Morgan claims that the Puritans were not simply a strong religious group of fanatics who prohibited all earthly pleasures, but were actually influenced by human desires and weaknesses to partaking in "pleasures of the flesh." Sexual intercourse was a human exigency and according to the Puritans religion, marriage was the only proper supply for it. They passed laws to punish adultery with death, and people with unmarried sexual relations were whipped however Morgan said that extra-marital sexual intercourse was fairly common and that it was so numerous during that era that the Puritans could not enforce the severe penalties for which their laws provided. Even though adultery cases occurred every year, the death penalty was not known to have been utilized more than three times. One reason there was so much sexual tension was that there were many men in the colonies who were unable to indulge their sexual desires in marriage. Many of the first settlers left wives in England, in order to hit it rich and then return. Although the Puritan men might have left their wives they did not leave their sexual "appetites" with them. Many men continued to stay, and more and more began to arrive. Another group of men and women, who were induced by human nature were the indentured servants. Most servants lived in the homes of their masters and could not marry without their master's consent which was very unlikely. Although a hard task, many slaves found some way they could still have sexual intercourse. Some would sneak out at night or even sneak into the masters house and have sex with the house maids. For example, "On the sixteenth day of May 1682, in the morning, between 12 and 1 of the clock, he did force open the back doors of the House of Laurence Hammon in Charleston, and came into the House, and went up into the garret to Marie the Negro." Masters also took advantage of their position to force unwanted attentions upon their female servants.
The article Were the Puritans Puritanical? ... The puritans, were "moral athletes." ... In the article, the author also discusses the sex life of puritans. The author said puritans did have an active sex life sometimes even before marriage. The saints or saints to be could confess about having pre-marital sex and not get punished by the church. ...
The Puritans also held a strong social order. ... Women were seen as the weaker of the sexes, who were needed to be protected by a man. ... Education was also important in Puritan's life. ... The Puritans were also driven by capitalism. ... The Puritans also had an impact of Individualism. ...
Crime and Punishment During the Puritan Era 1.) ... Investigate the puritan age to discover how the Puritans viewed the world. ... The puritans were a very strict race. ... Were men and woman punished equally for adultery/and or premarital sex? ... The Puritans gave her a hard time. 10.) ...
People have long forgot Puritans and Puritanism in this age. ... Although Puritan actions and beliefs might contradict each other at times, Puritans and Puritanism provided many exclusive and fascinating rules and covenants in their society that people can now learn more about. ... Specific laws were written under which it states that they must unite in sex. ... Something that was not condoned by the Puritans was adultery, men going and having sex with a woman after he was bound to his wife in marriage. ... Puritans were kept to simple styles of clothing. ...
To the Puritan something must be done to wipe as much of it off the planet. ... Puritan colonists normally came from the middle class, which symbolized the economic and social dynamic of the Puritan society. ... In The Crucible the Puritan Religion was taken to the extreme. ... The spirituality of the Puritans was the main focus. ... "Sex, sin, and the Devil were early linked" (The Crucible, Arthur Miller, Paragraph 1). ...
When we speak of sex, it is not always clear if we are speaking of sexual activity or a person's genetic sex. ... The Puritans defined marriage as a covenant of God and thus the only legitimate mechanism for sex and procreation. Steve Wilkins in his article "The Puritans and Family" stated: "The Puritans were not bashful to acknowledge the sanctity of sexuality. ... Contrary to popular belief, Americans have few sex partners and a modest amount of sex. ... Although there is less insistence today that sex be tied to marriage, premarital sex for both women and men is now more...
The Puritan Separatists wanted to build a model colony of perfection derived from the good hand of God and the Puritans were willing to sacrifice everything and lay their lives down on the line to achieve their goal. ... Many of these things contradict the teachings of Catholicism, which is exactly what the Puritans were looking to get. ... By living according to the standards that the saints had declared, Puritans believed they could acheive perfection. ... The dancing was kept to same sexes, unless the couple was married. This was restricting the people from lust, but there was a considera...
Throughout the passage from the scarlet Letter, Author Nathaniel Hawthorne's emotions about the Puritans and the Puritan community are deeply expressed with a sense of critisism and mockery. ... Hawthorne starts off by introducing the Puritans in Boston, anxiously awaiting the punishment of a prisoner. ... Another way Nathaniel Hawthorne's attitiue about the Puritans is revealed is in the way he describes their physicality. The Puritans, who in this instance are the women Puritans, are visually illustrated as brute, masculine, and ugly characters. They are refered to as "man-like...
In the novel "The Scarlet Letter," Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts the customs and cultures of the puritan society. ... The plot of the story revolves around the Puritan era which has so much rich history to be told about the society. ... However, in the Puritan Society, their views can also be seen as hypocritical. ... These novelists both have been known for their literature having a depiction of sex. ... If this novel becomes banned from schools, students will lose a true understanding of the past life of the Puritans. ...
