Early Puritanism and The Salem Witch Trials of 1692

Who Were the Early Puritans? “Puritan” is a word used to

describe a number of Protestant groups of the 16th and 17th centuries.

They first arrived in America in 1620.

Puritans fled to the New World from England to avoid religious persecution.

Puritans believed in simple forms of worship and a humble way of life.

Early History Only about 27 of the 100 people

aboard the Mayflower were Puritans.

Puritans thought of themselves as soldiers in a war against Satan – the arch enemy who planned to ruin the kingdom of God on Earth.

They saw no hope of reforming a national church so they formed their own church.

The Puritan Legacy Puritans contributed to the

American character through their moral, ethical, and religious convictions.

Harvard College was established by the Puritan culture, one example of their great value of education.

They created the Mayflower Compact, upon which our Constitution is based.

Puritan Beliefs God is everything, man is nothing Religion and the teachings of the

church are the center of all aspects of life

Puritans believed The Bible to be the supreme authority on earth

Nature and all that is in it is evil Each individual is fated from birth to

be among the saved (“the elect”) or the damned

Puritan Beliefs Judgmental God (rewards good/punishes

evil) Predestination/Election (salvation or

damnation was predetermined by God) Original Sin (humans are innately sinful,

tainted by the sins of Adam & Eve; good can be accomplished only through hard work & self-discipline)

Predestination The Puritans believed that most of

humanity was damned and that only a select number of people would gain eternal salvation (the “elect”).

Determining whether an individual was part of the “elect” was a difficult and uncertain endeavor. No one could be sure whether s/he was in God’s good graces, even with saintly behavior.

Am I One of the “Elect”? Puritans examined themselves & their

lives constantly looking for evidence of their election

Guilt & remorse were signs of God’s grace Thrift, industry, hard work were viewed as

signs of God’s grace Business success was a sign of God’s

grace

Puritan Government Totally controlled by the church

– Elections only by church members– Ministers main officers of civil

government– Non-attendance resulted in loss of

property and rights Anyone who did not know the

catechism was suspected of evil

Puritan Politics The Puritans of the New World lived

under a theocracy, or a system of government in which the church and state are closely linked and religious law is man’s law.

In such communities, the religious leader was also a civic leader, and the spiritual as well as social well-being of the community was the responsibility of the leader.

Government by Contract Puritans believed that people

should enter into governmental contracts freely, as exhibited in the Mayflower Compact.

Members of “the elect” were expected to exert great influence on the government, which resulted in undemocratic political views.

Sins Adultery Anything

pleasant considered “of the devil”– Clothing– Playing– Dancing

Satan Active enemy of

mankind Could bewitch

certain people Fallen from grace

Witches and Witchcraft 17th and 18th

century Mankind

considered inherently evil

Helpers to destroy the plans of God and the New World– Puritans and the

New Canaan– New World

stronghold of the devil

– Salem, Massachusetts

Witchcraft at Work Satan could

assume various shapes or become invisible

Satan could enter a person’s body without that person knowing it.

Satan or an agent could assume the shape of an innocent person and torment someone else

Contracts with the devil

Confession

Puritan Women Puritan women held little power or

influence in their communities, particularly unmarried women.

Women were not allowed to own property.

While its actual practice was unusual, husbands were allowed to punish or publicly humiliate their wives for infractions such as insubordination.