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The role of the puritans
Puritanism in salem
Puritan society in america
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In Salem, Massachusetts, the lives of many residents were at the mercy of a few young girls. The town was ruled by religion which opened many opportunities for residents to fear anything that they believed as against them, their religion, or just simply immoral. The people who lived there called themselves Puritans. The Puritans were a group of English Protestants who believed that they must purify the church of England from its catholic practices. In Salem, the residents were ruled by religious leaders who oversaw the town’s court.
The Antebellum occurred before a particular war, especially the American Civil War. The American Revolution was a strong emancipation for African Americans in the North. Unlike the South, slavery was still necessary. During the Antebellum period, the American Nation was divided into the North and South by many issues such as, economic issues, social classes, slavery resistance, and etc. Life for free African Americans in the Antebellum Salem was still harsh and unfair.
To understand why and how these issues arose in Salem, first look to the history of the Puritans. The Puritans believed that the Anglican Church needed to be purified of the Catholic ideologies. With monarchs of their time disinterested in the idea of reform, many Puritans became discouraged and thought the colonies would give them a better chance to reform the church. John Winthrop along with a few other Puritans in the New World decided to create City on a Hill to set an example of good behavior and religious purity. The Puritans believed that God had made a special covenant with them so they could live according to scripture, reforming the Anglican Church, and set a good example for those who were still living in England.
Salem, in the 1600’s was the town of the Puritans. Puritanism is a sect of Christianity that is extremely strict and set in its way. Due to the town being a theocracy of puritanism, it adopted a certain intolerance to anything that went against their beliefs. The puritan ideology was that everyone must completely devout their lives to their faith and nothing else.
Puritans are known for being extremely religious they practice strictness, simplicity and severity in how they live and conduct themselves; they are strong supporters of modesty, propriety, and decorum but strongly oppose any forms of pleasure (6). The community of Salem considered anyone who practiced witchcraft a felon, it was a crime in the 17th century and they saw it as going against the government (1). Puritans believed the devil could provide you with supernatural powers to harm others in return for loyalty (4). After several incidents that occurred in the town people believed that the devil was roaming the streets of Salem, numerous outbreaks of small pox and fights with the Native Americans led the townspeople to believe so (9). Witches
The Puritans believed word from word what was written in the bible, they put their religious belief into their laws and believed that all sins should be punished by hanging or thrown in jail. Not only did they extremely focus on religion but there was already tension between Salem Village and Salem Town, where they were far wealthier. As the accusations of witches started in Salem, the Puritans religious belief and the conflict between Salem Village and Salem Town caused the Salem Witch Trials. Puritans are colonists who were seeking religious tolerance, so they left England and settled in the American colonies. Their goal was to create communities that was centered around the church to support their Christian way of life (Salem Witch Trials).
From 1692 to 1693, the Salem witch trials had Massachusettes in shambles because of the rising hysteria and madness. This madness was caused by many factors, including a corrupted justice system, personal grudges against one another, and one's willingness to lie for pride. The Salem government was considered a theocracy, in which the government was ruled in the name of God and the hands of the priest. Judge Danforth exemplifies unprofessionalism when he decides he cannot pardon anyone because they have already hung many others, which would be admitting his wrongdoing. “You misunderstand, sir; I cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime.
“Puritans, a term that refers to several groups of Protestants from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England known for abiding by strict codes of discipline and avoiding all forms of excess”(Riggs). This was important because the town of Salem was full of Puritans; they were very strict with certain things. They were expected to go to church every Sunday unless they were very ill. Certain things were very different across different periods of time, such as now going to church is optional and nonetheless, religion is optional. The time periods affected both of the stories, but it did not affect how one decision can make a life-altering
In Salem, Massachusetts, Puritans were strong believers in the Bible. The Bible states, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” The Puritans beliefs led to them accusing 20 innocent people of being a witch, this resulted in their deaths in 1692. Even though the Puritans couldn’t see it at the time, their accusations were really based off jealousy, lies, and Salem being divided into two parts. One cause of the Salem witch trial hysteria was jealousy.
Life before the infamous Salem Witch Trials was very mundane and normal. The village and society was based and founded on the Puritan religion. The people had a very set lifestyle. They were taught to work and pray. When they weren't working, they were praying.
The pursuit of religious freedom is not a contemporary idea. For centuries many have valiantly fought against oppression and persecution in order to worship freely without restraint and judgement. Some of the earliest immigrants who migrated to this country did so with the hopes of being able to worship in a manner than aligned most closely with their religious beliefs. Many of the principles that founded this nation are based on the premise of religious freedom and toleration. Undoubtedly one of the most influential and prominent religious factions to land on these shores in pursuit of this right, were the Puritans.
Salem runs its government as a theocracy. A theocracy is a government where religion controls the power. That means priests of the church judge in the name of god. There can be many problems with this type of government. If a person cannot agree with or disrespects the religion there are great consequences for them.
In US History, many have realized that the architectural styles of important buildings can easily describe the priorities, beliefs, and behavior over the course of time frame. That we are presently concentrating on the type of attitudes as well as priorities that the English occupants brought once they arrived in America. When the English colonists first arrived in America, they had a variety of attitudes and priorities, which could be seen in their own architectural design. The English settlers that settled in England region were mostly Puritans who arrived in America this is because they have objected things with English way of life.
The Puritans were a group of people that came to America to practice their religion beliefs in the 16th and 17th centuries. They got their name “the puritans” because they wanted to “purify” the church by removing elements that they disagreed with the church. The puritans were blocked from changing the church and were severely restricted in England by laws controlling the practice of religion. Which is why they came to America to be able to start and practice their religion. Puritans left their mark on their new land, becoming the most dynamic Christian force in the American colonies.
REVIEW OF LITRATURE A.) SUMMARY SOURCE A Although the whole book had information on the Salem witch trials. The introduction, chapter 1 and 2 and the conclusion had information regarding the research needed • Introduction: states what the Salem witch trials where and who they accused.