how did puritans change over the course of the 1600s

by Christopher Hettinger 10 min read

After the English Restoration the Savoy Conference and Uniformity Act 1662 and Great Ejection drove most of the Puritan ministers from the Church of England, and the outlines of the Puritan movement changed over a few decades into the collections of Presbyterian and Congregational churches, operating as they could as Dissenters under changing regimes.

Full Answer

What did the Puritans want to change in England?

They wanted economic advancement to be based on ingenuity rather than class, privilege and aristocracy, as it was in England. In England, Oliver Cromwell led the English Parliament in the fight for change. He and the leading Puritans fought the nobility and eventually won. King Charles I was beheaded in 1649.

What was life like for the Puritans in the 1600s?

The Puritan Lifestyle in the 1600s. The English Puritans had been trying to change the Church of England to allow the Gospels of Christ to be read and interpreted freely, but the Church was resistant. Instead, they encouraged emigration to the American colonies, which was a difficult life.

What happened to the Puritans in the 1640s?

The Puritan movement had become particularly fractured in the course of the 1640s and 1650s, and with the decision of the Latitudinarians to conform in 1662, it became even further fractured. Around two thousand Puritan ministers resigned from their positions as Church of England clergy as a consequence.

What was the Puritan migration like?

The Puritan migration was overwhelmingly a migration of families (unlike other migrations to early America, which were composed largely of young unattached men). The literacy rate was high, and the intensity of devotional life, as recorded in the many surviving diaries, sermon notes, poems and letters, was seldom to be matched in American life.

How do the authors say that Puritans changed over the course of the 1600s?

Puritanism has changed over the course of the 1600s by creating unity for purpose and bringing awareness on the moral health of the whole community. Life became more organized. Puritans ran their own churches and had democracy in their congressional church government.

What did the Puritans change?

Puritans adopted a Reformed theology and, in that sense, were Calvinists (as were many of their earlier opponents). In church polity, some advocated separation from all other established Christian denominations in favour of autonomous gathered churches.

What happened to Puritans influence over time?

According to the text, what happened to the Puritans' influence in New England over time? The Puritans' influence in New England gradually softened over time. The stern Puritan customs were gradually softened, more rapidly in Massachusetts than in Connecticut, owing to the many Crown officers residing in Boston.

What was Puritan society like in 1600s?

The Puritans were an industrious people, and virtually everything within the house was made by hand - including clothes. The men and boys took charge of farming, fixing things around the house, and caring for livestock. The women made soap, cooked, gardened, and took care of the house.

How did Puritans influence in New England change from the 1600s to the 1700s?

How did Puritan influence in New England change from the 1600s to the 1700s? Puritan influence declined as religious tolerance increased.

How did the Puritans influence New England colonies?

Puritan Work Ethic Benefits such as tax exemptions and free land spurred the growth of shipbuilding and ironworks industries. The family-centric and ethics-based ideals promulgated within Puritan society led to a society-based expectation of hard work and success that fostered economic growth within the early colonies.

What did the Puritans accomplish?

Puritans were English Protestants who were committed to "purifying" the Church of England by eliminating all aspects of Catholicism from religious practices. English Puritans founded the colony of Plymouth to practice their own brand of Protestantism without interference.

How did Puritans impact America?

the Puritans as a political entity largely disappeared, but Puritan attitudes and ethics continued to exert an influence on American society. They made a virtue of qualities that made for economic success—self-reliance, frugality, industry, and energy—and through them influenced modern social and economic life.

When did the Puritan era end?

First, we don't know when to mark the end of Puritanism. The era between the Salem witchcraft trials (1692) and the Great Awakening (1740s) is a veritable "dark ages" of historical understanding. We reflexively call New Englanders "Puritans" through 1740, while knowing that the label can't possibly fit any more.

What was Puritan life like 1692?

In 1692, life in the Puritan village of Salem, Massachusetts was all but exciting. Lives were stressful and fun was considered irreligious. Puritans attended church every Sunday morning for three hours, and they listened to sermons given by the town reverend that warned against evil.

What caused Puritans to decline?

