PURITANS AND SEPARATISTS

What’s the difference?

ENGLAND IN THE 15TH CENTURY In Europe most people were Roman

Catholic. There were some Jews and Muslims, too

but no Protestants.The Protestant churches have not been

founded yet. Roman Catholicism and Eastern

Orthodox Catholicism were the only Christian religions.

The Protestant religion would get started in the 16th century.

ENGLAND IN THE 16 CENTURY King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman

Catholic Church and formed the Anglican Church. The Anglican Church is the official established

Christian church in England. Not everyone in England was happy with the

change. At the time, some Protestants wanted to

change or reform- The Anglican Church, while others wanted to break away from it all together.

This was the beginning of the reformation! Protestants= Protest

PURITANS The Protestants who wanted to reform the

Anglican Church were the Puritans. Puritans was the name given to the more

extreme Protestants within the Anglican Church. They thought the English Reformation had not

gone far enough in reforming the doctrines and structure of the church; they wanted to purify their national church by eliminating every shred of Catholic influence.

Most puritans are often strict in religious and moral beliefs.

Came to America 10 years after the Pilgrims and settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

SEPARATISTS- PILGRIMS Separatists- wanted to leave and set up

their own churches. Separatists were persecuted in England

and some fled to the Netherlands.Separatists found religious freedom there but

had a hard time finding jobs. Came over on the Mayflower trying to

settle in Virginia but were blown off course to Massachusetts and settled PlymouthSigned the Mayflower Compact before

reaching land P

PILGRIMS Pilgrim- One who makes a religious

journey Only 35 of the 102 passengers on the

Mayflower considered themselves Pilgrims.

The others were called, “strangers” Because Pilgrims beliefs shaped life in

the Plymouth Colony, most of all the early settlers are usually called Pilgrims.

PURITANS V.S. SEPARATISTS Puritans did not want to separate from

the Church of England. They wanted to “purify” it of practices they considered too Catholic.

Separatists wanted to separate from the Church of England.

Puritan = Purify the Church

Separatist = Separate from the Church