DAILY LIFE IN PURITAN MASSSACHUSETTS

DAILY LIFE IN PURITAN

MASSACHUSETTS

By: Ryan Wynns and Mary Kate O'Meara

WHO ARE THE PURITANS?

Puritans was the name given in the 16th century to the more extreme Protestants within the Church of England who thought the English Reformation had not gone far enough in reforming the teachings and structure of the church. They wanted to "purify" their national church by eliminating every shred of Catholic influence. They were known as one of the most extreme religious groups in the world at that time.

Reason for the Puritans Migration to the "New World"

The reasons the Puritans immigrated to the "New World" is so they could establish God's commonwealth on earth, to look for a community of people who follow the Bible, and to find churches that have the same ideas on how to run a church. The King gave his permission for the migration in order for England to acquire materials unique to the "New World", to evaluate the power of Spain, to find a new route to China, and to convert the Indians to the upcoming religion of Protestantism. This migration to the "New World" proved to be sucessful because they established religious freedom for themselves which was their original and main goal. 

Differences and Similarities Between the Puritans and Pilgrims

The Pilgrims were known as the Separatists. Separatists wanted to separate from the church in England, which is why they left England in order to live in the "New World". The Puritans on the other hand wanted to purify or improve the practices of the church which is one of the main reasons why they came to America. A similarity between the two groups was that they wanted to leave England in order to escape discrimination by the king for their religious practices which did not follow the rules of the English church. Even though people think of these two groups as being the same there are some major differences between the two.

The Differences In Education Between England and Massachusetts

Massachusetts' education differed from the education in their homeland, England. The difference between the two systems was that English education did not require schoolmasters or the literacy of children. With the exception of Scotland, the Puritan model of education in New England was unique compared to European countries. The reason the Puritans changed the rules of education is because children needed to be capable of reading in order to read the bible and to understand the main laws of their country. The Massachusetts code declared that children must be taught to read and if they did not they would become "barbarous." There were many changes to education in New England, especially Massachusetts. In 1647, Massachusetts passed a law that required towns to hire a schoolmaster in order to teach literacy.   

Types of Education Taught by the Puritans

Forms of schooling ranged from "Dame" schools for girls to “Latin” schools for boys who were already literate in English and ready to master preparatory grammar for Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. Reading schools would often be the single source of education for girls, whereas boys would go to the town grammar schools. Gender played a big part in determining educational practices: women introduced all children to reading, and men taught boys in higher and more challenging types of education. Girls couldn't play a role in the ministry, and since grammar schools were designed to “instruct youth so far as they may be ready for the university they choose to go,” Latin grammar schools did not accept girls (nor did Harvard). 

Relationship between the Indians and Puritans

The reason the relationship between the Native Americans and Puritans failed was because the Puritans were trying to convert the Indian population to their own beliefs. This attempt did not entirely work the way the Puritains originally wanted because the Indians were forced to forget and give up their Creed and way of life. Besides, the Puritans believed in the ownership of the land by individuals while the Indians didn´t have the similar idea of owning the mother land. Instead they thought it had been given by their God just to use and care for, but not in ownership. To say the least the Europeans' forceful ways to change these Indians were the reasons for the failure of the relationship between the two and was the cause of the disasterous Pequot War.

The Pequot War

The Pequot War was an armed conflict between 1634–1638 between the Pequot tribe against an alliance of the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, and Saybrook colonies who were aided by their Native American allies (the Narragansett and Mohegan tribes). Hundreds of Pequots were killed, hundreds more were captured by the settlers and were sold into slavery to the West Indies. Other survivors were dispersed. At the end of the war, about seven hundred Pequots had been killed or taken into captivity.The result was the elimination of the Pequots in what is present-day southern New England. It would take the Pequot more than three and a half centuries to regain political and economic power in their traditional homeland region along the Pequot (present-day Thames) and Mystic rivers in what is now southeastern Connecticut.

Puritan Holidays

The Puritans did not celebrate any scheduled holidays like Christmas or Easter. However, on any day when God favored them with good things, they were allowed to celebrate either the Day of Humiliation and Fasting or the Day of Thanksgiving and Praise. Surprisingly, many people agreed with the Puritans. Easter was not widely celebrated in the United States until after the Civil War. The reason the Puritans did not celebrate holidays like Easter and Christmas was because of the fact that they came from Pagan ideas. From 1659 to 1681, there was a ban in Massachusetts on Christmas celebrations as well as gambling and other lawless behaviors.

