Puritan Influence On New England Colonies Development

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The great Puritan migration from Britain in 1629 quickly populated the New England colonies as values set forth by the settlers spread from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Unlike most other Europeans coming from their countries however, the Puritan settlers came primarily for religious purposes as they sought to create a more pure Christian society. Therefore the colonies’ development was greatly affected by the customs of the Puritans. From 1630 through the 1660s the development of New England colonies was heavily influenced by the explicit ideas and values held by Puritans as politically, the notion of united representation and religious intolerance led to the formation of a theocratic government with democratic principles where the state enforced…show more content…
Secondly, Puritans also valued religious discipline, as John Cotton believed that it is the government’s responsibility to enforce religious order. This value then resulted in the adaptation of religious intolerance by the political government in New England as most famously, Roger Williams and Anne Hutchison were persecuted for antinomianism, which stated “Faith alone, not obedience to religious law is necessary for salvation.” Both were banished from Massachusetts and Williams settled in Rhode Island, which became a refuge for religious dissidents. In addition, the idea that it is the duty for the state to emphasize the moral codes of the Church in the Massachusetts Bay is illustrated by Nathaniel Ward who claimed, “That state that will give liberty of conscience in matters of religion, must give liberty of conscience … in their moral laws (Doc D).” Here, Nathaniel Ward expresses bias as he believes in the superior moral codes of the church that should represent the laws of the state. The reason for this bias is his background as a son of John Ward, a renowned Puritan Minister, and he constantly studied the Puritan ideals and wrote articles including the The Body of

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