scarlet Letter and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, although written after the time period of Puritanism, accurately describe the lifestyle and belief system of the New England Puritans.
1. Religion was the center of everything; it dominated lives alongside literature.
2. Followed along with the 3 main Puritan
beliefs:
a. Everything is predestined by God
b. Humans are born inherently evil
c. The Bible is the supreme law
3. Hypocritical
a. The original Puritans came from England to escape religious oppression, but then became the persecutors of anyone who didn’t follow and/or agree with their religious laws.
4. The Scarlet Letter and Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, although written after the time period of Puritanism, accurately describe the lifestyle and belief system of the New England Puritans.
Historical Context:
1. 1620-1630: Puritan Settlements
a. These settlements functioned as theocracies, or societies guided by religious law.
b. They considered themselves divinely guided, or guided directly by God himself.
i. Plymouth Colony – Arrived at Cape Cod on The Mayflower in 1620 and established their settlement with the Mayflower Compact.
ii. Massachusetts Bay Colony – Governor John Winthrop wrote that they were building, as described in the New Testament, a “city upon a hill” in the new land.
c. Early leaders were intolerant of opposition and banished anyone who opposed the rules of the church.
2. 1660: European Enlightenment and The Great Awakening
a. Redefining the way of thinking that included scientific and experimental thinking.
i. This was a big scientific step that strongly affected the later Puritan intellectuals because it didn’t contradict their religious beliefs and allowed for more knowledge and learning.
b. Eventually, rules relaxed but old tensions and beliefs remained.
i. Some saw the decline of orthodoxy as a sign of weakness and came to believe that Satan had infiltrated the town of Salem and other nearby towns, which led to the Salem Witch Trials.
3. 1692: Salem Witch Trials
a. These witch trials were a result of the supposed irrational behavior of a group of young women in Salem, Massachusetts, that was, according to the town doctor, the work of Satan. Nineteen women throughout the colony were accused of witchcraft, found guilty, and hanged.
i. These witch trials are examples of different religious groups (mainly Puritans and Quakers) taking the teachings of the scripture into their own hands.
ii. Although not occurring during the time period of Puritanism, the Salem Witch Trials were a direct result of the changing Puritan religious beliefs and the decline of their strict rules in the colonies.
1. 1620-1630: Puritan Settlements
a. These settlements functioned as theocracies, or societies guided by religious law.
b. They considered themselves divinely guided, or guided directly by God himself.
i. Plymouth Colony – Arrived at Cape Cod on The Mayflower in 1620 and established their settlement with the Mayflower Compact.
ii. Massachusetts Bay Colony – Governor John Winthrop wrote that they were building, as described in the New Testament, a “city upon a hill” in the new land.
c. Early leaders were intolerant of opposition and banished anyone who opposed the rules of the church.
2. 1660: European Enlightenment and The Great Awakening
a. Redefining the way of thinking that included scientific and experimental thinking.
i. This was a big scientific step that strongly affected the later Puritan intellectuals because it didn’t contradict their religious beliefs and allowed for more knowledge and learning.
b. Eventually, rules relaxed but old tensions and beliefs remained.
i. Some saw the decline of orthodoxy as a sign of weakness and came to believe that Satan had infiltrated the town of Salem and other nearby towns, which led to the Salem Witch Trials.
3. 1692: Salem Witch Trials
a. These witch trials were a result of the supposed irrational behavior of a group of young women in Salem, Massachusetts, that was, according to the town doctor, the work of Satan. Nineteen women throughout the colony were accused of witchcraft, found guilty, and hanged.
i. These witch trials are examples of different religious groups (mainly Puritans and Quakers) taking the teachings of the scripture into their own hands.
ii. Although not occurring during the time period of Puritanism, the Salem Witch Trials were a direct result of the changing Puritan religious beliefs and the decline of their strict rules in the colonies.