Considering that there is always a collective groan when the word "Puritan" is said in class or appears on a test, I've decided to briefly outline some of the fundamental beliefs in the Puritan religion. If you don't feel like reading the whole post, I've highlighted some of the key ideas, so you can just skim through and read those.
The Origins of Puritanism:
The roots of Puritanism lie in the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century (MEHAP knowledge coming back into play!) The Protestant Reformation- in which Luther and Calvin broke with the Catholic Church because it had strayed from its spiritual mission- took hold of much of Northern Europe, but not initially England. In the 1530s, King Henry VIII broke with the Catholic Church as well, yet this decision was based upon wanting political control, rather than theological differences. Henry split from the church because he wanted to control the great church holdings in England, appoint members of the church hierarchy, and, of course, have the power to annul his marriage. Yet because this break was not based off of theological differences, Henry did not change the the traditional Roman Catholic religious practices the Protestant Reformation centered around changing. This partial break with the church upset the true Protestants in England and came to be known as the "halfway reformation". The Protestants in England who sought full reformation in England and wanted the Church of England to be purified of Catholic practices came to be referred to as Puritans.
The Beliefs and Practices of Puritans:
The Puritans were inspired by the beliefs of Calvinism, which taught that individual salvation was subject to a divine plan rather than individual action- otherwise known as predestination. Puritans also lived lives of strict piety which involved prayer, righteous living, and hard work. Being diligent at one's calling- the Calvinist idea that everyone had calling to certain work on Earth that God intended them to do- was also fundamental to Puritanism.
Puritans also greatly valued community. It was believed that it was God's desire that community members care and look out for each other to ensure that the necessary work gets done and that nobody strays from the fundamental Puritan way of life. Any wrongdoing or sinfulness by an individual would result in punishment for the person, and shame for them and the rest of the community. Along with this, the Puritan approach to humanity was quite grim and dark. Puritans believed in the idea of original sin (coming from the story of Adam and Eve) and saw it as something that all humans had inherited and were contaminated by, making them incapable of being worthy in the eyes of God. The combination of the ideas of predestination and original sin led Puritans to have a strong faith in the necessity to live in strict accordance to the divine law in all parts of their lives, which enforced the beliefs in piety and moderation.
Hopefully the next time we see a question regarding Puritanism, we may have a better chance at answering it correctly!
Great post Chelsea! The Puritans are very important in order to understand US history, after all their values are deeply ingrained thanks to their pivotal role in some of the early colonies. What I remember most about the Puritans is their dedication to piety and that they very firmly believed in hardwork. This post has reminded me of some of their other characteristics, such as their connection to the Church of England.
ReplyDeleteAs for the highlighting, you know us too well! ;)
This is a really awesome post Chelsea! The Puritans arrived in America in the 1620s but their migration was slightly different than other people who were starting to coming over to the colonies. The Puritans brought entire families to the colonies when they began to migrate. Most of the people coming over the colonies were single men that did not have that much to leave behind so it is interesting that the Puritans decided to bring their whole families right away. But anyways, great post! Definitely has a lot of useful information :)
ReplyDeleteTo build off of what Kate was saying about the Puritans arriving in America, I think it is interesting that in the early years of Jamestown, circa 1607, the colony almost died. The host of English gentry seeking their fortune who made up the group of colonists that established Jamestown did not know how to do manual work. They did not know how to farm or find food for themselves and as a result nearly starved. I think it's funny that the Englishmen did not predict what life would be like for them or know how to provide for themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe Puritans, on the other hand, were an industrious people who held value in hard work and great piety, as Rebecca said. For this reason, they created a much more stable and prosperous life for themselves and their families. It almost seems that because their goal was not material driven but instead motivated by belief, they set themselves up to be more successful.
Source: Barrons AP US History Review Book
Thanks Chelsea! Another idea that might be important is the idea of "a city upon a hill" and how John Winthrop, one of the leaders, wanted the Massachusetts Bay Company to be a place where people would not be able to hide their failures from others.
ReplyDelete