Colonialism:
Puritanism (1620s-early 1700s)
Puritan Beliefs/Values
 Theocracy: combined church & government; church ruled all
 Zealous reformers: left church of England for religious freedom
due to persecution but ironically believed the Church of
England was not strict enough; fanatics on a “concrete path”
(tolerated no deviation; could be punished by law – even
executed - or ostracized for spiritual misdeeds; no holidays,
always praying, worship in free time; moral purity to the
smallest detail!)
 No individual freedoms (everything is done for the good of and
to unify the community & eliminate other ideologies that
threaten existence; grounded in exclusion); work together as
one
 No privacy: it is one’s duty to spy on neighbors & report them if
deviating from spiritual path/sinning
 God is omnipotent (all-powerful) & omniscient (all-knowing; is
aware of your actions & intentions!)
 Dualism: a person is made up of two parts, the body (physical)
& spirit (mental). The body/physical is inferior.
Puritan Beliefs/Values Continued…
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Total Depravity/Concept of Original Sin: Human beings are
naturally evil (due to Adam & Eve’s fall from grace, i.e. infant
damnation) & must overcome their sinful nature. Sin is in our
nature, & we will most likely succumb to it.
Absolutism (no degrees of good and evil; a person is either all
good or all bad)
Bible is the supreme authority
All pleasures, such as dancing, music & chanting, theater, and
non-Biblical literature (entertainment) belong to Satan! The
forest is the devil’s home base (& also the Native Americans
live there… racism & hatred dehumanize them so won’t
survive)
Poverty, not wealth, is a sin
Virtues (the good stuff): prudence (caution), thrift, hard work
(slaves to the East Coast land – produce food or die! Working
is also good for maintaining moral standing), courage, selfreliance, moderation
Private property & mercantile enterprise should be sanctioned
(authorized)
Extremely superstition & believed heavily in the presence of
both God, the devil, and demons/witches in an “invisible world”
Puritan Beliefs/Values Continued…
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Irresistible Grace: God’s grace is freely given & cannot be
earned/denied
Backsliding: people should try to fight their sinful natures but likely
that saved believers can fall to temptation and become sinners
again because Satan loves the virtuous the most
Unconditional Election: God saves those he wishes to (the “elect”).
God saves only his chosen, which are few (predestined)
Limited Atonement: Jesus only died for the chosen “elect,” not for
everyone.
Perseverance of the Saints: those elected by God have the full
power to interpret the will of God and live uprightly
Emphasis on obedience versus fondness (obedience is godliness,
children expected to be obedient – no toys or games because
create idleness, no affection for kids before age 2 to “break their
will”)
Patriarchy: women are inferior & subservient to men (based on Old
Testament in Bible with Eve as the 1st sinner; therefore, women
more likely to be sinful/lustful), so wealth/property went to husband
upon marriage and most “witches” were land owning women
(widows/unmarried) because it was an easy way to get
land/money/power; thus, extreme Biblical patriarchy fueled witch
hunts
Tools of Control
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Fear/Threats of punishment (corporeal punishment, execution,
etc.)
Guilt & Shame
Results
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Oppression & pressure becomes overbearing/too heavy own
pursuits become more interesting than working for the
community; want personal freedom  rebellion against singular
purpose  witch hunt
Downfall
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THEOCRACY: Church ruled all, even capital
punishment for spiritual misdeeds
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Public persecution & trials
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Religious leaders also political and official leaders
(law enforcement…)
Inflexible: fled persecution only to persecute
with fervor themselves
Scientific growth
Urbanization & immigration: growing
American diversity
Puritan Writing
*Puritan writing reflected the nature of the reading public, which was literate.
TYPES
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Travel journals
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Personal or spiritual diaries
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Sermons
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Lectures
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Historical accounts
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Poetry
PURPOSES/FUNCTION
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Instructive/didactic (teach about God), typically with a plain style
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To glorify God & make the mysterious God more relevant (He is so great and separate from
humans that they must try to understand his “great mystery”) ; to focus on an omnipotent (allpowerful) God who is one’s salvation
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To reinforce the authority of the Bible & Church
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To examine/explore inner & outer lives for signs of the workings of God
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No reading for fun and little to no fiction
THEMES
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Idealism (religious & political)
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Pragmatism (practicality)
STYLE
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Protestant: no flowery language/ “ornateness” (too sinful)
Major Players (Writers)
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Jonathan Edwards (sermon: “Sinners in the Hands
of an Angry God”
Anne Bradstreet (poetry: “Verses Upon the Burning
of Our House,” “The Flesh and the Spirit”)