How Did The Puritans Integrate Their Ideas Into Their Society

Since its discovery, America has been a haven for the discriminated, the ambitious, and the religiously persecuted. The original New England colonies which embodied all three of these attributes and set the stage for future immigrants were influenced by the Puritans. The Puritans were a religious group who were unsatisfied with the teaching of the Church of England. They continuously pushed for greater reforms and fought to “purify” the church, thus the name Puritans. By the seventeenth century, they had begun searching for places outside Europe to practice their religion without dispute or antagonism. This had caused them to turn to America and in 1629, the established Massachusetts Bay colony, governed by John Winthrop, was converted into

This political structure enforced strict moral adherence in the community. The Puritans believed in predestination, the idea that their fates were already predetermined by God. This led them to believe that religiously powerful men, such as priests, were given the power by God to play an authority figure in leading the society by following biblical guidelines and had the power to decide for the community as a whole. However, the community still set bounds for their leaders. According to John Cotton in “ Limitation of Government”, people should not exceed the restrictions placed on them by god ( Document E). He argues that all men, even men in power are capable of deceit and atrocity. He urges the people of Massachusetts Bay to follow the restrictions which God has placed on them to politically control their power in all aspects of their lives. This piece highlighted how their governmental system worked. Even though most power belonged to the prominent ministers, they were chosen by the congregation as a whole. This also exemplifies how rigidly the church and state were connect, due to the fact that it was congregational rule which chose its leaders rather than just the citizens of that area. Further demonstrating the power of religion in political matters is the idea that by

One of their main beliefs, predestination, had a great affect on their social outlook. Due to the already known beliefs, it was thought that they could only be saved if God chooses to save them. They emphasized hard work and religious piety in their society. People would advocate hard work, productive use of time, and self denial in indulgent things ( Document F). This emulated salvation and set an example to the rest of the society. These people also represented the ordinary persona of the society, showing what traits were considered most valuable. Puritan ideas also greatly influenced their community by giving everyone a shared passion. Their religion brought them all together in happiness and sorrow, making them members of the same body (Document A). Puritans epitomized the goal of creating a state in which they can freely practice their religion and also the goal of creating the “city on a hill”, a community which sets the standard for all future communities. They gave speeches that strengthened the society’s connection with one another, but also their strength in God because they believed that they were given this land as a blessing. In Puritan communities their lives were dedicated to their religion. They emphasized strict loyalty to biblical ideas and rejection of secular ones. In “ The Enlarged Salem Covenant of 1636” the