The Religious Convictions Of The Puritans - 1170 Words

The Puritans were a group of people from England who settled the New World (1) called America after the year of 1630. They went to America to be free to practice their religion without being persecuted because their beliefs were opposing the catholic’ one. The difference was that the Puritans tried harder to enforce the Ten Commandments but Americans were influenced by the moral, ethical, and religious convictions of the Puritans. The Puritans’ life was very hard in England so that they focused the most on the religion which helped them to have much their self-discipline. When someone committed a sin, the church was rather harsh and severe in its punishment and the community treated sinners badly. The church did not tolerate profanation on†¦show more content†¦This animosity made the colonization of America by the Puritans a welcome idea for everybody involved. Winthrop thus joined the Massachusetts Bay Colony as its leader, or governor, and agreed to settle in the Massachusetts Bay area. Eventually, twenty thousand settlers came to the colony in the 1630s, where Winthrop spent the rest of his life. During his time in Massachusetts, he was an extremely well-respected religious leader and sermon writer. Political issue through the religion Puritan political influence had largely disappeared in Massachusetts by the end of the 17th century, but attitudes associated with it still remained. The Puritans, succeed to the Calvinist tradition, had emphasized that suffering was necessary to redeem oneself from original sin and that hard work not only produces wealth, but strong moral character. Those who did not devote themselves to hard work were in mortal danger of falling into evil ways. The debates about religion and politics are often more divisive than illuminating. While Secularists point to a wall of separation between church and state, many conservatives act as though, and the Founding Fathers were apostles in knee britches. At the heart of the American experiment lies the God of what Benjamin Franklin called â€Å"public religion,† (2). God who invests all human beings with inalienable rights while protecting private religion from government interference. It is a great Ameri can balancing act, andShow MoreRelatedJohn Winthrop And Roger Williams889 Words   |  4 Pagessettlers of the American colonies were seeking to escape religious persecution, as well as to find a place to freely develop and expand their religious convictions. Despite sharing common English heritage as well as branching from the Anglican and Catholic church, religious views on liturgy and deontological ethics differed greatly amongst the settlers. This can be seen in the works of John Winthrop and Roger Williams. While both men’s religious beliefs stemmed from the same roots, each held differentRead MoreReligion Shaping America Essay895 Words   |  4 Pagesmovements reflecting the christian ideals of truth, life without sin, and altruism, or good works. Lastly, religious liberty is a major campaign so trite that one will find religious tolerance laws in every state as well as various religious tolerance groups with ease. Patently, the rudiments of religion are responsible f or shaping the world we live and enjoy today. The absence of religious tolerance that pushed colonists from Europe to the newly founded England colonies sprang from the belief,Read MoreMary Rowlandsons Captivity Narrative Essay1154 Words   |  5 PagesThe Puritans played a large role in early American history and society. Most Puritans escaped the tyrannical rule in England to gain religious freedom in America, which helped create an early American society. Not only did the Puritans help form the early American society and religion, they also contributed to the earliest stories and narratives to help create a rich literary history for America. Puritan literature has helped many scholars and readers learn about early American history. One ofRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter977 Words   |  4 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s disdain towards his own ancestry’s history. The highly Puritan thinking of the time led to many persecutions, particularly of women who behaved differently from what was expect ed of them by the patriarchal society. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ancestors led such persecutions. William Hathorne, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630, was a magistrate who persecuted Quakers, while John Hathorne was a Puritan judge who tried and condemned many Salem witches in the 1690s. Nathaniel HawthorneRead MoreCarol Karlsen s The Devil1692 Words   |  7 Pagesthe â€Å"witch† in colonial New England. During the early colonial period, pilgrims lived in a male-dominated society and the classical witch hunts were conducted in an attempt to maintain this societal structure. Since these hunts were placed under a religious guise, it was simple for these individuals to act as if they were maintaining the safety and justice of society. Karlsen explains that in many instances, women who were labelled as witches were often females that had managed to acquire great economicRead MorePuritans And The Salem Witch Trials978 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Puritans had many beliefs that affected the Salem Witch Trials, these were based on how the attendance or lack of attendance of the church, how people should behave, social class, and the way the government should be handled. Puritans were English Protestants that came to America in 1630. They sought to reform the Church of England. When they first came to America they settled at Salem, Massachusetts. The main reason the Puritan’s came to Salem was for freedom of religion which theyRead MoreThe Causes And Results Of Bacon s Rebellion1499 Words   |  6 Pagesforming a theocracy. Furthermore, the theocratic society engendered the Massachusetts Puritans more freedom of worship than in England. John Winthrop, the owner of the Massachusetts Bay Company, dominated the colonial politics without a permission of the English government. The two distinct points of views by England and Massachusetts were supposed to occur because the Puritans were discontented with the religious laws of England at first, and they emigrated from England to the North America. 4. RobertRead MorePuritans, Quakers, And Witchcraft1416 Words   |  6 PagesFaith LePage HIS 201-112 Professor Newsum 10 November 2014 Puritans, Quakers, and Witchcraft Seventeenth and eighteenth century Puritans arrived in the new world; their morality structured the disciplinary actions toward Quakers, those who were considered witches, and Puritans alike throughout the Massachusetts Bay colony. Puritans Structure and new world have three significant events and one leading man. Puritans on the Mayflower traveling to the Massachusetts Bay colony were led by John WinthropRead MoreColonial New England Ideologies And Religious Beliefs1439 Words   |  6 Pageswere strictly religious in their puritan beliefs. Clergymen were highly educated and forced religious practices in the name of being righteous and holy. Conformity to religion was not considered a rational choice to those that were forced unto American soil and forced to live a way of life so different than their own. Enslaved Africans brought with them their own religious, marriage and funeral, and medicinal practices. These practices prompted radical puritans to fear these religious traditions thatRead MoreEssay on The Threat of Anne Hutchinson1318 Words   |  6 Pagesbeen seen as a woman who paved the way for religious freedom. She was a great leader in the cause for religious toleration in America and the advancement of women in society. Anne Hutchinson was a magnetic woman of extraordinary talent and intellect as well as a woman who quickly gained respect among Bostons women as a midwife, healer, and spiritual counselor (AP, p. 92). Although Hutchinson is documented to have been banished as a religious dissenter, the real motive for her persecution