Background Information on the Puritans

Who were the Puritans?

From EnglandStruggled 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 GermanBelieved 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 PilgrimsThey 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 LiteratureDiaries 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.

New England Primer

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

1. Total Depravity- By virtue of the original sin of Adam, when one is born, one has no right to salvation

2. 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….

SimpleSpiritual 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 2009The 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)

Puritan Influences

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)