The Puritans traveled from England to America in the early 1600s. The Puritans that founded Salem, Massachusetts left England in 1608. They had many reasons for leaving England. Mostly to "establish themselves as rightful interpreters of the Bible independent of an inherited social and cultural order" (Pilgrims and Puritans: Background, pg. 1).
They left aboard the Arbella; most of the members she housed were gentlemen, ladies, and the upper classmen. She was coming to America for religious freedom, that among other things. They wanted a place where they could meet in the way they wanted. So they formed a Company to meet for getting instructions as to how to best follow God. They also had a hope that they could convert the Indians to Christianity.
The Puritans believed that the Church of England had not under gone the changes that they thought were needed. They felt they needed to "achieve and preserve the simplicity and purity that had been lost" (Pilgrims and Puritans: Background, pg. 1). .
The Puritans believed in preaching not rituals. They believed that God had sent them to "build His kingdom in the wilderness" (The Story of New England, pg 33). They also believed man found happiness and heaven through intelligence. Puritans lived in fear of an eternity in hell, the Puritans projection of a bad life here on Earth. And they believed that the devil tempted them more than ordinary Christians. They believed signs of witchcraft was a sure sign of the devil at work.
The people of Salem built houses, well the rich people did. Those less fortunate lived in tents for a time. The houses had wooden chimneys and thatched roofs. This caused many fires. The town had a meeting hall, much like many England cities. The Market Square most likely surrounded the hall. The governor his manor on the outskirts of the city. Narrow lanes connected the entire city. A church and graveyard, a public grazing yard and a public school finished up the town.
It is clear that many Puritans aspirations were, indeed, fulfilled, yet some were not. ... Puritans were very intellectual beings. ... Reason played a huge part in Puritan opinions. ... Puritans wished to maintain order in their colony. ... Puritans became the mold of religious liberty. ...
Works of the Puritans Most people think of the Puritans as simple people who have been passed by today's technological advances. ... The basic ideas and ways of the Puritan life can be seen from their numerous writings; these writings can be a hidden pathway into the every day life of a puritan. Jonathan Edwards was a shining example of the Puritan way of life. ... The end goal of the Puritans was of course to make it into heaven. ... The Puritan people lived almost entirely on the worship of God. ...
It was what the Puritans believed in as well as the villagers of Salem. The Puritans were very dedicated to their religious beliefs, and to the Puritans witchcraft was considered both a sin and a crime. The main reason why the witch trials occurred was because the Puritans goal in life was to purify the organization of their church. ... Nevertheless, the Puritans seemed to be a religious cult that put fear into the people of Salem. The extent that the Puritans had gone for the sake of religion is unbelievable....
The Puritans wanted to pray to their own church. ... One of the beliefs of the Puritans was the devil, whom they feared. Witches and the devil's servants were always battling the Puritans. ... The Puritans didn't like the way the English created new taxes, and Puritans saw this as taking away their independence. ... This is a distinguishing mark of Puritan culture. ...
Puritan child rearing practices are very diverse from modern childhood. ... The Puritans were very much a community in every way. The Puritans fundamentally lived in the community, church, and family. ... It is very imperative to try to comprehend the way the Puritans lived their lives. ... The Puritan children were educated and they did have morals and values. ...
Passionate Puritan laymen received savage punishments. ... The Puritans were "non-separating Congregationalists." ... Their religious principles set them apart as Puritans. ... The Puritans were not a small group of people. ... Most of the Puritans settled in the New England area. ...
All people practicing witchcraft were condemned by the Puritans. In Puritans pursued themselves to be more pure with God. ... The Puritans believed that their duty in life was to praise God. ... The Puritans learned a broad amount of right from wrong. ... Witchcraft was unacceptable to the Puritan's beliefs. ...
The Puritans also held a strong social order. ... The roles were very similar to those of the Puritans. ... Education was also important in Puritan's life. ... The Puritans were also driven by capitalism. ... The Puritans also had an impact of Individualism. ...
