The Puritans and the Salem Witch Trials

Colonialism

Who Were the Puritans?The name “Puritan” was given to those in the sixteenth century who wanted to “purify” the Church of England, which they saw as corrupt.

They sought to introduce reforms in the church, which had already separated from Catholicism a few decades before. They were known as the most

extreme religious group in the world at the time.

The three principal influences of the Puritans come from religion, work and education.

Historical Significance: How did the Puritans come to be?

In 1517, Martin Luther (not the one who had a dream) and other religious reformers sought to drive out what they saw as corruption in the Catholic Church. In doing so, they became known as “Protestants”, because they were protesting against the current religious organization.

Martin Luther and his followers sought to correct the following:

•Selling of indulgences, which is the forgiveness of sins•An intermediary (priest) between the individual and God•Simony, selling and buying of clerical offices

Historical Significance Continued…The Protestant Reformation was officially underway when Martin Luther, a German priest, nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenburg Cathedral in Germany. Among the many criticisms regarding the Catholic Church, Luther also described how a person’s relationship with God should be; this was based on three points:

• Solo gratia: by grace alone• Solo Scriptura: by Scripture alone• Solo fida: by faith alone

Luther argued that a person has the individual right to speak to God directly, that there is no need for a hierarchy because the relationship between God and the individual is sacred.

Protestant Reformation in EnglandAlthough the Protestant Reformation was popular in Germany, it did not reach England until 1527, and it was not for religious purposes. King Henry VIII wished for a divorce from his wife of over twenty years. When the Pope refused to grant the divorce, Henry VIII appointed himself head of the Church of England. It was never Henry’s goal to leave

the Catholic Church entirely, merely to not be placed under foreign rule. However when he died, his son Edward VI, who had been educated by Protestant rulers steered the country towards Protestantism.

Do not forget that (to this day) England does not have a separation of church and state…the leader of the country is the political and religious head.

Religious DivideThe shift to Protestantism caused a great religious divide in England; as a result Catholics and Protestants were involved in many bloody wars. For the sake of conformity and national strength, Elizabeth I, (Henry VIII’s daughter) established Protestantism as the official religion. Every other religion was banned, and the law mandated that everyone attend church every Sunday. People who did not do so were heavily fined.

Sermons were by law to be of a Protestant nature. Every church in England was legally required to use The Book of Common Prayer.

After a century had passed, the future generations of the Protestants felt that although their forefathers had rid the church of some of its corruptness, they had not done enough. This small group of Protestants who felt that there was still a great need for reform soon became the Puritans; they sought the need to purify the Church of England.

Migration to the “New World”People had different reasons for wanting to migrate to the “New World”: some came to absolve themselves of heavy debts, while others sought economic advancement.

The Puritans, however, wished to built a community based on their religious ideas with the church as both the spiritual and legal head. Although this was the case in England, the Puritans sought to built a community in which they may worship God in their own way and not conform to the criteria set forth by the Church of England.

As they were not allowed to to this in England, they were able to establish a religious freedom for themselves (but only themselves).

Puritans are also known as Separatists because they wanted to separate from the Church of England.

Puritans eventually settled in various colonies in Massachusetts.

The Mayflower CompactThe Mayflower Compact was written by William Bradford in 1620 upon the arrival of the Puritans to Plymouth Colony. The Mayflower Compact is the first legal governing document that the Puritans set forth. It is a social contract in which the Puritans agreed to follow the rules and regulations of the society for the sake of survival.

(This will be a HUGE theme in Puritanism: a fear, and therefore rejection, of the unknown).

It was signed by 41 male passengers who come to the New World on the Mayflower. (Women, children, male servants and non-Puritans were excluded).

In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are under-written, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.

Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our selves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the eleventh of November [New Style, November 21], in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Dom. 1620

Daily Life and Values:Education

In addition to religion, the Puritans greatly valued education. When they first settled a colony, the first two buildings (even before individual residences) were a school and a church. (In fact, a very famous university was founded by Puritans in 1636.)

The Puritans believed that everyone should read the Bible for himself, and should be taught to do so at a young age, regardless of gender. Although this may seem a trivial concept for modern times, reading the Bible for oneself was a very controversial act, one that could result in a penalty as harsh as death.

The Puritans advocated for equality when it came to accessible education, although education was based on gender.

More EducationEvery Puritan child was taught to read the Bible and to understand the main laws of the country (which were heavily influenced by the Bible).

The Massachusetts code declared that every child must be able to read and the colony passed a law in 1647 to hire a schoolmaster in every town in order to encourage literacy.

Those who were not able read were considered barbaric and not fit to be members of society. In other words, one’s education helped to further one’s social status.

Boys vs. Girls:Puritan girls went to “Dame” schools to learn reading and minimal math. They were also taught domestic tasks such as sewing, cooking, etc.

