Decline of Puritinism

A detailed Summary of Decline of Puritinism

The seventeenth century in American history witnessed the arrival of a devout religious group known as the Puritans to the New England area. Whether unsatisfied with the seemingly slow progress of the Protestant Reformation in their home country of England, or fearing for their lives because of anti-Puritan persecutions, they eventually made their way to the New World with the goal of living and worshipping freely for God. Though the Puritan settlement at Massachusetts Bay in 1630 was started off at a larger scale than any others in colonial America, the faith managed to fully lose its dominant cultural impact in these settlements in the nineteenth century. Essentially, this demise was the result of Puritanism's own strict social, political, and religious doctrines.

Though the Puritans were essentially supporters of liberty, they were restrained in social conduct to a degree incomparable to any contemporary standards. The idea of religion and government as one functioning system, or paternalism, was at the heart of their colonial settlements. It was mutually agreed upon by the Puritans that the purpose of government was to enforce the will of God. Therefore, social aspects like dress and family were considered within the ju

The political outlook of the Puritan faith was very similar to the social mindset; the people loved freedom, but their religion's standards were at best limitedly democratic in many regards. In these colonies, only freemen, or adult churchgoers, were permitted to vote in provincial elections, which left over half the population without the privilege. Regardless of whether a citizen believed in Puritanism, the body politic still exacted taxes from them to pay for the supported church. Insomuch, religious leaders tended to dominate much control over the general populace (they placed checks on church membership until they were convinced that the men or women in question had truly experienced conversion). As compared to the more democratic of the colonies, the Puritan settlements contrasted well in political regard. Rhode Island initially extended voting rights to all males and had no tax-supported church, as Pennsylvania included a general representative assembly that at least served as an added bonus for misfits who entered into the region.

Essentially, though many of the subsequent Protestant branches managed to keep some of its ideals, Puritanism's cultural impact was felt only indirect

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Approximate Word count = 808
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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