Puritans Essay

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In 1629, with the anti-Puritan persecutions of Archbishop William Laud, many non-Separatist Puritans were in danger. They secured a royal charter that allowed them to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony.These Puritans helped establish a majority of the colonies in New England. The distinct ideals and values of the Puritans influenced the development of the colonies in numerous ways. Politically, establishment of a representative government came from Puritan ideals. Economically, distaste towards idleness and ideals about pricing came from the Puritans. Socially, their religious beliefs and ideas on unified community were influential. Puritan ideas and values held by Puritans greatly influenced the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies from 1630 through the 1660s.
When Puritans were aware of Archbishop William Laud’s dedication was to wipe out Puritanism they immediately secured a royal charter that allowed them to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Thousands of Puritans left England and came to New England. Many intellectuals landed in the Bay Colony, including John Winthrop. He was offered the position of being the colony’s first governor which he proudly accepted saying he had a “calling” from God to do so. A governor was elected annually as well as a representative assembly. Puritans claimed that the sole purpose of the government was to enforce God’s laws. The Enlarged Salem Covenant of 1636 says, “we bind our selves to study the gospel in all truth and peace; both in regard of those that are within or without [church membership] … not laying a stumbling block before any, no, not the Indians, whose good we desire to promote…” (Doc C). They believed in the importance of religion and...

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...nt Salem Covenant of 1636 says, “promising unto our best ability to teach our children and servants the knowledge of God, and of His Will, that they may serve Him also” (Doc C). They stressed the importance of education because children needed to learn how to read to be able to read the Bible. In a statement about education in New England, 1643, it proclaims, “One of the next things we longed for, and looked after was to advance Learning, and perpetuate it to Posterity; dreading to leave an illiterate Ministry to the Churches… it pleased God to stir up the heart of one Mr. Harvard” (Doc E). Mr. Harvard established the first college in the New England colonies, Harvard College, which was founded to train ministers. The values and ideas of the Puritans influenced the political, economic, and social development in the New England colonies from 1630 through the 1660s.

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