Puritan Influence On Society Of The 1700's

947 Words4 Pages
The Influence of the Puritans on Society of the 1700’s The group known as the Puritans first developed in Europe around the time of Martin Luther. In England, the religion of the king was Anglican, so the Puritans were feeling oppressed. The Puritan religion was beginning to be persecuted in their homeland, so they decided to move to America. Their main mission was to purify the Anglican Church, and by spreading their own religion they believed they could achieve this goal. They then traveled to the New World in search for religious freedom and economics. They still wanted to hold onto their heritage and what they’d known their whole lives. The Puritans finally were able to pursue the practice of their religion, and hold onto their heritage,…show more content…
This was called Mercantilism, which had one goal: to make money. They would harvest raw materials, such as beaver pelts, and send those materials back to their supporting country, England, to begin the process of factorization. This was when goods were produced and sometimes shipped back to the colonies to be sold. Most of the colonists were farmers and merchants. The farmers were expected to produce certain crops, and excess amounts of those crops, in order to support both their colony, and their country. Farmers were in high demand considering the colonists were starting out with little to no types of sustenance. Merchants were constantly looking for new and exotic goods to sell and trade. They depended upon trade and were able to do so with the Dutch until England cut them off. They were expected to keep the markets constant, and full of necessary goods that colonists could use in their everyday lives. The puritans believed in working hard both mentally and physically. To the Puritans, being balanced was the equal of leading a healthy life, which is why they promoted hard work. Obviously they were right since the colonies prospered exceedingly through the hard work of the colonists regarding mercantilism and…show more content…
The majority of colonists followed direct orders from the king but still had to make important decisions on their own. This called for some type of process or government. Often times, the colonists would come together and decide as a whole. This always had exceptions however, for example the status of race, gender and wealth all held importance. If there was a community meeting, all were invited but not all could exactly participate as expected. Women were always considered less than the men and would be treated as such. Although the women were higher in society than the slaves, they were still lower than the men no matter what wealth status they held. Some communities, did allow all types of white men to vote, and sometimes white women could even have a say at community meetings. The Puritans followed in this process. They allowed the women to speak in councils but only the men could vote. Through these processes they believed the community to be more connected and equal which helped the Puritans to be a closely entwined group who uplifted each other and worked well
Show More
Related

  • Comparing The Crucible 'And The Scarlet Letter'

    463 Words  | 2 Pages

    Question 3 In the books The Crucible and The Scarlet Letter social class and a person’s role in society play a very important part of who they are as an individual and how they are seen by others. Two similar characters in these novels sacrifice their role in society and judgment of character to prove a point or to seek revenge on another person putting their own ethics in jeopardy. In The Crucible, John Proctor has been accused of committing adultery with Abigail Williams. John Proctor has to defend

    Read More

  • Exceptionalism In The United States

    1882 Words  | 8 Pages

    American exceptionalism, has played a significant role in several significant turns in history—from the birth of a unique republic and nation in the late 1700s and the spread of exceptional universal values throughout the world to occasional questionably imperialistic actions that have affected several nations and peoples. President Barack Obama said in a comment made while in the running for his second presidential

    Read More

More about Puritan Influence On Society Of The 1700's

Open Document