Puritans

Definition

The Puritans were a Protestant religious group that emerged in 16th century England, seeking to purify the Church of England from what they saw as Catholic practices. They were known for their strict moral code, emphasis on education, and desire to create a godly society in the New World.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Puritans believed in predestination, the idea that God had already determined who would be saved and who would be damned.
2. Puritan society was highly structured, with strict social and moral codes that regulated every aspect of daily life.
3. The Puritans placed a strong emphasis on education, establishing the first colleges in the American colonies, such as Harvard and Yale.
4. Puritan communities were organized around the local church, which served as the center of both religious and civic life.
5. The Puritans' desire to create a godly society in the New World led to conflicts with Native American populations and the persecution of dissenters within their own ranks.

Review Questions

• Describe the key beliefs and practices of the Puritans that shaped their political and social culture in the American colonies.
  • The Puritans were a Protestant religious group that sought to purify the Church of England from what they saw as Catholic practices. They believed in predestination, the idea that God had already determined who would be saved and who would be damned. Puritan society was highly structured, with strict social and moral codes that regulated every aspect of daily life. The Puritans placed a strong emphasis on education, establishing the first colleges in the American colonies, such as Harvard and Yale. Puritan communities were organized around the local church, which served as the center of both religious and civic life. This theocratic structure, combined with the Puritans' desire to create a godly society in the New World, led to conflicts with Native American populations and the persecution of dissenters within their own ranks.
• Analyze how the Puritans' religious beliefs and cultural practices influenced the political culture of the American colonies.
  • The Puritans' religious beliefs and cultural practices had a significant impact on the political culture of the American colonies. Their emphasis on predestination and the idea of a godly society led to the establishment of theocratic governments in the early Puritan colonies, where the local church and religious authorities wielded significant political power. This theocratic structure shaped the political institutions and decision-making processes in these colonies, with the Puritans seeking to create a society that strictly adhered to their moral and religious principles. Additionally, the Puritans' intolerance of dissent and their persecution of those who challenged their beliefs, such as the Quakers and Anne Hutchinson, further reinforced the authoritarian nature of Puritan political culture. This legacy of theocratic governance and religious intolerance would have lasting effects on the political development of the American colonies.
• Evaluate the long-term impact of the Puritans' religious and cultural beliefs on the political culture of the United States.
  • The Puritans' religious and cultural beliefs had a profound and lasting impact on the political culture of the United States. The theocratic structure of the early Puritan colonies, where the local church and religious authorities wielded significant political power, laid the foundation for the separation of church and state that would later become a core principle of American democracy. However, the Puritans' intolerance of dissent and their persecution of those who challenged their beliefs also contributed to a legacy of religious and political intolerance that would continue to shape American politics for centuries. The Puritans' emphasis on education and the establishment of the first colleges in the American colonies would also have a lasting impact, as the importance of education in American society and the development of its educational institutions can be traced back to the Puritans' beliefs and practices. Overall, the Puritans' religious and cultural beliefs had a complex and multifaceted impact on the political culture of the United States, both positively and negatively, that continues to be felt today.

Related terms

Pilgrims: A group of Puritans who fled religious persecution in England and established the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts in 1620.

Theocracy: A form of government in which a religious authority rules supreme, as was the case in the early Puritan colonies.

Congregationalism: A Protestant Christian denomination that emphasizes the autonomy of the local congregation, which was the predominant religious practice among the Puritans.