The Puritans

1
The Puritans

• A group of Americas First Seperatists

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Who were the Puritans?

• Puritans wanted to purify the Church of England
  (the Anglican Church)
• English Puritans wished to return to the simpler
  forms of worship and church organization
  described in the New Testament

3
Who were the Puritans?

• Didnt believe that the clergy or the government
  should or could act as an intermediary between
  the individual God
• Many suffered persecution in England

4
In what did they believe?

• Predestination
• The notion that God had chosen the souls that
  would be saved before a persons birth, and that
  therefore they were saved by grace, rather than
  by their actions

5
In what did they believe?

• Puritans believed that Adam and Eves sin had
  damned most people for all eternity. They
  believed that Jesus was sent to earth to save
  particular people, the elect.

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In what did they believe?

• Since it was difficult to know if someone was
  saved or damned, they tried to behave in as
  exemplary manner as possible.

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The Mayflower Compact

• Outlined how they would be governed once they
  landed.
• In doing so, they prepared the ground work for
  American constitutional democracy

Pilgrims Signing the Compact Aboard the
Mayflower, November 11, 1620
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Characteristics of the Puritans

• Radical changes in church ceremonies from
  elaborate to plain.
• Known for American work ethic.

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Characteristics of the Puritans

• Fanatical intolerance of others beliefs and
  religions.
• Since they could not purify the church, they
  wished to reform the church by separating from
  it.

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Characteristics of the Puritans

• They believed in governing themselves under
  theocracy- ruled by religious leaders and the
  Bible.
• Founded Harvard College in 1636 to train Puritan
  ministers.

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Characteristics of the Puritans

• Died out as a religious power within 100 years.
• Great Awakening attempt to revive devotion in
  strict Puritanical beliefs

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The Secular World

• Contempt for human secular (non-religious)
  learning and amusements. Therefore
• -no theaters, plays -no ale houses
• -no swearing -no obvious entertainment
• -etc.

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Puritan Timeline

• _______________________________________
• 1620 1692 1730-1740
• Salem Colony Witch Trials Great Awakening
• Revival Meetings

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Characteristics of Puritan Writing

• The bible provided a model for Puritan writing a
  conception of each individual life as a journey
  to salvation. Puritans saw direct connections
  between Biblical events and their own lives.

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Characteristics of Puritan Writing

• Puritans used writing to explore their inner and
  outer lives for signs of the workings of God.

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Characteristics of Puritan Writing

• Diaries and histories were the most common forms
  of expression in Puritan society, because they
  directly expressed the workings of God.

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Characteristics of Puritan Writing

• Puritans favored a plain style, similar to that
  of the Geneva Bible. They stressed clarity of
  expression and avoided complicated figures of
  speech.

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Puritan Values Defined

• Plainness
• -A desire to return Christianity to the simple
  forms of worship described in the New Testament.
• -Worship should not be in ornate places with
  decorations but in square, wooden buildings
  stripped of ornament.

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Puritan Values Defined

• Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.

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Puritan Values Defined

• Divine Mission
• -Belief that they were bringing to America
  Christianity decreed by God.
• -America was a place especially appointed by
  God to be an example for the rest of the world.
• Do you agree or disagree? Explain why.

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Puritan Values

• Do these values have an impact on your every day
  life?
• If not, what values do you believe define America?