The Scarlet Letter Prelude
By
Abhishek Rajput
Historical Facts: Puritan Religion
• Puritanism was a 16th and 17th century movement
that sought to purify the Church of England, whom
they felt was too similar to the Catholic Church the
English broke away from.
• Part of the larger movement in Europe called the
"Reformation." It was literally a time of reformation
within Christianity and the Church.
• Puritanism incorporated elements of Calvinist
doctrine, originally founded by John Calvin, and ideas
on the nature of the Church polity.
Puritan Religious Beliefs
• Puritans believed in the doctrine of
predestination, which stated that some souls
called the "elect" had been destined for eternal
bliss and others for eternal torment.
• They also believed in conversion, which was an
intense personal experience in which God
revealed to the elect their heavenly destiny.
• Puritanism incorporated elements of Calvinist
doctrine, originally founded by John Calvin, and
ideas on the nature of the Church polity.
Puritan Society
• The Puritan church had a monopoly like status in the
interpretation of doctrine
• Men and women avoided bright colors, shiny fabrics, and
over-ornamentation.
• Any gathering of people without permission was banned.
• Puritans did not actually dress in the black and white colors
we commonly depict them as wearing. Black dye was
expensive in those times and faded rather quickly.
• Black and white were worn only on special occasions and
worn by the elder and the high-ranking in the community.
• The most typical colors worn were brown, brownish-maroon,
dull-greens, and tawny colors.
Puritan Society (cont.)
• Names of women in the Massachusetts Bay Colony
reflected Puritan views on women. Some women
names were "Be Fruitful," "Patience," "Silence,"
"Fear," "Comfort," and "Prudence.“
• Fornication was to be punished by whipping or
death.
• The Puritan colonies in the New England area
banned the practice of Christmas and drama (plays).
• A husband could not legally command his wife
anything contrary to "God's" word.
Puritan Society (cont.)
• Churches in the Puritan colonies were sometimes
patrolled by a man with a long pole. One end of the
pole had feathers to tickle the old men who fell
asleep, in order to wake them up. The other end
sported a wooden knob that alerted giggling or
sleeping children.
Superstitions
• A woman was considered inferior to man because of
"original sin"
• It was believed that a child not taught to read would
become "barbarous." Therefore, literacy was
enforced.
• They were inclined to blame Satan for their religious
and societal decay.
• It was believed that women who were pregnant with
a male child had a rosy complexion, while women
bearing a female child had a pale complexion.
Superstitions (cont.)
• Puritans believed in witches and the harm they could
do.
• They defined witchcraft as entering into a compact
with the Devil in exchange for certain powers to do
evil.
Works Cited
"1600–1650 in Fashion." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1600-1650_in_fashion#Puritan_dress>.
"Conclusions Cont." Saint Anselm College : Saint Anselm College. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.
<http://www.anselm.edu/academic/history/salmwtch/tsld023.htm>.
"Puritan Life [ushistory.org]." U.S History. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.
<http://www.ushistory.org/us/3d.asp>.
"Puritan Values." Welcome to It Sucks To Be Joe. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.
<http://www.itsuckstobejoe.com/Jdn/writing/purtain.html>.
"Puritan." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritan#The_Puritan_spirit_in_the_United_States>.
"Puritanism - Facts from the Encyclopedia - Yahoo! Education." Yahoo! Education Dictionary, Colleges, Scholarships, Homework Help, Schools, Reference,
Thesaurus & More. Web. 07 Mar. 2011.
<http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry/Puritani>.