More handpicked essays just for you.
The Influence of Puritanism in American Culture
The Influence of Puritanism in American Culture
Short note on puritanism
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Massachusetts Bay was founded in 1628. The Puritans who believed in predestination and “The Elect”. Formed a colony to be on a “City on a Hill”. The puritans wanted to change the church of England. They wanted to separate but not how the pilgrims did, they wanted to separate because they wanted to make the church of England “pure” how they wanted to do this is they wanted to remove the ceremony and the music.
The Pilgrims creation of the Mayflower Compact helped the average citizen have a role in government because the government and laws the Pilgrims chose to have for themselves in the New World was different from the monarchy and laws they were used to in Europe. In the Mayflower Compact, the Pilgrims state that they are going to combine themselves into a civil, body politic. They also plan to create equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices for the general good of the colony. The government the Pilgrims had allowed men in the colony, and their wives if they were absent during a town meeting, to vote. The colonists were used to having a Monarchy as their government who could create or get rid of laws at any moment.
-William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation Before going ashore they thought of the boundaries, and as a result, the terms of their charter would not apply to their new colony. So in order to do that, they signed the Mayflower Compact. They pledge themselves to unite into a “civil body politic”, or government. Then the Pilgrims practice the religious freely.
English Colonies in North America: The Similarities and Differences The English colonies in North America boasted diverse origins, economies, social structures, and cultural practices. As we dive into the early colonization of North America by English settlers, it becomes evident that the Northern, Middle, and Southern Colonies, as well as the Backcountry region, exhibited varied origins, economies, social structures, and cultural practices. Through the lens of religion, economy/labor, lifestyles, and conflicts, we gain a better understanding of the similarities and differences among these colonies. The Northern Colonies, spanning Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, were influenced by Puritan religious ideals. Settlers established
As the Pilgrims arrived, the Pilgrims did not own the land. So Bradford and the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower compact, “a document that claimed ownership of the area... the agreement also set out to guarantee security against dissension (discord or quarreling) with the rest of the passengers... The agreement also provided for a government as well as a new religious society” (Saari and Carnagie 15-16). The Mayflower Compact set the rules for the oncoming people going onto Plymouth.
Problems of British Settlers in Early 17th Century Going to another country or land always means to explore or advent. By viewing the new world can open people’s mind, especially for people who remain in the same place for a long time. Because of the advanced technology and the development of the map, British people started to explore America in the early 17th. However, starvation during the winters, no central authority, and low quantity of the population were some of the major issues British settlers had when they tried to settle at the beginning. Without a central authority would be hard to settle and build up the foundation of civilization in a new land.
The New England colony believed they were called by God to start a colony. “Let us trace . . .[the] men
Freedom to Prosecute Religion Colonial America is often thought of as a safe haven from religious persecution. Future colonists had been persecuted for not accepting their countries ' religious doctrine and were willing to travel long distances in search of religious freedom. Religious freedom would still be far from grasp as Puritans would continue their homelands traditions of persecution for many more years. Puritans, unlike the Pilgrims (who sought to completely separate from the Church of England), wanted to purify the Church.
Religion played a great role in the establishment of the English colonies. The main reason the English traveled to North America was to escape religious persecution. Once the English settled in they created colonies, and established rules for a religious society. They would also try to convert Natives into Christianity, and they established universities to practice ministry. Once the English settlers got to North America, the House of Burgesses in 1619 said they would try to convert Native children specifically boys into a “ true religion”, then eventually teach them how teach them how to be Christian civil people.
Although all the colonists all came from England, the community development, purpose, and societal make-up caused a distinct difference between two distinct societies in New England and the Chesapeake region. The distinctions were obvious, whether it be the volume of religious drive, the need or lack of community, families versus single settlers, the decision on minimal wage, whether or not articles of agreements were drawn for and titles as well as other social matters were drawn, as well as where loyalties lay in leaders. New England was, overall, more religious than the Chesapeake region. Settlers in New England were searching relief for religious persecution in Europe. Puritans, Quakers, and Catholics were coming in droves to America searching for an opportunity to have religious freedom.
It was founded by a large group of Puritans led by John Winthrop. “Puritans dominated the politics, religion, and culture of New England” (Chapter 2, pg.14). They established many different towns within the Colony including: Boston, Salem, and Charlestown. The Massachusetts Bay Colony differed from Plymouth in many ways. The Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay Colony had a better education then the Puritans in Plymouth did.
New England’s economy would also be influenced by the British tax later that would cause Americans to revolt many of which trusted in their faith to guide them The Puritans who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 were also motivated by religious beliefs. They believed in the idea of a "city upon a hill," a vision of a holy community that would serve as an example to the rest of the world (American YAWP, 2.6). This belief led to a strict social order and a commitment to the moral and spiritual purity of the community. It also led to conflicts with other religious groups, such as the Quakers, who were seen as a threat to the Puritan social order.
In England, during the 17th century, the groups that didn’t fit in with the religious society and culture of England but wanted to form their own communities. At that time, Jamestown had proven to England that the New world was The Virginia Company gave them charters to colonized Although, Puritans wanted to keep their rigid laws and strict culture based just christianity, the other English colonists who were more tolerant to other religions such the quakers and the Rhode Islanders. The Puritans who colonized the Massachusetts Bay area and the Chesapeake area, influenced the communities in many differents way. In the communities, people lived in the town and kept their farms on the outside to be closer to the church and to watch over each
The New England colonies were first founded in the last 16th to 17th century as a sanctuary for differing religious groups. New England was made up of the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. New Hampshire, however, was formed for economic reasons instead of religious ones. The Chesapeake region, which is made up of the colonies of Maryland and Virginia, was founded by the British colonies for the purpose of farming. However, by the 1700’s, despite both being settled by Englishmen, New England and the Chesapeake region had developed differently.
Over time there have been many great authors in American Literature. No one author is like the other, and the different time periods have a great influence on how authors write and express themselves in their works. In these authors work, you can see the distinct differences in what they write about. As the time changes, so does culture and social norms change.
