Puritans and the Enlightenment

What started it all?Early 1530s: England

Catherine of Aragon Henry VIII Anne Bolyen

The Church of England

• Henry VIII becomes supreme ruler of church

• Some angry for various reasons – Many Catholics in England– No separation between government and

church– Church seemed to remain

very Catholic in style

The Continued StruggleFollowing Henry VIII: Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth

– Constant switch of official religious beliefs in country

Puritan movement begins- Various approaches but common goal of

“purifying” the church- Puritans did NOT want to leave the Church of

England; they wished to reform it. The Pilgrims DID want to start their own church. TOTALLY DIFFERENT!

Arrival in Americao Arrive in the 1600so Established the

Massachusetts Bay Colony

o Want simpler, less ornate worship

o Believe themselves to be God’s new chosen people- Settlement will be

“as a City upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us.” -John Winthrop (1630)

Beliefs1. All are born corrupted by original sin (idea

that all humans are innately sinful, inherited from Adam and Eve)

2. Religious education and obedience offers potential for redemption.

3. Bible is God’s true law and should be followed without question.

4. Government should be based on religious law (See #3)= Theocracy

Beliefs

5. Only the “elect” would be spared from damnation by God.

6. Those who work hard and are thrift and responsible are morally upstanding and have God working within them.

Beliefs 7. Predestination: a pre-determined life -Salvation determined by God’s will/laws -Unknown fate = always had to work hard-Looked for divine signs to see if God approved or not-Generated an atmosphere of distrust and paranoia

Puritan Life• Practiced public

punishment. • Legislated morality.

• Excessive drinking, gambling, adultery were all subject to punishment.

• Wives and children were expected to obey the fathers.

• Had very few celebrations. Holidays and celebration were illegal.

Puritan Style• Plain:

•Clarity•Straightforwardness•Simplicity•Lack of ornamentation.

– (in churches, writing, etc.)•Wrote:

•Religious Tracts/Poetry•Historical Documents •Journals to analyze their Pre-Destination

Puritan Influence on Education• 1635- Puritans formed the first formal school

called the Roxbury Latin School.

• 1636- The first American College was established; Harvard in Cambridge.

• By 1700, Boston became the second largest publishing center of the English Empire published Children’s Books First

• The moral character of England and America were shaped by the words and actions of the Puritans.

Hysteria• Intolerant of dissenters; inflexible in

beliefs • Salem Witch Trials- 1692

– Belief that devil possession or witchcraft was causing strange behavior

– Accusations were rampant– Religious zeal called for ending devil’s influence– 20 deaths, hundreds of arrests

The Shift

• Have different visions of what constitutes best form of government– Enlightenment thinkers: government by

people

• Enlightenment ideals cause colonists to question Puritan thoughts– Puritan leaders also ask for rededication

to religion as this happens: Sparks First Great Awakening

Enlightenment Beliefs

• More personal freedoms• Move away from predestination

– Some view God as more reasonable and believe that man can use rationality to understand more about laws of nature.

• Government should offer protection of basic rights/freedoms in exchange for compliance.

• Fair election and representation– “No Taxation without Representation!”

Effects of Enlightenment

• Greater focus on education, specifically science

• Transatlantic conversations between scholars

• Separation of religion and government

• Fomented the ideas and leaders of the Revolution

Enlightenment Writings• “War of Ideas”:

newspapers, pamphlets, and speeches spread to awaken America to independence

• Usually found in speech/ pamphlets in American Revolution

• Sought to inspire others to join the cause

• Persuasive: Full of rhetoric and rhetorical devices

• Use of humor/mockery

Founding Fathers’ Enlightenment Ideals

• Helped to ensure religious freedom• Set up modern day democracy and

elections• Challenged people to use ideas and

thoughts rather than blind faith

Back to the Beginning….

Phillis Wheatley•First African American poet published (EVER!)•A slave who lived with Wheatley family•Very well educated by Wheatley family, especially on religious text (Puritans)•Wheatley family helped Phillis to publish her works•She is sometimes mocked for her somewhat ‘forgiving’ words on slavery. Many of her poems talk about her special rights as a slave but also point out the immoral use of slavery

“On Virtue”

• Complete the SOAPSTONE Worksheet and essay

• Visual Representation: Wheatley Personified Virtue…. You will too!

• Ms. Siciliano will show you an example

Virtue: Use your word for Virtue Here

Your Drawing Here

“Actual Textual Evidence from Poem to support your drawing”

Closure:

• Puritans• http://youtu.be/N6szghAkEBA• http://youtu.be/4p-bWA1FOqs?list=PL

FA79531CBA804D4E

Bibliography• http://www.history.com/topics/puritanism• http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/

purdef.htm• http://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/people/

puritans.html• http://www.iep.utm.edu/amer-enl/• https://www.boundless.com/u-s-history/

textbooks/boundless-u-s-history-textbook/slavery-freedom-and-the-struggle-for-empire-1750-1763-5/the-political-climate-of-the-colonies-58/the-american-englightenment-357-10315/