Boys went to “Latin” school were they were taught Latin, Greek, Hebrew, as well as the traditional subjects. It was the expectation of boys to continue on to the university.

Both boys and girls were also given daily Bible lessons.

Primary education was usually taught in an elderly lady’s home. Secondary education (available to boys) was taught in a school room with a qualified schoolmaster.

Every child was taught to read from The New England Primer, which was the first textbook used in the New World. It contained the alphabet, sayings from the Bible and daily moral lessons. It was used up until the early 20th century.

The New England Primer

Puritan HolidaysThe Puritans did not celebrate any scheduled holidays such as Christmas or Easter because they believed that those holidays had a pagan origin. They did however celebrate Thanksgiving (pilgrims!), Day of Fasting and Day of Praise. Of course, most holidays were influenced by religion.

From 1659 to 1681, there was a ban in Massachusetts on all Christmas celebrations because they were thought to be too celebratory in nature.

At the heart of the Puritan mindset is not necessarily a rejection for, but certainly a suspicious awareness for entertainment and pleasure. The ideology behind this is, that if a person were celebrating or enjoying himself, he would be less likely to concentrate on God. Therefore, any sort of entertainment was not necessarily a sin, but a pathway or temptation to sin.

Puritan Living ConditionsPuritans are known for their work ethic. Most Puritans lived in farming communities with very limited resources or technologies.

As most societies in the New World are slowly emerging, there is little room for manufacturing and consuming. Most resources from food and clothing to furniture and even soap are handmade.

Winter was especially hard on the Puritans as they had to survive on what food they grew in the summer. If that year’s crop was bad, it is very likely the entire family would starve.

Puritan ReligionThe Puritans felt that they were chosen by God for a special purpose and that they must live every moment fearing God.

Every man, woman and child was required to attend church on Sunday, prayer meetings during the middle of the week and to observe the Sabbath rigidly.

The Puritans believed in predestination, the belief that God already knows if you are going to Heaven or Hell at the moment of you birth.

Despite these beliefs, they followed strict rules on the hopes that being good and leading a godly life could increase one chances of entering Heaven.

Calvin (not Klein)John Calvin was an influential French theologian who developed Christian theology called Calvinism, which heavily (really really heavily) influenced the Puritans’ religion. The following are the Five Components of Calvinism. (Use the TULIP method).

• Total Depravity: Sin has affected all parts of man. The heart, emotion, will, mind and body are all affected by sin.

• Unconditional Election: God does not base his election (people being admitted into Heaven) upon human action; rather, He chooses the elect according to His will.

• Limited Atonement: Jesus died only for the elect mentioned above. He bore the sins of only a few, not everyone.

• Irresistible Grace: When God calls His elect into salvation, they will not be able to resist. The Holy Spirit will work in the hearts and minds of the elect and bring them to repentance of their sins.

• Perseverance of the Saints: One cannot lost salvation; the elect are eternally secure

Puritan work ethicThe Puritans believed that time spent away from church or praying should be entirely devoted to work. This was based on the idea that working hard was a way to avoid temptation and follow God’s word.

It was believed that hard work and sacrifice would allow one to reap rewards in the next life.

The Puritans set forth a work ethic that is still followed in America today.

John Winthrop, a Puritan lawyer, references the Biblical phrase, “a city upon a hill” to describe the New World. His vision was that this new society would be a model of Christian goodness and charity to the world. The Puritans hoped that they would be viewed as exemplary in terms of religious devotion and social decorum. Centuries later both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan would use this phrase in their speeches.

Irony…

Forests and WitchcraftBecause the Puritans were newcomers to the new land, theirs is not a metropolitan society; rather, Puritan farmlands and agricultural settings did not lend themselves to city life.

The forests lay beyond the rigid and closely knit community. The forest was considered an evil place where only those who were in the company of the devil would venture.

Those who went in the forests were held with suspicion. In literature that takes place in Puritan times, the forest is always symbolic of forbidden places and evildoings.

WitchcraftThe Puritans were very concerned with witchcraft and actively seeking to root those considered witches out of society.

Any unusual or unconventional behavior was seen as witchcraft. A bad crop, extreme temperatures and unforeseen illnesses were also blamed on witchcraft.

Mainly, women were accused to witchcraft because it was believed that a woman was ten times more likely to be innately evil than a man.

Also, any unseemly blemish such as a mole or rash might be seen as the devil’s mark.”

Witches continued…

Once a person was accused of being a witch, a trial would be held to determine if she was either guilty or innocent.

Those accused of witchcraft were either burnt at the stake or hung.

If the jury (comprised of church elders and town officials) were unsure of the person’s status, that person would undergo a witch’s test.

Images of Puritans