Secularization
In 1620 the first settlers came to North America to gain religious freedom. This group is known as the Puritans. Following the teachings of John Calvin, the Puritans wanted to purify the official Protestant church of England, or the Anglican church. Included in the beliefs of the Puritans are the ideas of original sin and predestination. Settled in the area later known as New England, the Puritans led their lives with strong faith in their religion and a society based around their beliefs. However, over time these values faded to reveal a more secular and materialistic society. This change was most likely due to two things. Firstly, the immigration of non-Puritans brought people with very different and less religion based ideals than the Puritans. Also, with those born into the Puritan society in New England, these new generations were never forced to fight for their religion and therefore probably didn't see it so much as a freedom and privilege as their elders had. As with many cultural changes, the shift from a religious to a secular society can be seen in the writings of that time period. Some authors whose works reflect this change in the colonial times are William Bradford, Samuel Sewall, and St. Jean de Crevecoeur.
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 920
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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