The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th-17th centuries who sought to "purify" the Church of England and believed the Church had not gone far enough in reforming its doctrines, liturgy, and structure. Many Puritans immigrated to America for religious freedom, seeking to establish a religious community aligned with their beliefs. The Puritans who settled in Plymouth were mostly Separatists who broke from the Church of England, while those in Boston wanted to reform the Church of England from within. Their beliefs, including a focus on biblical literalism, predestination, and the Protestant work ethic, profoundly influenced early American society and culture.

1. What is a
Puritan?
A Puritan is a member of
a 17th-century Christian
religious sect that
emigrated from England
to what is now the United
States. Their beliefs have
had a profound influence
on American society for
hundreds of years.
“Puritans Going to Church” by G. H. Boughton, 1884. Source: Library of Congress

2. But where did they come
from?
What does it mean to be a
Puritan?

3. Some background
information
Before about 1500, the Roman
Catholic Church was the major
religious and political
organization for most of Europe.
There was no separation
between Church and State. Kings
were considered to be divinely
appointed according to God’s will.
Sin and crime were the same
things.
Pope Clement VII, painted by Sebastiano del Piambo, about 1531

4. The Protestant
ReformationStarting around 1500, various groups
around Europe began to question the
power of the Roman Catholic church.
Some wanted to start new churches;
others wanted the Roman Catholic
church to change its practices or give up
some of its power.
In England, King Henry the VIII wanted
to have his marriage annulled so he
could marry someone else. When Pope
Clement VII refused to annul his
marriage, Henry VIII declared that the
Roman Catholic Church in England was
now the Church of England, and its head
was the King and not the Pope. Then he
went ahead with his next marriage, and
also took over all the Roman Catholic
church properties in England.
Henry VIII, painted in the workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger, about 1498

5. • The Puritans were people who felt that the Church
of England was still too much like the Roman
Catholic church, which they thought was corrupt and
superstitious.
• The Puritans wanted to PURIFY the Church of
England, to make further changes until the Church
was perfect.
• Some people thought the only solution was to
SEPARATE from the Church of England and start a
new, pure Christian church. Those people were
Separatists.

6. The Puritans were persecuted
for their beliefs in England and
eventually migrated to the
North American colonies for
religious freedom. (Their own
freedom, that is. They did not
tolerate other religions in their
communities.)
The colonists who settled in
Plymouth were mostly
Separatists. The colonists who
settled in Boston were mostly
Puritans who just wanted to
reform the Church of England.
Mayflower II, a replica of the Pilgrims’ ship. Photo by Wikitravel user OldPine.

7. Puritan beliefs• Living in complete agreement with the Bible. Education
was important because everyone needs to be able to read
the Bible for themselves. They also believed in keeping
spiritual journals where they wrote about what God was
telling them.
• God deals with individuals personally and intervenes in
their lives. God sends messages to his people through
daily events. (For example, a terrible storm might mean
your town displeased God.)
• The Puritans saw themselves as a new version of the
Biblical Israelites. God was leading them out of
England/Egypt and into America/the Promised Land. They
were fulfilling God’s plan.

8. • God has already decided who will go to heaven (be
saved) and who won’t. It’s up to God; it’s not based
on your life choices. Your eternal fate is predestined.
• Your job in life is to please God and try to find out if
He has chosen you to be saved. (In Puritan terms,
are you one of the “Elect”?)
• God showed who His Elect were by how well they
behaved and how well they prospered. Therefore, if
you wanted to believe you were Elect, you would
behave very well and work very hard. This attitude
has been called the root of the “Protestant Work
Ethic.”

9. • Puritans did not tolerate dissent or non-Puritan
religions.
• Puritans did not tolerate idleness or excessive
celebration.
• Puritans used public punishments like whipping and
humiliation to enforce the rules. They also executed
people, usually by hanging them.
• Church leaders and government leaders were
closely connected, sometimes the same people;
there was still no separation of church and state.

10. The Puritans are still an important symbol in American
culture, but what is their meaning to Americans today?
Hopefully our readings will help us explore that question.