Puritans
The Puritans arrived in New England from England with aspirations to live a life free from religious persecution, strictly lead pious lives, and to keep a well-knit family relationship; they accomplished all these goals with the exception of being abided by the strict guidelines of the church and government. Religion to the Puritans came before anything else in life. Their troubles began when King James I appointed himself the head of the Church of England in 1603; they fled out of England for their lives and for their religious freedom. They did not want to practice religion in a corrupted church. New England Puritans did not want to separate from the church; they wanted to "purify it." With their charter, the they set up the Massachusetts Bay Company and used it to establish a colony that would be a commonwealth based on the Bible. After many generations of living in New England, the ideal Puritan life became less focused around religion and focused more on making money through trade. They even lessened the requirements for membership in the General Court; instead of allowing only "freemen," they later allowed any Puritan in good standing. These colonists were successful at fulfilling their aspirations to a certain extent, but
So, many people started pursuing their interests in making money and grew less pious. Puritan lived centered around the family, while putting a strong emphasis on Bible readings; thus improving literacy rates. When their later generations become more interested in making money than in church, they compromised and allowed the "Half-Way Covenant. " By 1765, 10,000 persons were employed in catching, cleaning, and preserving cod, mackerel, bass, halibut, and other deep-sea fish, which had become an important factor in Anglo-American trade with Europe and the West Indies. They came into this new country seeking reform and accomplished it when they set up a church that was governed by themselves; they were no longer at the mercy of the clergymen or the king. Decreased interests in religion spread throughout the colonies. Even the first college, Harvard college was founded in Massachusetts in 1638. These colonists were able to establish their own government and society that differed from the one they originally had in England. The New England Puritans led successful family lives through education and the church. Success in trade was one of the main reasons the Puritans prospered in the new world. They traded with different countries other than Great Britain and grew rich with enough profit to help sustain their economies. The New Englanders were blessed with natural resources like fish and lumber, when they arrived to the new world. " By granting membership to people who were not fully converted, more people joined the church.
Common topics in this essay:
England Puritans,
Church England,
Bay Company,
Holy Spirit,
Half-Way Covenant,
England England,
West Indies,
Whitefield Whitefield,
Congregational Church,
John Winthrop,
england puritans,
church england,
puritans able,
half-way covenant,
colonists able,
lead pious lives,
successful establishing,
pious lives,
originally england,
religious freedom,
lead pious,
aspirations live life,
england puritans able,
|
Acceptance Essays
