The Native North Americans did not have a written language. Instead, their stories were passed down by oral tradition.

These stories were often about creation, ways to explain how the world came into existence. They also had fairy tales, chants, children’s stories, and songs.

The term Puritan refers to a group of English Protestants who sought to “purify” the Church of England. Many of these Puritans suffered persecution in England. Some were put in jail and whipped, their noses

slit, and their ears lopped off. Some fled to Holland and eventually sailed to the New World.

Ironically, the Puritans tended to be inflexible with their faith and intolerant of viewpoints other than their own.

They believed that the everyday world and the spiritual world were intertwined.

They felt that they had to live exemplary lives to be “the elect” and not “the damned.”

They valued self-reliance, industriousness, temperance and simplicity. The financial success that eventually grew from these qualities was thought to be a sign of God’s approval.

A person should be: thrifty, modest, and simple.

They placed great importance on education in order to be able to comprehend the Bible and theological debates.

Each Puritan was trained to see his/her life as a journey to salvation.

Puritans believed that human beings were sinful by nature.Pleasure was a sin.

There was no confessing of sins for forgiveness. If a person had sinned, it meant that the devil was influencing them.

Earth was simply a test: Heaven was the reward for good behavior and Hell was the punishment for bad behavior.

People tried to be Visible Saintsact good = be good

Diaries and histories were the most common forms of literature. However, ministers wrote sermons with vivid imagery, powerful language and strong moral lessons. Puritan poets primarily considered poetry a way to explore the relationship between humans and God.

“Early American Writing.” Holt

McDougal Literature: American

Literature. Eds. Janet Allen, et. al.

USA: Holt McDougal, 2010. 22-29.