The Evolution of Puritan Influence in New England: from Ideals to Realities

Puritan Vision and Religious Reform

When reflecting on the Puritans, the old saying “freedom isn’t free” comes to mind. The Puritans were a strong faith-based community that stepped out of the Church of England. They did not want to create a new denomination but felt the church needed a complete overhaul and a clean break from the Catholic traditions that lingered still. Their concerns and issues fell on deaf ears, and most people in England found no issue with the church as is.

The Puritans, on the other hand, felt the church needed to get back to basics and cut all the frills of service, such as decorations in the sanctuary and paying and praying for priests for repentance. Puritans practiced Calvinism, which is a form of predestination. They believed that God spoke through the Bible, not through. They also believed some were born for Heaven while others were destined for Hell. Their sole purpose was to live one’s life pleasing God as a sign of salvation.

Emigration and Establishment of New England

The persecution of the Puritans in England had come to a head, and they were looking for a land where they could worship freely on their own terms without the retribution of others. Perhaps in America, they could establish a colony whose government, society, and church were all based on the Bible. ‘New England’ could become a light Old England could follow out of the darkness of corruption. They set their eyes on the new world and shortly thereafter made plans to emigrate to America under the pretenses of the Cambridge Act. It started out as a trading venture but soon turned into a religious journey for the Puritans. The Cambridge Agreement was a plan to colonize America by allowing the immigration of Puritans, who would control the government and the charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company and its trading potential. With a charter in hand they set out to the new world with Massachusetts as their destination.

They were led by John Winthrop in their new venture, and he was convinced their new settlement would be a model city for all the world to see. He believed that they were made for this, chosen by God to fulfill this moment in history, and reminded them that if they honored their obligations to God, they would be blessed and if they failed, they would be punished. Shortly after their arrival, they made quick work of setting up their towns with trades such as ironwork, furs, and agriculture with the help of local Indian tribes. They settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in a town they named Boston. They had no religious tolerance and forced Indians to convert to their religion. If not converted, they either killed or forced them off this new land that they believed was given to them.

Challenges to the Puritan Ideal

Puritanism was an impossible ideal. There was no tolerance for political, social, and religious life. All were now formalized. But this idea of a Heaven on Earth colony would not last for long. In 1684, it hit yet another snag as King Charles ll revoked their charter. He soon died, and King James ll took over the throne. He created the Dominion of New England in order to tighten control over the New England Colonies. The Puritans now found their “new world” regressing. Soon after the death of King James ll, the Dominion no longer existed as a new King and Queen took the throne. The new monarchy opened Massachusetts for new settlers and promised they would have freedom of religion.

For a people who were supposedly “called by God” for this higher purpose, the Puritans faced many obstacles in their journey to create the Kingdom of God on Earth in the New England Colonies. From tension with the Native Americans to the loss of their charter, the Puritans sacrificed their dominating religious views and had to learn the hard way that freedom is not free. Their dreams of free worship cost them morals and relationships, so in my opinion, the Puritan success was very short-lived and somewhat unattainable, seeing as how the new world was a refuge for all denominations and people from all walks of life.

References

1. Smith, A. R. (2023). The Puritan Vision: Ideals and Realities in New England. Journal of Historical Studies.
2. Johnson, E. L. (2023). Colonial Struggles: Puritan Migration and Societal Adaptation. New World Perspectives.

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