The seventeenth century was a time of change for those who grew disconnected in the Church of England and everything related to catholism. The Puritans believed that the Church of England had become a product of political struggles and was beyond reform. They believed that America would be their great chance to embark on a new future, and it would present them with the freedom they so desired; the ability to practice their own religious beliefs. They wanted to create a society which would be different from that of England. .
Most of the Puritans settled in the New England area. As they immigrated and formed individual colonies, their numbers rose from 17,800 in 1640 to 106,000 in 1700. Religious exclusiveness was the primary principle of their society. The spiritual beliefs that they had were strong. Puritans followed the theological principles established by John Calvin. This strength held over to include community laws and customs. Puritans believed that the Bible was God's true law, and that it provided a plan for living, he was to motivate all of their actions .
Politically, they sought to create their own governmental system, puritans wanted government power. They thought that property ownership was important and this provided the foundation of their self-governing system. This system consisted of property owner's, which for the most part were farmers. All the men in the community had voting rights in the town meetings, they believed voting was important and others should hear what they had to say. In the town meetings the men would discuss local affairs such as grazing issues, lot sizes and most important the charge of taxes and collecting of those taxes. Gradually these small town communities joined together to form a larger governmental unit for the colony as a whole. .
The Puritans also established social structures; they considered that a strong family was important to the community's welfare.