Decline of power and influence The decline of the Puritans and the Congregational churches was brought about first through practices such as the Half-Way Covenant and second through the rise of dissenting Baptists, Quakers, Anglicans and Presbyterians in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

What challenges did the Puritans face?

The greatest challenges the Puritans had to face were the lack of medical supplies for illness, shelter, and food. During the voyage to the New World, the Puritans encountered multiple illnesses. This becomes challenging when there is no medical attention and not even the sailors would help them.

What was the Puritan lifestyle in the 1600s?

The Puritan Lifestyle in the 1600s. The English Puritans had been trying to change the Church of England to allow the Gospels of Christ to be read and interpreted freely, but the Church was resistant . Instead, they encouraged emigration to the American colonies, which was a difficult life.

What were the Puritans' goals?

They created trade relationships with established countries. They wanted economic advancement to be based on ingenuity rather than class, privilege and aristocracy, as it was in England.

Why did Harvard College start?

In 1636, Harvard College was started for the purpose of training Puritan ministers to govern.

What is the name of the colony between the Charles River and the Massachusetts Bay?

The area between the Charles River and Massachusetts Bay become known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony, one of the largest Puritan settlements of the 1600’s.

Where did Puritans meet?

Meetings took place in church and the taverns as Puritans had always favored beer, wine and rum and the discussion of politics. They wanted to re-create their life in England. The church, tavern, and watchtower were always built together in case of attack.

Who led the English Parliament in the fight for change?

In England, Oliver Cromwell led the English Parliament in the fight for change. He and the leading Puritans fought the nobility and eventually won. King Charles I was beheaded in 1649. Cromwell's death in 1658 brought the Puritans to another crossroad, so many more Puritans fled to the American colonies.

Why were men armed at the church?

Men were armed at church, as they were in constant danger of attack by Native Americans. By 1692, claims of witchery had filled Puritan jails. Historians say it is because of the class divide between strict, poor, Puritan rural farmers and wealthy Puritan landowners and merchants who lived in town.

What were Puritan ideals?

Some Puritan ideals, including the formal rejection of Roman Catholicism, were incorporated into the doctrines of the Church of England; others were absorbed into the many Protestant denominations that emerged in the late 17th and early 18th centuries in North America and Britain.

What was the effect of baptism on the Puritans?

However, the effect of baptism was disputed. Puritans objected to the prayer book's assertion of baptismal regeneration. In Puritan theology, infant baptism was understood in terms of covenant theology—baptism replaced circumcision as a sign of the covenant and marked a child's admission into the visible church.

What is the Puritan religion?

Puritanism broadly refers to a diverse religious reform movement in Britain committed to the continental Reformed tradition. While Puritans did not agree on all doctrinal points, most shared similar views on the nature of God, human sinfulness, and the relationship between God and mankind. They believed that all of their beliefs should be based on the Bible, which they considered to be divinely inspired.

What did the Puritans believe about Christmas?

Puritans in both England and New England believed that the state should protect and promote true religion and that religion should influence politics and social life. Certain holidays were outlawed when Puritans came to power. In 1647, Parliament outlawed the celebration of Christmas, Easter and Whitsuntide. Puritans strongly condemned the celebration of Christmas, considering it a Catholic invention and the "trappings of popery " or the "rags of the Beast ". They also objected to Christmas because the festivities surrounding the holiday were seen as impious (English jails were usually filled with drunken revelers and brawlers). Following the restoration it was restored as a legal holiday in England in 1660. Christmas was outlawed in Boston from 1659. The ban was revoked in 1681 by the English-appointed governor Edmund Andros, who also revoked a Puritan ban on festivities on Saturday nights. Nevertheless, it was not until the mid-19th century that celebrating Christmas became fashionable in the Boston region.

Why did the Puritans refuse to baptize dying infants?

Some Puritan clergy even refused to baptise dying infants because that implied the sacrament contributed to salvation. Puritans rejected both Roman Catholic ( transubstantiation) and Lutheran ( sacramental union) teachings that Christ is physically present in the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper.

What did Puritan clergy wear?

Puritan clergymen preferred to wear black academic attire. During the vestments controversy, church authorities attempted and failed to enforce the use of clerical vestments. While never a mass movement, the Puritans had the support and protection of powerful patrons in the aristocracy.

