THE PURITANS

The Puritans

The Puritans

1. The Puritans who arrived in America in 1630 were on a mission to build a “city upon a hill” as an example of what could be done in a society committed to God's laws. In the first century of settlement, however, the challenges that they encountered compromised aspects of their mission. Discuss these challenges and the Puritans' response to them.

Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643) presented another challenge to the Puritan establishment after she came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1636, she attacked the Puritan minister John Wilson for preaching that good deeds helped a sinner prepare for the reception of God's saving grace, instead of this resulting from an unanticipated event. Her antinomianism (the belief that the moral law was of no relevance in the plan of salvation) led her to elevate the condition of the converted above the limitations imposed by their human condition. She argued that the Holy Spirit communicated directly with the converted from the moment of their sanctification and that the latter were able to communicate with God directly.

In this scheme, even the Bible, which was held by all to be the common basis of their Protestant faith, took second place to personal revelation (Cooke, 1993). Hutchinson's attacks on the New England clergy and her belief that most of the ministers and leaders of Massachusetts were not saved provoked a severe reaction, but she proved a much more able disputant than Winthrop and was able to convince many people to agree with her. Put on trial for “traducing the ministers” and trying to change the makeup of the colony, she was found guilty only of sedition and banished from the colony. At the invitation of Roger Williams, she and her followers settled in Providence Colony, but many soon abandoned her, as she came to rely more and more on her own private revelations from God for her guidance and behavior.

2. What were some of the long-term effects of cross-cultural exchanges among Native Americans, Africans, Englishmen, and other ethnic groups? Discuss both benefits and negative aspects in detail.

How did the arrival of the Puritans affect the lives of those already there, and consequently, shape ethnic relations? Who were the Puritans? Why did they settle in New England? What motivated them to treat the native population as they did? The forced introduction and involuntary presence of the African slave in the New World accelerated interracial relationships at all levels, necessitating the creation of cultural and personal bonds with others in similar situations that helped in their struggle to survive in a world and a culture that were alien to them. Why were they brought to New England? Was there a need for slavery in the area? How were they treated in comparison to slaves in other colonies? The Puritans' presence also established a formula for future European immigration, particularly the Irish, French, and Portuguese, although other European groups, specifically from Eastern Europe, would follow (Pole, 1962). Understanding the importance of European settlement enables us ...