The Puritans

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The Puritans a group of Protestants who fled
England In the early 1600s because they wanted
to practice their beliefs their own way.
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• There were two Puritan groups
• One group sought to purify the Church of
  England by
• Simplifying the services
• Abolishing the presence of statues
  stained-glass windows

• The other group, the separatists, believed the
  church was beyond modification
• Sought to separate from the Church
• Begin anew

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In 1628 the Massachusetts Bay Colony was
established by Puritan nonseparatists.
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The Basic Tenets (beliefs) of Puritanism

• 1. The Supremacy of Divine Will
• All natural phenomena are explained as the will
  of God
• All unnatural occurrences are attributed to
  witches agents of the devil

• 2. The Depravity of Man
• All humans are naturally depraved because Adam
  disobeyed God Original Sin
• man is eternally damned
• Entirely sinful in nature

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• Predestination
• God chooses who will be damned who will not

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• Theocracy is a community governed by religion.
• Government of Salem was controlled by the
  ministry church members of good standing.
• People sometimes take their belief in a
  god (any god) to fanatical levels --
  and when those people are in charge,
  other people are in grave danger.

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Puritanism at its best

• Hard work brings success
• Be self-reliant
• Be Thrifty (spend wisely)

• The Importance of Education
• Knowledge is the best weapon against Satan.

The above is the Puritan legacy we see today.
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• Puritanism at its worst
• Prejudiced (opinionated)
• Cruel
• Intolerant
• Superstitious

Punishable Banned Behavior

• Gathering without permission
• Theater-going
• Dancing
• Singing (except at church)

• Blasphemy
• Drunkenness
• Gambling
• Fornication
• Horse Racing

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• Punishments for doing wrong

• A servant woman was banished for smiling in
  church.
• A man who swore stood for hours holding his
  tongue on a forked stick.

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Women were searched for witch marks.
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Women found guilty of witchcraft were hung or
burned at the stake.
Nineteen were killed (1 man 18 women) and
hundreds were accused during the Salem Witch
Trials
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• http//www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/s
  alem/salem.htm