240 likes | 340 Views
Background Information on the Puritans. Who were the Puritans?. From England Struggled for years to purify the Church of England. Influences. Martin Luther- (German Catholic priest and professor) believed men are inherently evil and essentially evil and God is all-powerful
E N D
Who were the Puritans? • From England • Struggled for years to purify the Church of England
Influences • Martin Luther- (German Catholic priest and professor) believed men are inherently evil and essentially evil and God is all-powerful • Translated Bible from Greek to German • Believed salvation was a free gift brought through repentance- unmediated by church (no need for a priest)
Influences John Calvin (French reformer)who believed in predestination- belief that your afterlife has already been determined before birth
Who were the Puritans? • They settled in the North (Plymouth Colony) • Believed in original sin (total depravity), the consequence of sin, and that man sinning was inevitable because of Adam and Eve’s sin…..Basically man cannot help being wicked because of Adam’s fall from grace. • Believed that hard work (on earth) leads them to virtue in heaven • Feared the wrath of God and His divine providence in their lives, both physical and eternal
Separatists • Wanted to break away from the church of England • Were also called Pilgrims • They settled in M.A. Bay Colony
Why did the Puritans seek permanent settlement in the Colonies? • Many suffered from physical religious persecution • Physical mutilation- noses slit, ears cut, burnings • Thrown in jail
Why did the Puritans seek permanent settlement in the Colonies? • Freedom to practice religion • Sought to simplify and purify the church • Model directly after God’s word • Create “New Eden” hence the “City Upon the Hill” – John Winthrop • No intermediary between the individual and God
Characteristics of Puritan Literature • Diaries and histories were important because they were records of workings of God • Saw direct connections between Biblical events and their own lives
Puritan Literature 1. Bay Psalm Book (1640) Best selling hymn book 2.Puritans were interested in education Founded Harvard (1636) Oldest university in U.S. 3. The New England Primer Religious spelling book
The Bible was the most widely read book in the new world.
What is Puritan Plain Style? • Written in plain style- way of writing that emphasizes simple sentences, short words, direct statements, and the use of every day words and objects from common speech
Two Basic Beliefs • Total Depravity- By virtue of the original sin of Adam, when one is born, one has no right to salvation • Unconditional Election- Some are chosen for salvation, some are not. There is nothing one can do to change his status
The PlantersThey settled in the SouthThey had a large concern for nature/agricultureThey were concerned about societyThey were well-versed in classic literature, which led to the involvement in early government and politics
Southern Planters • They did not, like the Puritans and Separatists, settle for religious reasons • They brought with them the Anglican church (Church of England) • They did concern themselves with formal codes of behavior “Southern Gentleman”/Chivalry • Interested in distractions/entertainment • 1st theater in Williamsburg, VA (1716) (the Puritans in the North thought theaters/ drama/fiction were sinful)
Most Important Book for Southern Planters • History of the Dividing Line by William Byrd • Surveying book about aligning the border between North Carolina and Virginia; important for botany, zoology, and Native American customs.
Puritan Lit. is…. • Simple • Spiritual • Straightforward
Differing Literature • Native Americans- emphasis on nature • Puritans- emphasis on Purification, Plainness, and Divine Mission • Why? Because North was settled for religious reasons • Southern Literature- emphasis on nature, society, and entertainment • Why? Because these planters settled for growing tobacco—they were well-educated aristocrats who valued entertainments and the arts
Puritan Influences in 2009 • The business drive of American society (comes from the Puritan Work Ethic) • Pursuit of liberty (Americans’ quest to ensure democracy and freedom) • Religious Zeal (we are free to worship or not worship in any way we choose because we have religious freedoms)
Colonial Writing • Sermons- speech given as instruction in religion or morals • Diary- day by day chronicle of events • Autobiography- story of a person’s life written by that person • Allegory- a story in which people, things, and happenings have hidden or symbolic meanings
Continued • Almanac- a storehouse of useful, general information • Elegy- a sustained and formal poem setting forth the poet’s mediation on death or another solemn theme • Tract- a pamphlet; argumentative document on a religious or political topic • Devotional poem- poem characterized by brief worship • Apocalyptic Pronouncement-literature that predicts the end of the world (doomsday lit)