The Puritans

A puritan surveying New England

NPS Photo

Introduction

The Puritans were one of the most important groups in American history. Today, we remember them for often wearing big hats and dark colored clothing, seeking freedom to worship, strict attitudes about every aspect of life, and harsh treatment of the First People. And although this is generally true, there is much more to the story.

Background

To understand the Puritans, we must take a quick look at what England was like in the late 1500s and early 1600s. In 1634, King Henry VIII had separated his country from the Roman Catholic Church and declared himself head of a new Protestant Anglican Church (also called the Church of England). One of the most important beliefs of this new church was that believers should read the Bible themselves, instead of having the Bible read to them by a priest or minister. This required people to learn to read and for many copies of the Bible to be printed in English.

Disagreements

Over the years, as English Christians were reading the Bible for themselves, many began to question the official doctrines and ceremonies of the Anglican Church. A variety of ideas, behaviors, and theologies began to emerge and groups of like-minded people began to form. Among the more radical of these groups were those who wished to completely change the official church services. These reformers wished to “purify” the English church of elements they thought were too similar to Catholic practices, such as wearing liturgical garments called vestments, displaying a crucifix, or using prewritten prayers. Sometimes, their methods became aggressive and even violent. Historians call this group the Puritans. But at the time, they thought of themselves as members of the Church of England, true patriots of their country and servants of God. Many Puritans referred to themselves as "saints" and "the elect."

Church-State

Because the English church and state were essentially the same thing at this time, there was very little tolerance for challenging anything the government commanded. The monarchy saw itself as the foundation of both civil and religious law. Political disagreements were often viewed as disagreements over the will of God. Challenges to church doctrine were challenges to the authority of the King himself.

The Pilgrims and "New England"

One group of Puritans had decided that they were no longer able or willing to reform the English church. Believing they alone were the true English believers, they left their homes, settled in other parts of Europe, and eventually ended up in the New World. Because they no longer desired to reform the church of England, historians don't consider them Puritans. These “Separatists” are today remembered as the Pilgrims and we honor them annually with a Thanksgiving feast. They named their American home, "New England." And their settlement was called Plimoth.

The King's Political Foes

Meanwhile, the Puritans, unwilling to completely separate from England, continued to agitate. King James I had ascended to the throne in 1603, and an intense crackdown on Puritans began soon after. Bishops of the Church of England created strict policies, prayer books, and written sermons that had to be used across all of the King’s churches. A new translation of the Bible, named after the King, was the only translation allowed.

In 1629, the English government decided to create a new colony, just north of Plymouth, as a haven for the Puritan troublemakers. It was called Massachusetts Bay and was headquartered at Boston. Over the next decade, tens of thousands of Puritans would make their home there.

Immediately, the Puritan magistrates and ministers began establishing a form of government based on their interpretation of biblical commandments. Almost every aspect of life was rigidly enforced with social pressures, laws, rules, and discipline. The Puritans believed that doing good deeds had no impact on a person's afterlife. However, their goal was to create a model community in Massachusetts Bay, made up of Christian believers who could serve as an example to the world.

In his famous 1630 sermon, “A Model of Christian Charity,” John Winthrop hoped the settlement would be “as a city upon the hill,” serving as the beginning of a new age of Christianity.

"The Churches are on Fire"

Creating this model community was more difficult than many Puritans initially believed. It quickly proved impossible to balance the conflicting interests of ministers, merchants, land speculators, different congregational opinions, survival through harsh winters, pressures from parliment and the King, and the increasingly complicated and often cruel diplomacy with the original inhabitants of the land, the Native Americans.

Almost immediately, and for the next few generations, these challenges threatened to tear the colony apart. Colonists arriving in Boston heard locals yell to them, "the churches are on fire." Political and theological disagreements threatened the ability of the colony to maintain control of itself. English immigrants were interrogated about their religious and political beliefs immediately upon arrival.

The Execution of a King

In 1649, Puritans that had remained in England captured the King himself after a long war, tried him for treason, and publicly executed him, declaring their religious docterine supreme for the next 9 years.

The Emergence of a New Nation?

Looking back, it’s almost impossible to clearly define who was and wasn’t a “Puritan.” Some individuals moved to the New World to create a model community based on their sincere and deep religious faith. They believed that creating a strict community was important for their salvation. However, many of the immigrants and colonizers who arrived here were simply seeking a better way of life for themselves and ended up trapped in a rigid, theocratic community, conforming to Puritan ways of life in order to keep their civil rights or to do business. Others, like Roger Williams, quickly began to question and challenge the validity of the colony’s legal authority and were banished. And still others, like Anne Hutchinson, led a group of religious followers away from the colony to create a new church altogether.


Some Puritans were religious radicals, some were scientists who were referenced by Sir Isaac Newton, some established new forms of government, some came seeking colonial opportunities, and others lived simple lives and are now forgotten. Though their names or writings may never have been documented, or survived, early Puritan colonists, their settlements, and their beliefs would shape the future of the United States for centuries to come.