Puritanism And Romanticism

In the 1630's and the 1640's, the Puritans traveled to the colonies to detach from their opinion of a convoluted Church of England. They set up towns and started new lives that were all based on their idea of a pure religion. The Puritan's definition of a pure religion did not include many of the ideas of the Church of England. They built the colonies and made a system based upon the idea that God was the most important aspect of life. Puritan ideas and values influenced the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies from 1630 through the 1660’s by spreading their beliefs into every facet of daily life. Politically their ideas regarding what was considered sinful behavior and how power was separated among the

The puritans came to america in hopes of finding a religious haven. They were trying to separate from the thought to be corrupt Church of England. Although the Puritans agreed with some of the that views the Church of England had, most were to liberal for the them and they needed to start a more conservative church. What better place to start then a blank slate, the New World. Developing a new colony was a challenge for the Puritans, but they persevered in their endeavors. They came with a goal based on religion and their new colony was created on solely that. Religion affected the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies.

The Puritans who came to America originally in 1620 sought religious reform instead of breaking off from the Church of England versus their counterparts the Pilgrims who had left ten years prior. Puritans were a large factor in establishing and founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Their influence in the New English region of America in these thirty years was truly mind-blowing. From their emphasis on organization, family life, education, and a great work ethic is admirable in each every sense. Organization in their towns were a key factor to their lifestyle, with the centralization of the more commonly used buildings show their importance on Church [Document B] which is centered in the town square.

New England colonies developed rapidly throughout the early 1600s and the Puritans helped found most of those colonies. They were Christian group who fled from Europe to escape persecution from the Church of England and the ruling class. They originated from a movement for reform in the Church of England and came with certain values and ideas. They believed that God wanted them to set a good example that would cause those who had remained in England to reform their “sinful” ways and pretty much wanted to be the example community (The City upon a Hill) (Doc A). Over time the aspects of the Puritan’s lifestyles slowly integrated into American culture like strong work ethics and the importance of education in society. They are part

The Puritans were a group of people with strong beliefs, ideas and values in the 1630’s to the 1660’s. Their ideas influenced society in multiple ways during this time including politically, economically, and socially. Politically, they believed in having a theocratic government , economically, they used the value of hard work to run the economy and stimulate prosperity and also, socially the influence of the religion and the need for a tight knit communtiy influenced New England in many more ways than one. All of these influences were part of the ideological belief of the Puritans to attain a “City Upon a Hill” society where they would have the perfect community and established ethos for other communities to later follow in their footsteps.

John Cotton, a prominent Puritan minister in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, advocated the idea that church officials should have limited authority over what will benefit the people because God limited the power of men (Document E). Cotton’s intended audience was the colonists because he wanted them to form a government in which the leader won’t abuse his power to such an extent as like the King of Britain. Like Cotton, other Puritans believed in democracy to some extent, such that the power to govern was the people’s decision. By abusing one’s power, it was a sign of greed, which was highly despised by the Puritans since it represented the idea that the person was not an elect. Furthermore, the Puritans influenced the idea of the separation of church and state because they believed that the church and state were created by God in order to enforce his teachings. For instance, Puritans did not allow ministers to hold any public position. This was because bishops of the Church of England were able to vote on legislation in 17th century Britain. As a result, this allowed the church to accumulate, and

Religion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These main themes are evident in the writings of

The 17th century Puritans were known to represent a religious group migrating from England to America in order to practice religious freedom. These groups were determined to “purify” churches of England from Catholic practices. Puritans are known for their religious, social, and political influences on early America. Edmund S. Morgan’s novel The Puritan Family highlights a part of history that many would tend to look over upon- that is, the complex structural life of Puritan Families in the 17th century.

Above all, Puritans believed that it was their destiny to settle in what was the New World, and set up an example of the ideal community for the rest of the world to emulate. They also believed they were sent by God on a divine mission to escape persecution and spread their religion freely. Since the United States rose to power its people have been convinced that the democratic system, equality, free markets, and its way of life are the most perfected governing methodology to date. The first trace of this was in Monroe Doctrine, then the civil war, followed by the United States? involvement in World Wars I and II, and above all

The Puritan’s of Colonial America came over on the Mayflower leaving behind the Protestant church in England. Soon after their arrival they headed north. Puritan Scholar Jim Sleeper noted that “Puritanism was, after all, the chief framer and arbiter of a New England way of life that spread westward across the northern tier of the United States”. Their way of life was in stark contrast to the modern western world and, oddly enough, was more similar to the radical sects of Islam in countries such as Iran, Syria, and Pakistan. A core belief of Puritan thinking is called Predestination.

American Puritanism formed when the Puritans thought the Anglican Church still had much residue from the Catholic Church- so they sought to start their own religion. Because the Puritans felt this way, they moved to America to start a new life with new beliefs. These beliefs- which they thought were the truest form of Christianity- shaped the way the Puritans lived. They wanted to be an example for everyone (it was denoted as the “City on the Hill.”) In, “The Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne takes a trip back to the 1640’s where he sets the mood around the way the Puritans lived.

While the Puritans are generally perceived as hard working and God fearing people, they were also a highly educated people and their education found its expression in their writings. Their writings reflected their engrained beliefs, especially religion which was integral to their existence and hence early American literature is infused with religiosity.

The Puritans arrived in the New World in the hopes of “purifying” the Church of England. They practiced certain principles that they believed in and that centered around the idea of God. The main purpose of their journey to New England was to set an example to others how the Church should be, and so their motive for settlement was solely related to religion. The Puritans positively influenced the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies from 1630 through the 1660s because they were a “city upon a hill” that served as an example to other parts of the world as a result of their strong belief in God.

Webster's dictionary states the definition of Romanticism as "a movement in literature and art during the late 18th and early 19th centuries that celebrated nature rather than civilization". Romanticism was a movement that helped generated other movements, but brought a new form of literature that was well embraced during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Romanticism period began its rise with the beginning of the 18th century and gained immense popularity by the 1820s. The movement is seen by many as a literary revolution and eventually came to an end in 1865 with the end of the civil war. Romanticism is characterized by its emphasis on freedom, emotion, individualism and reverence for nature. Its literature defied conventional forms and took liberties in style and traditional storylines. The early 1800s witnessed the transportation and industrial revolution, which led to increased feelings of nationalism. The era was also marked by strong feelings of independence and revolution, left over from the Revolutionary War. The standard of living was improving for many Americans and consumer goods started gaining popularity. The American Romantic period also fell in lie with the era of the marketplace; the economic revolution completely transformed the United States into a market society. Literature was able to become an item of commerce and was much more widely distributed. Education became more common and literacy levels rose. By 1850, nearly 90% of the white male population could read and write. This mass readership and wide audience led to high levels of manufacture and writing began to create profit. Morals were generally higher and feelings of independence eventually led to emphasises on individualism. This era of increased general well being led to assumptions of good and optimism. The Romanticism era appealed to the