The Puritans

1
The Puritans

• A Journey Across the Ocean

2
Mayflower Excursion

• Mayflower 1620
• Religious reformers, withdrew from the Church of
  England
• Known as Separatists

3
The Pilgrims Have Landed!

• Established settlement in Plymouth, Mass.
• Natives helped them survive first winter
• Eventually engulfed by Mass. Bay Colony

4
What To Do Now?

• Mass Bay Colony tried to reform church of England
  from within
• Theocracy state under immediate guidance of God
• Hoped to establish community guided
  in all aspects by the Bible

5
Puritan Literature

• Occasional sense of humor
• Hardships of daily life practical
• Radical yet conservative

6
Puritan Beliefs.YIKES!

• Exist for the glory of God
• Bible sole expression of Gods will
• Predestination (John Calvin)

7
Beliefs (YIKES!) Cont

• Original sin
• Accomplish good only through continual hard work
  and self-discipline
• Puritan ethic

8
Down Go the Pilgrims

• Decline in New England by early 1700s
• Liberal Protestant congregation
• Pilgrims react against this new freedom

9
The Great Awakening

• Series of religious revivals led by ministers
  Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield
• Attracted many, but did little to revive
  old-fashioned Puritanism

10
???????????

• The Puritans are long gone, but we still regard
  their values as American virtues
• Hard work
• Frugality
• Self-improvement
• Self-reliance