Who Were the Puritans?

1. Who Were the Puritans?

2. Why Did the Puritans Come to America in 1620? • They wanted to “purify” the Anglican Church of England, which they believed was too similar to the Roman Catholic Church. • Example: Bishops appointed ministers. They felt ministers should be elected by members of the congregation. • They believed religion to be a personal innerexperience--that one did not need a priest or bishop or the government to be a “middle man” to God.

3. Certainties: Adam and Eve sinned; therefore, most of humanity would be damned for eternity. God decides whether a person is one of the “elect”—going to heaven—before he or she is even born. Doubts: Am I one of the “elect” (saved) or one of the damned? How do you know if you’re saved or damned? Puritan Beliefs

4. “…their Hearts naturally, are a meer nest, root, fountain of Sin, and wickedness.” --Puritan Leader, Benjamin Wadsworth on the nature of young children Even the youngest child was thought to be touched by sin

5. The State of the Soul There were two ways to uncover the state of your soul: • 1. You were saved by the grace of God, and you could feel this grace arriving in an intensely emotional fashion. • 2. After receiving grace, you were “reborn,” and you behaved like a saint.

6. Because of their uncertainty, American Puritans attempted to live exemplary lives.

7. If a person seems saved, perhaps he or she really is, so Puritans attempted to create a reputation as a “visible saint” in the community. We love eating vegetables and doing chores for others all day long!

8. In his journal, Governor John Winthrop wrote about a woman driven mad by spiritual doubt. She was so desperate that she “took her little infant and threw it into a well, and then came into the house and said, now she was sure she should be damned, for she had drowned her child.”

9. Puritans valued… • Self-reliance--pulling yourself up by your bootstraps • Industriousness--hard work • Education and reading!

10. Puritans valued… • Self-restraintfrom all desire and temptation. • Many sermons were devoted to resisting “sins of the flesh.”

11. Puritans valued… • Simplicity--in dress, worship, architecture

12. Puritan Politics • Signed and wrote the Mayflower Compact -- one of America’s first democratic documents….

13. Puritan Politics • Yet, they also lived under a theocracy--government ruled by God and religious leaders • Believed the saintly “elect” should be in charge

14. Puritan Politics • Women were not permitted participate in town meetings or decision making. Darn, I’d rather be at the town meeting than darning these socks!

15. Puritan Politics • Believed that the community had the right to control its members for the sake of common interest

16. Puritan Writing • Mainly diaries, histories, letters, andcourttranscripts--describing their lives and the workings of God in their villages. • Style of writing emphasized simplicity and clarity • Nonovels or plays or writing devoted to “vain enjoyment”

17. The Difficult Side of Puritan Life • Many activities such as gambling or games were considered sinful, not because they were evil, but because they wasted time that should be devoted to hard work. • Holidays such as Christmas were considered too excessive.

18. The Difficult Side of Puritan Life • Two-man patrols monitored churchattendance and town meetings • Minding other people’s business was common and encouraged. Is your neighbor not going to church? If so, just call 1-800-SIN-NERS to report this crime!

19. The Difficult Side of Puritan Life • Cursing at your parents was considered a crime! • The average family had seven or more children--but less than half would survive or live to see adulthood. #$*&^*!

20. HOWEVER… • The Puritans were a community that supported one another--gathering to “raise the roof” when building new farms and homes • There were taverns with “potent cider”--mostly “ne’er-do-wells” hung out there. And the Puritans did drink wine.

21. HOWEVER… • It’s a myth that they wore only black--they often dressed in bright colors. • They were passionate people who did enjoy celebrations. • …And they survived, while other new communities in America didn’t.

22. Puritans and Native Americans • Once their land was invaded and taken by Puritans, Native Americans did attack. • Snobbery and the desire for land meant the Puritans converted very few Indians.

23. Puritans and the Wilderness • The wilderness was feared and thought to be the “Devil’s last preserve.”

24. The Salem Witch Trials • Salem’s name comes from Jerusalem.

25. The Salem Witch Trials • In 1692 two girls began having “fits” and were diagnosed as victims of witchcraft.

26. The Salem Witch Trials • Urged to name those responsible for their condition, the girls accused two unpopular women.

27. The Salem Witch Trials • One could survive by confessing to being a witch…and…by naming more witches. • Zealous ministers and leaders made it their mission to rid Salem and all of Massachusetts of witchcraft.

28. The Salem Witch Trials • Within ten months, 150 people were accused of witchcraft in Salem. • Nineteen people were hung and one was “pressed” to death.

29. Why and how did this mass hysteria take over the Puritans of Salem?

30. Do we continue to “hunt for witches”in American society? These are some of the questions Arthur Miller wanted to explore when he set out to write his play, The Crucible.

31. It is now estimated that EVERY WEEK, the play The Crucible is performed somewhere in the world!