PURITANISM

1. WHY DID THE ENGLISH SETTLE IN AMERICA?

THE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA
Reasons for the early attempts to explore America:
o to find shorter way to India
o to find gold and/or other goods
o to discover new lands (mystery, curiosity)

ENGLISH SETTLEMENT
Aims:
o POLITICAL
English national pride; to challenge the French and Spanish (America – a good tactical place to attack Spain)
o ECONOMIC
gold (which they did not find), tobacco, wood, animals, food, other goods
o SOCIAL
social situation of England – difficult: overcrowded towns, full of beggars and robbers
o RELIGIOUS
dissenters prosecuted in England; to Christianize Indians

THE FIRST SETTLEMENTS ON THE EASTERN COAST OF AMERICA.

2. ENGLISH EXPEDITIONS (1607, 1620, 1630)

1594 Sir Walter Raleigh did not survive

Roanoke
1607 Captain John Smith mostly English farmers and townspeople (not too poor, not too rich);
Jamestown, Virgina aim: to get rich quickly and come back to England; patriotic
motivation not excluded
1620 Piligrim Fathers PURITANS (102 passengers, half of whom “saints” and half
Mayflower “strangers” – signed an agreement: MAYFLOWER COMPACT) – strong
ideological motivation; radical Puritans (Separatists)
1630 John Winthrop Puritans – imigrants – of varied social background: rich townspeople,
Arabella merchants, landowners, priets, craftsmen, farmers as well as educated
Massachusetts Bay Colony people
They introduced theotracit governing aimint at:
o defending faith
o building the New Jarusalem in America: the promised land
The colony (Boston) based on very solid economic, organizational and
ideaological structures ( soon dominated after cxolonied of New
England)
1619 first black slaves brought
by the Dutch

3. PURITANS, THE DOCTRINES OF MARTIN LUTER and JOHN CALVIN

English Protestants who followed the teachings of Martin Luter and doctrines of John Calvin

THE DOCTRINES OF MARTIN LUTER

o men are all wicked
o God is all – powerful

THE DOCTRINES OF JOHN CALVIN (6 doctrines)

- total depravity of men – because of the original sin all men have inherited inborn collapes (exception – the
predestined)
- perseverance of the Saints – the chosen get full power from God to realize God’s will and should be an
example of others
predestination – God had chosen some people for salvation, the rest – for eternal damnation (human attempts at
earning salvation – meaningless
4. PURITAN MENTALITY
PURITAN MENTALITY AND LITERARY THOUGHT
- shaped by Calvinist tradition