Puritan Living Conditions

Life was very difficult for the Puritans. Every family member that was able helped with the chores. The soil was bad for farming and the fields needed to be cleared of rocks and trees. Houses were small and cold in the winter with little privacy. Bathrooms were of course outside. Cooking was done over an open fire. Typical meals included wild game, peas, corn and squash during the growing season. Winter was especially difficult with the colonists having to survive on what they grew in the previous summer.

Puritan Religion

The Puritans felt that they were chosen by God for a special purpose and that they must live every moment in fearing God. Every man, woman, and child was expected to attend the meeting on the Sabbath. Puritans were required to read the Bible which showed their religious discipline. If they didn't read the Bible, it was thought that they were worshiping the devil. Upon entering, people would take their appropriate places. The men sat on one side, the women sat on the other, and the boys did not sit with their parents, but sat together in a where they were expected to sit in complete silence. The deacons sat in the front row just below the pulpit because everyone agreed the first pew was the one of highest dignity. The servants and slaves crowded near the door and rushed to a loft or balcony.The service began with a prayer given by the minister that usually lasted around an hour. Puritans did not like music in their services. It was many years before any musical instruments were allowed in the church. After the prayer, the minister would continue with an emotional sermon. The minister's sermon would last for two, three, even four hours at a time without restroom breaks or intermissions. The Puritans listened intently to the terrible warnings of sin and punishment.

Puritan Government

The colony's charter granted to the Massachusetts General Court the authority to elect officers and to make laws for the colony. Its first meeting in America was held October 1630, but was attended by only eight freemen. Soon after they created the First Church of Boston. The freemen voted to grant all legislative, executive, and judicial power to a "Council" of the Governor's assistants (those same eight men). They then set up town boundaries, created taxes, and elected officers. To quell unrest caused by this limited franchise, the eight then added 118 settlers to the court as freemen, but power remained with the council. By 1641, the colony had added its first code of laws, the Massachusetts Body of Liberties, written by Nathaniel Ward, based partly on John Cotton's draft (Abstract of the Laws of New-England, As They Are Now Established), which specified required behavior and punishments by appeal to the Judeo-Christian social sanctions recorded in the Bible.

The Puritans believe in predestination, meaning that when you are born God already knows whether you are going to heaven or hell. They believed that the rich were predestined because they were blessed with riches on earth. Despite these beliefs they still followed strict rules and worshiped God openly "just in case" being good could help your chances of going to heaven.They frowned on unnecessary things, and believed that everything was God given, they forbade such things as dancing as they found it to be sinful. The name Puritan comes from their feeling the need to purify the Church of England that persecuted them. They didn't believe in religious leaders, and strictly followed the Bible.

Other Puritan Religious Beliefs

Puritan Attire

Puritans advocated a conservative form of fashionable attire, characterized by "sad" or somber colors and modest cuts. Gowns with low necklines were filled in with high-necked smocks and wide collars. Married women covered their hair with a linen cap, over which they might wear a tall black hat. Men and women both avoided bright colors, shiny fabrics, and over-ornamentation. Contrary to popular belief, most Puritans and Calvinists did not wear black for everyday, especially in England, Scotland, and colonial America. Black dye was expensive and faded quickly, and black clothing was reserved for the most formal occasions (including having ones portrait painted), for elders in a community, and for those of higher rank. More typical colors for most were brown, murrey (mulberry, a brownish-maroon), dull greens, and tawny colors. Wool and linen were preferred over silks and satins, though Puritan women of rank wore modest amounts of lace and embroidery as appropriate to their station, believing that the various ranks of society were divinely ordained and should be reflected even in the most modest dress. Men's outfits consisted of a felt hat, a ruff, a doublet, cuffs, breeches, garters, stockings, and shoes. women's outfits consisted of a coif on the head, a waist coast, a shift, an apron, a petticoat, and shoes.

Puritans Effect on America Today

The three principle influences of the Puritans came from religion, work, and education where religion was the dominant theme throughout work and education. In fact, religion pretty much concluded the Puritan existence and their teachings of "predestination" which kept all Puritans constantly working hard in "this life" so they could be "chosen" for the next (eternal) life.It is easily agreed that the Puritans did much to establish and maintain a presence on the original colonies and the expansion of the colonies into the United States of America. They established a healthy economy, a school system, and believed that the political system should be an efficient one. Lastly, what the Americans view as right and wrong was largely influenced by the Puritans.Today, it seems the Puritan frame-of mind can be found in America's economical, educational, legal, and political systems where the work ethic and impotant values is generally praised and rewarded in present day.

Video of the Puritans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy1IOIlpKaw

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