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The Puritans
The Puritans played a large role in colonizing much of the U.S. including the New England colonies, Rhode Island They were English Christains who didn't agree with the practices of the Church of England They were diferent from the Seperatists They wanted to stay with the Church, but change it The Puritans wanted the reformed church to be simpler, and to be centered around the Bible The church was simple, hardly any decorations No musial instruments were allowed The Puritans believed in the philosophies of people like John Calivin They believed that faith, not works was the key to salvation The Puritans moved to America where they could practice their beliefs free from persecution All English subjects were supposed to be part of the Church of England Being a Puritan was illegal, and the people who were them had a tough time Things got really hard around the 1620's-1630's The Catholic pope decided it was time to wipe out Puritans Massachussetts Bay: In 1630, 11 ships led by John Winthrop arrived in America, carrying over 700 Puritan settlers They established the Massachussets Bay colony near modern-day Boston John served as the governor for the new colony He wanted it to be a city on a hill, an example to Europe of how a Protestant city could Flourish THe next 10 years were referred to as the Great Migration It was when about 20,000 Puritans moved to New England, (America) They continued to have children, and the colony grew quickly The Puritans leaders had very strict rules and regulations regarding their church People who disagreed with them were often forced to leave the colony Some formed new colonies to the South Roger Williams was a Puritan who believed that the Government should be seperate from the Church He wanted people to have more religious freedom He cdreated Providence' Another Puritan leader, Ann Hutchinson spoke out against the Puritan leaders She said that they were focusing on the works for salvation and not faith She started the settlement of Portsmouth The Puritans believed in education and founded Harvard in 1636. It is the oldest university in the United States. Women played an important role in Puritan life. They ran the household including the finances and education of the children. Unlike many women of the time, Puritan women were taught to read. One of the worst events in Puritan history was the Salem witch trials where 20 people were executed for witchcraft. Puritan worship services were very long. A sermon could easily last two hours and a prayer may go on for over an hour. Residents of the colony who did not attend church were often fined or even put into the stocks as punishment.