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1. AMERICA 1620 1820
3. In 1492, Columbus discovered America. Taking Native Americans with him to Spain, stories began to circulate about the wonders of the New World, about its exoticism and bountifulness.
4. Spanish and French explorers wrote about this new world in over-exaggerated styles, praising its beauty, making it appear as Al Dorado (the place of hopes and dreams). America was viewed as the land of plenty, the land of peace and hospitality, the land of riches
5. This brought hope for those who were being prosecuted across the world.
When Europeans began voyaging to this world, they unleashed diseases such as smallpox, measles, typhus, and so on, on the Natives, who were also enslaved and mistreated.
In the face of this, Native American population began to decline rapidly, and thus, Spain introduced African slavery in 1501
6. Native Americans spoke hundred of languages and had different political and economical systems. They also had diverse religious and mythological beliefs.
7. They did not rely on a written alphabet; rather they relied on oral communication.
8. The period of European exploration brought with it a huge body of literature that is referred to as a literature of witness. The early settlers brought with them their knowledge of written communication with its particular style and content. They wrote about their new experiences in forms that were familiar to them letters, factual records, sermons, and poems.
9. In 1517, Martin Luther wrote The Ninety-Five Thesis, a list that attacked the existing Catholic Church as corrupt. Luther stated that salvation must come from within, through faith, not through good works. This paved the way for the reformation and Protestantism.
10. When King Henry the 8th wanted to divorce his queen and the Pope refused, he declared himself Supreme Head of the Anglican Church. This church maintained many of the practices criticized in Catholicism, and thus, many became disillusioned
11. In 1560, a group (Puritans) wanted to purify the Church of England. They claimed the Church had been inseparable from the government, and worshippers wanted a simpler way to worship.
12. The Puritans believed
neither the clergy nor the government has the right to act as intermediary between man and God.
Because of this, many Puritans were persecuted, put in jail, tortured, and even killed.
13. Religious warfare raged in Europe, civil war was on the brink of eruption.
14. In 1620, William Bradford led a small group to the New World, which was viewed as the second Paradise, a land gifted by God to establish a society patterned after His word.
15. They wanted to purify Christian faith; they believed that a complete separation from the corrupt Church of England was best.
They first escaped to the Netherlands, where they felt isolated because of the language and the culture.
Thus, they voyaged to the New World on the Mayflower and established Plymouth Plantation. Half of the Mayflower Pilgrims were dead.
16. Remember:
This passage to the New World was filled with memories of the violence of the old country and the fear of the unknown terrors of the new one: the loss of home, of kinship (relationships, connections), of worldly possessions, of cultural and personal identity
17. THE PURITANS The Puritans believed they must set an example; their behavior was extremely important; there would be serious consequences if they did not live up to their beliefs.
18. The Puritans believed Adam had broken the Covenant of Works (agreement with God that Adam would remain immortal and live in Paradise if he would obey God and His commandments).
This first sin caused all of humanity to be damned.
19. God was gracious enough to bestow a reprieve with the Covenant of Grace (agreement with Christ with all those who believe in Him, which he sealed with His crucifixion, promising eternal life).
20. God chooses an elect few to save from eternal damnation.
One never knows if he/she belongs to the damned or the elect group. Salvation comes from Gods grace.
If God chooses to bestow this gift, then it will be reflected in behavior: self-reliance, industriousness (seriousness), temperance (self-restraint), and simplicity
21. Puritans entered into a contract with God to create a society governed by the scriptures. Everyone worked together for the common good. Puritan lifestyle demanded strict conformity. Dissenters were often flogged, banished, or even sometimes put to death. The Will of God directs and guides the universe.
22. The Puritan Credo (philosophy) Belief in the literal authority of the Bible, which served as a model for their own lives.
Predestination: God has already decided who is to be saved and who is to be damned.
Human beings are sinful by nature.
Salvation comes only to the elect.
23. Hard work and success are signs of Gods grace. The arrival of Gods grace was demonstrated by saintly behavior.
Education is essential in order to read the Word of God.
A person should be thrifty, modest, and simple. Emphasis on individual responsibility, on a direct and personal relationship with God.
Society should be ruled by covenants that parallel Gods covenant with his people.
24. Characteristics of Puritan Writings The Bible was a great influence. Puritan literature concerns life as a journey to salvation. Everything is connected to salvation.
Literature was considered to be a tool to explore faith and to meditate upon God and salvation.
Literature mostly consisted of Diaries and histories describing Gods work.
25. The language was very plain, clear, with no figures of speech or flowery/lavish description.
Strong imagery and inversion the reversal of the usual word order of a sentence were used for emphasis and variety.
26. Literature included allusions (references to someone from history, literature, religion, politics) to people and incidents from the Bible. Biblical metaphors were often used to explain the Puritan condition.
Puritans often refer to themselves as the Israelites and to the New World as Canaan.
The use of symbols (a person, place, or thing that has meaning in itself and that also stands for something more than itself) was also very popular.
