The Puritans

1
The Puritans

• A group of Americas First Seperatists

2
Who were the Puritans?

• Puritans wanted to purify the Church of England
  (the Anglican Church)
• English Puritans wished to return to the simpler
  forms of worship and church organization
  described in the New Testament
• Did not believe that the clergy or the government
  should or could act as an intermediary between
  the individual and God
• Many suffered persecution in England

3
In what did they believe?

• Predestination
• The notion that God had chosen the souls that
  would be saved before a persons birth, and that
  therefore they were saved by grace, rather than
  by their actions
• Puritans believed that Adam and Eves sin had
  damned most people for all eternity. They
  believed that Jesus was sent to earth to save
  particular people, the elect. Since it was
  difficult to know if someone was saved or damned,
  they tried to behave in as exemplary manner as
  possible.

4
The Mayflower Compact

• Outlined how they would be governed once they
  landed.
• In doing so, they prepared the ground work for
  American constitutional democracy

Pilgrims Signing the Compact Aboard the
Mayflower, November 11, 1620
5
Characteristics of the Puritans

• Radical changes in church ceremonies from
  elaborate to plain.
• Known for American work ethic.
• Fanatical intolerance of others beliefs and
  religions.
• Since they could not purify the church, they
  wished to reform the church by separating from
  it.

6
Characteristics of the Puritans

• They believed in governing themselves under
  theocracy- ruled by religious leaders and the
  Bible.
• Founded Harvard College in 1636 to train Puritan
  ministers.
• Died out as a religious power within 100 years.
• Great Awakening attempt to revive devotion in
  strict Puritanical beliefs

7
The Secular World

• Contempt for human secular (non-religious)
  learning and amusements. Therefore
• -no theaters, plays
• -no ale houses
• -no swearing
• -no obvious entertainment
• -etc.

8
Puritan Timeline

• _______________________________________
• 1620 1692 1730-1740
• Salem Colony Witch Trials Great Awakening
• Revival Meetings

9
Characteristics of Puritan Writing

• The bible provided a model for Puritan writing a
  conception of each individual life as a journey
  to salvation. Puritans saw direct connections
  between Biblical events and their own lives.

• Puritans used writing to explore their inner and
  outer lives for signs of the workings of God.
• Diaries and histories were the most common forms
  of expression in Puritan society, because they
  directly expressed the workings of God.

10
Characteristics of Puritan Writing

• Puritans favored a plain style, similar to that
  of the Geneva Bible. They stressed clarity of
  expression and avoided complicated figures of
  speech.

11
Puritan Values Defined

• Plainness
• -A desire to return Christianity to the simple
  forms of worship described in the New Testament.
• -Worship should not be in ornate places with
  decorations but in square, wooden buildings
  stripped of ornament.
• Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.

12
Puritan Values Defined

• Divine Mission
• -Belief that they were bringing to America
  Christianity decreed by God.
• -America was a place especially appointed by
  God to be an example for the rest of the world.
• Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.

13
Puritan Values

• Do these values have an impact on your every day
  life?
• If not, what values do you believe define America?