What is the Puritan New England?

In addition, historians such as Perry Miller have regarded Puritan New England as fundamental to understanding American culture and identity. Puritanism has also been credited with the creation of modernity itself, from England's Scientific Revolution to the rise of democracy. In the early 20th century, Max Weber argued in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism that Puritan beliefs in predestination resulted in a Protestant work ethic that created capitalism. Puritan authors such as John Milton, John Bunyan, Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor continue to be read and studied as important figures within English and American literature.

What were the Puritans known for?

The Puritans Early Life. In the 17th century, the early settlers, called the puritans, were best known as very religious settlers as they had hardship for there religion. Based on the puritans early ages, if you were to lie, you were granted a greater punishment. Which could result to death by stone, or being put in the stock or getting hanged. The early puritans were strictly all about being very religious and being all about the man upstairs. In massachusetts bay colony, it was a man's town. The

Why did the Puritans start the colony of Massachusetts?

In early 1600's, Puritans followed the Pilgrims to America then they landed in Massachusetts bay. The Puritans started the colony because they wanted to escape religious persecution. The only religion was the Puritans.In the early 1600's of, Massachusetts there was only one Indian tribe,and that was the Wampanoag. Puritans tried to purify the Anglican church because they wanted to make services simpler and taking ranks of authority

What is Puritan discipline?

Puritan Discipline The Puritans, arguably the most well-known group of early English colonists settled in the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 1600’s, and are considered catalysts to modern American culture. The Puritans are famous for their theological insights, advances in the sciences, and for the establishment of the first public schools in America. The Puritans however are infamous for their potentially brutal punishment, and harsh discipline. To the devout Puritan punishment was love, this

What has changed in America over the past couple of centuries?

Over the past couple of centuries, a lot of things have changed throughout America such as, technology advances, medical advances, and women's rights to name just a few. Going back to the 1600's when we first came to America, there are very few things that are similar to what life is like now compared to life back then. When examining the life of Anne Bradstreet and the life of women back in that time period, it is hard to imagine what their lives were like and what they had to go through. With Bradstreet

What was the 1600s?

The 1600's were a time of global expansion, and the search for a new world where people could start their lives anew and have a say in the way their society was run. After Christopher Columbus's discovery of the Americas, countries began to send colonies to settle and establish a presence in the vast and unconquered land. The English sent some of the largest amounts of immigrants to the new world. One

What is the Puritan culture?

The Puritans, arguably the most well-known group of early English colonists settled in the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 1600’s, and are considered catalysts to modern American culture. The Puritans are famous for their theological insights, advances in the sciences, and for the establishment of the first public schools in America. The Puritans however are infamous for their potentially brutal punishment, and harsh discipline. To the devout Puritan punishment was love, this was evident in the ways

Who settled New Amsterdam?

They named the colony New Netherland. During the next ten years, Dutch settlers established small colonies at Albany and other along the Hudson River. In 1625, Peter Minuit founded New Amsterdam near the Hudson River. According to the legend, Peter Minuit paid local Indians about $24 worth of trinkets for the land. In the 1630's and 1640's, Puritans from other colonies moved into New Amsterdam

What was the Puritan period?

The period of 1642 to 1659 represented a period of peaceful dominance in English life by the formerly discriminated Puritan population. Consequently, most felt no need to settle in the American colonies.

When did the Puritan movement become fractured?

The Puritan movement had become particularly fractured in the course of the 1640s and 1650s, and with the decision of the Latitudinarians to conform in 1662, it became even further fractured. Around two thousand Puritan ministers resigned from their positions as Church of England clergy as a consequence.

What did Charles II hope for?

Nevertheless, Charles II had hoped that the Book of Common Prayer could be reformed in a way that was acceptable to the majority of the Presbyterians, so that when religious uniformity was restored by law, the largest number of Puritans possible could be incorporated inside the Church of England.

What were the non-conforming ministers in England?

