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Who Were the Puritans?

1Why 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 inner experience--that one did not need a priest or bishop or the government to be a middle man to God.

2Puritan BeliefsCertainties:Adam and Eve sinned; therefore, most of humanity would be damned for eternity.

God decides whether a person is one of the electgoing to heavenbefore he or she is even born.Doubts:Am I one of the elect (saved) or one of the damned?

How do you know if youre saved or damned?

3Even the youngest child was thought to be touched by sintheir Hearts naturally, are a meer nest, root, fountain of Sin, and wickedness.--Puritan Leader, Benjamin Wadsworth on the nature of young children

4The State of the SoulThere 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.

5Because of their uncertainty, American Puritans attempted to live exemplary lives.

6If 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!

7In 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.

8Puritans valuedSelf-reliance--pulling yourself up by your bootstrapsIndustriousness--hard work

Education and reading!

9Puritans valuedSelf-restraint from all desire and temptation. Many sermons were devoted to resisting sins of the flesh.

10Puritans valuedSimplicity--in dress, worship, architecture

11Puritan PoliticsSigned and wrote the Mayflower Compact -- one of Americas first democratic documents.

12Puritan PoliticsYet, they also lived under a theocracy--government ruled by God and religious leaders

Believed the saintly elect should be in charge

13Puritan PoliticsWomen were not permitted participate in town meetings or decision making.

Darn, Id rather be at the town meeting than darning these socks!

14Puritan PoliticsBelieved that the community had the right to control its members for the sake of common interest

15Puritan WritingMainly diaries, histories, letters, and court transcripts--describing their lives and the workings of God in their villages.

Style of writing emphasized simplicity and clarity

No novels or plays or writing devoted to vain enjoyment

16The Difficult Side of Puritan LifeMany 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.

17The Difficult Side of Puritan LifeTwo-man patrols monitored church attendance and town meetings

Minding other peoples business was common and encouraged.

Is your neighbor not going to church? If so, just call 1-800-SIN-NERS to report this crime!

18The Difficult Side of Puritan LifeCursing 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.

#$*&^*!

19HOWEVERThe 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 neer-do-wells hung out there. And the Puritans did drink wine.

20HOWEVERIts 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 didnt.

21Puritans and Native AmericansOnce 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.

22Puritans and the WildernessThe wilderness was feared and thought to be the Devils last preserve.

23The Salem Witch TrialsSalems name comes from Jerusalem.

24The Salem Witch TrialsIn 1692 two girls began having fits and were diagnosed as victims of witchcraft.

25The Salem Witch TrialsUrged to name those responsible for their condition, the girls accused two unpopular women.

26The Salem Witch TrialsOne could survive by confessing to being a witchandby naming more witches.

Zealous ministers and leaders made it their mission to rid Salem and all of Massachusetts of witchcraft.

27The Salem Witch TrialsWithin ten months, 150 people were accused of witchcraft in Salem.

Nineteen people were hung and one was pressed to death.

28Why and how did this mass hysteria take over the Puritans of Salem?

29Do we continue to hunt for witchesin American society?

These are some of the questions Arthur Miller wanted to explore when he set out to write his play, The Crucible.

30It is now estimated that EVERY WEEK, the play The Crucible is performed somewhere in the world!

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