A Guide to Puritan Life: the Puritan's 10 Commandments

1) Thou shalt not miss church and community meetings.

2) Thou shalt work hard and support my fellow Puritans.

3) Thou shalt worship a strict and Christian God.

4) Thou shalt put the Lord first in my life and obey his words.

5) Thou shalt live by the 10 Commandments as written in the Holy Bible.

6) Thou shalt not dress in bright colors or dance in a wicked manner.

7) Thou shalt not perform witchery nor conjure the devil.

8) Thou shalt not have any opinions or beliefs not held by the entire community.

9) Thou shalt build my home simply and not clutter it with decorations.

10) Thou whom shalt disobey these commandments will be banished or be hanged

The Puritans were a serious group of people who put God and hard work first in their
lives. They rarely had any time for fun or good times. They believed in strict conformity
and a very strict version of God. They wore very simple clothes and did not allow
dancing, which they saw as sinful against God. They believed that witches were real,
and that they make a deal with the devil for their magic powers. They worked together
as a community to build their towns, but this often led to a fear of outsiders and
nonconformity. People who dared to threaten this world order were either banished into
the woods or were killed, sometimes accused of witchcraft. The Puritans believed in a
"fire and brimstone" method of preaching, and led lives in fear of an angry God.
Sometimes their strictness led to horrific things happening in their community, like the
Salem Witch Trials.