The Pilgrims

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The Pilgrims The Puritans

• American Literature
• Ms. Whisler

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Two Types of Puritans

• Separatists
• Held irreconcilable differences with the Church
  of England they thought the church was corrupt
  and that they must distance themselves from i
• Were persecuted under various monarchies in
  England
• First fled from England to Holland
• Later, came to found the Plymouth Colony in
  America in 1620
• Pilgrims

• Non-Separatists
• Held less extreme views of the Church of England
• Believed in church reform rather than an
  overthrow of the church
• Came to America in 1630 and founded the
  Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Doctrine of Election / Predestination

• Man is innately sinful original sin means that
  we are incapable of any depravity
• Only those who are chosen by God (the elect) are
  saved salvation is not based on your beliefs or
  good works
• The grace of Christ allows the chosen the
  strength to follow the will of God
• The chosen will follow the path of righteousness

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Predestination continued

• No one knew who was or was not saved.
  Puritans believed that you must have a conversion
  experience in order to be accepted by God. Gods
  grace was given to the chosen, and this grace was
  demonstrated through ones behavior. Puritans
  would, therefore, reflect upon themselves
  (self-examination) for signs of this grace. So,
  even though they did not believe good works
  helped one get into heaven, they believed that
  living a godly life was evidence of being chosen.

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As a result of their belief in predestination,
Puritans

• Were always looking for signs
• Scrutinized daily events
• Thought there was always a reason for everything
• Felt that Gods hand was in everything, no matter
  how insignificant

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Puritan Beliefs Values

• Puritans believed in a literal interpretation of
  the Bible
• They believed in explicit readings of the Bible,
  as opposed to church doctrines
• They did not believe in excess worship they
  wanted no rituals, adornments, no stained glass,
  no cushioned pews, no singing, and no music
• They wanted to keep things simple so that they
  could concentrate on God
• There is a constant struggle between the forces
  of God and Satan
• God rewards the good and punishes the wicked

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Education Work Ethic

• They believed in living a virtuous, self-examined
  life
• They believed in strict discipline and had a
  strong work ethic
• They felt that qualities that led to economic
  success were virtuous
• They valued education
• Harvard was founded in 1636 to train ministers
• They wanted their children to get far away from
  the evils of England
• Children were not allowed to play games boys
  were taught to go hunting and fishing, while
  girls were taught how to run a household
• Women were considered less capable
  intellectually, physically, theologically, and
  morally (Eve was the first sinner)
• Literature for pleasure was highly censored

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Puritan Literature Writings

• They did not write for pleasure or entertainment.
  One reason was the fact that they were struggling
  to built their settlement. Another reason was the
  fact that they considered works of fiction
  frivolous and possibly immoral.
• Types of texts
• - historical documents preserving their history
  and offering justifications to relieve the guilt
  they felt over leaving relatives behind in
  England
• - personal journals as tools for
  self-reflection/ examination and as a way to look
  for signs of salvation
• - poetry, but highly inspired by religious
  beliefs
• - religious tracts

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Puritan Plain Style

• Plain Style a mode of expression characterized
  by its clarity, accessibility, straightforwardness
  , simplicity, and lack of ornamentation. In early
  America, the plain style aesthetic had broad
  cultural relevance, shaping the language of prose
  and poetry, the design of furniture and
  architecture, painting and other visual arts.
  Rejecting ornamental flourishes and superfluous
  decoration as sinful vanity, plain stylists
  worked to glorify God in their expressions rather
  than to show off their own artistry or claim any
  renown for themselves. This aesthetic appealed to
  both Puritans and Quakers.

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William Bradford