The Puritans•Anglican Church est. by Henry VIII… still contained elements of Catholic ritual & doctrine

•Puritans wanted to eliminate all remnants of Catholicism

•Separatists: Believed they could no longer be a part of Anglican Church… moved to Holland… then settled Plymouth (1620)

•Non-Separatists: Reform Church from within… settled Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630) after persecution from Charles I

Puritan Society•Strictly religious… stresses conformity, but also equality

•Children don’t marry until they own land

•Higher life expectancy means children stay under parents’ control longer

•Village Layout: Houses built close together in towns

•Predestination:

•These factors will eventually contribute to atmosphere of witch hunts

Replica of the Plymouth Settlement

Religion & Politics• Mayflower Compact…

establishes self-government in absence of Royal charter

• New England town meetings• Voting: Property-owning adult

male members of Church• No separation of church & state• No religious tolerance for non-

Puritans– Anne Hutchinson… banished for

preaching antinomianism– Roger Williams… banished for

disseminating “new and dangerous opinions”

– Quakers persecutedAnne Hutchinson on Trial