These private meetings were known as conventicles. The congregations that they formed around the non-conforming ministers at this time form the nucleus for the later English Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and Baptist denominations. The Cavalier Parliament responded hostilely to the continued influence of the non-conforming ministers. In 1664, it passed the Conventicle Act banning religious assemblies of more than five people outside of the Church of England. In 1665, it passed the Five Mile Act, forbidding ejected ministers from living within five miles of a parish from which they had been banned, unless they swore an oath never to resist the king, or attempt to alter the government of Church or State. Under the penal laws forbidding religious dissent (generally known to history as the Clarendon Code ), many ministers were imprisoned in the latter half of the 1660s. One of the most notable victims of the penal laws during this period (though he was not himself an ejected minister) was John Bunyan, a Baptist, who was imprisoned from 1660 to 1672.

What was the Great Ejection?

The Great Ejection, 1662. Main article: Great Ejection. Title page of a collection of Farewell Sermons preached by ministers ejected from their parishes in 1662. In 1662, the Cavalier Parliament passed the Act of Uniformity of 1662, restoring the Book of Common Prayer as the official liturgy.

What was the first action of the Cavalier Parliament?

When the Cavalier Parliament met in May 1661, its first action, largely a reaction to the Fifth Monarchist uprising, was to pass the Corporation Act of 1661, which barred anyone who had not received communion in the Church of England in the past twelve months from holding office in a city or corporation.

What did Charles II say about the Church of England?

Nevertheless, in the Declaration of Breda, issued in April 1660, a month before Charles II's return to England, Charles II proclaimed that while he intended to restore the Church of England, he would also pursue a policy of religious toleration for non-adherents of the Church of England.

Terminology

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In the 17th century, the word Puritan was a term applied not to just one group but to many. Historians still debate a precise definition of Puritanism. Originally, Puritan was a pejorative term characterizing certain Protestant groups as extremist. Thomas Fuller, in his Church History, dates the first use of the word to …
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History

  • Puritanism had a historical importance over a period of a century, followed by fifty years of development in New England. It changed character and emphasis almost decade by decade over that time.
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Beliefs

  • Calvinism
    Puritanism broadly refers to a diverse religious reform movement in Britain committed to the Continental Reformed tradition. While Puritans did not agree on all doctrinal points, most shared similar views on the nature of God, human sinfulness, and the relationship between God and ma…
  • Conversion
    Covenant theology made individual salvation deeply personal. It held that God's predestination was not "impersonal and mechanical" but was a "covenant of grace" that one entered into by faith. Therefore, being a Christian could never be reduced to simple "intellectual acknowledgment" of t…
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Cultural Consequences

  • Some strong religious beliefs common to Puritans had direct impacts on culture. Puritans believed it was the government's responsibility to enforce moral standards and ensure true religious worship was established and maintained. Education was essential to every person, male and female, so that they could read the Bible for themselves. However, the Puritans' emphasis o…
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Historiography

  • Puritanism has attracted much scholarly attention, and as a result, the secondary literature on the subject is vast. Puritanism is considered crucial to understanding the religious, political and cultural issues of early modern England. In addition, historians such as Perry Miller have regarded Puritan New England as fundamental to understanding American culture and identity. Puritanis…
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Notable Puritans

  1. Peter Bulkley was an influential Puritan minister and founder of Concord.
  2. John Bunyan was famous for The Pilgrim's Progress.
  3. William Bradford was Plymouth Colony's Governor.
  4. Anne Bradstreetwas the first female to have her works published in the British North American colonies.
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See Also

Further Reading

  1. Bremer, Francis J. Lay Empowerment and the Development of Puritanism.New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.
  2. Collins, Owen (1999). Speeches That Changed the World, Westminster John Knox Press, ISBN 0-664-22149-1.
  3. Eicholz, Hans (2008). "Puritanism". In Hamowy, Ronald (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Libertariani…
  1. Bremer, Francis J. Lay Empowerment and the Development of Puritanism.New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.
  2. Collins, Owen (1999). Speeches That Changed the World, Westminster John Knox Press, ISBN 0-664-22149-1.
  3. Eicholz, Hans (2008). "Puritanism". In Hamowy, Ronald (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; Cato Institute. pp. 407–408. ISBN 978-1412965804. OCLC 750831024.
  4. Gardiner, Samuel Rawson (1895). The First Two Stuarts and the Puritan Revolution. New York: C. Scribner's Sons. pp. 10–11.