Were the Puritans tolerant of others?
When the Puritans arrived after the Pilgrims in the 1630s, they established Massachusetts Bay Colony, the New Haven Colony, the Connecticut Colony and Rhode Island. When they came over to the new world, they came with their strong religious beliefs that set the foundation of our country today.
One of the key influencer of this Puritan movement was John Winthrop. He was the first governor of Massachusetts Bay and named Massachusetts Bay a City upon a Hill. This was the start of the new reformed Protestantism.
With this new model the Puritans took it upon themselves to convert others, especially Native Americans to live in Praying Towns to ensure they convert. This is where the bloody and violent history that really isn’t taught in school starts.
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For those who did not share their same religious approach were not welcomed at all. What made it more difficult for people who were not welcomed was the lines between church and state were very blurred. The citizens of these colonies would often take matters into their own hands such as taxes and even consequences for people who did not fit their way of life. These punishments included civil penalties, exile, disqualification of voting and even death.
Puritans also believed in witches and demonic possession which fueled the fire for what we know as the Salem Witch Trials which lead to many imprisonments and executions of people accused of witchcraft. It was so bad that the majority of the population in some towns were wiped out.
To answer the question on if Puritans were tolerant of others, no they were not at all tolerant of anyone who did not share their conservative religious beliefs. They in many times tried to eradicate the people who did not share their beliefs with often violent