In colonial New England, the colonists’ placid life focused almost entirely on church and religious views. The Bible especially influenced them, and it became a pillar of their religion. Parents believed that it was imperative for their children to read the Bible numerous times. Every Sunday, the diligent townspeople reverently strolled to the church, which they also called a meeting house, where they would spend practically the entire day. Families didn’t sit together, and men and women sat on opposite sides of the meeting house. Slaves and Native Americans had a separate seating section. Every Sunday morning and afternoon, the minister would preach a two through five-hour sermon and then announce the news of the week. The meeting house often …show more content…
Someone who lied or insulted another person had to pay a considerable fine. A man in Virginia vehemently ridiculed the governor. He had his tongue pierced, and then the authorities banished him from the neighborhood. The hostile colonists aimed for criminal punishments to mortify the offenders. Instead of placing convicts in jail, they would often be whipped publicly or have the name of the offense burned onto one of their hands. Other lawbreakers were positioned in the stocks with a sign fastened on their neck, which had the name of their misdemeanor written on it. Bystanders would hurl decomposing, putrid vegetables and fruit at the impotent, unfortunate sufferers sweltering in the stocks. For crimes not as serious, the wrongdoers didn’t have quite as painful punishments. A woman would be tethered to a stool and head would be submerged in water, if she argued with her husband. At school, the teacher would wallop audacious children who misbehaved. Pupils that conversed with each other during class had a stick shoved in their mouths. If scholars didn’t listen, they had to wear a dunce cap or a card with the words, “Idle Boy,” written on it. In colonial times, frequent whippings, wallopings, and whompings were handed liberally out to the gullible