The Puritans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Puritans - Essay ExampleOn September 6, 1620, the Mayflower, a sailing vessel, started her memorable voyage from Plymouth, England, with about 100 pilgrims aboard, bound for Virginia to establish a private permanent colony in North America. (Roark, et al, 2007). Arriving on November 21, at what is now Provincetown, Massachusetts, 41 of them sign the famous Mayflower Compact. A small detail of the pilgrims, led by William Bradford, assigned to select a place for permanent settle workforcet, landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, on December 21. (Roark et al 2007).The text of the history read We, having undertaken for advancement of the Christian faith and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the beginning colony in the northern parts of Virginia, docovenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our check Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid, andenact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ord inances, Acts, Constitutions and Officesas shall be thought around meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony into which we promise all due Submission and regard (Roark, et al 2007)Shortly before Charles I dissolved Parliament in 1629, many Puritans formed the Massachusetts bespeak Colony and were granted a charter for colonization in New England. (Roark, et al 2007 pp 77-101). In 1630 this radical sailed for the New World, with elected governor John Winthrop to lead them. Aboard the ship Arbella, Winthrop delivered a sermon to his following about the significance of their journey and their duty as settlers to follow a clean path and to cling strictly to Gods laws (Roark, et al 2007). He and his followers established settlements around Boston in 1630. Unlike the Virginia colonists, around migrants to New England were farmers or tradesmen of middle-class origin whocame as part of a family (Roark, et al 2007). Their family ties reinforced their phantasmal beliefs th rough interlocking institutions of family, church and community. Unlike their Chesapeake counterparts, New Englanders did not scatter across the land, notwithstanding settled in numerous small towns located either on the coast or along a river. (Roark, et al 2007) The townspeoples strong pietyenforced remarkable religious and social conformity in the communities. The word of God-not boom ceremony--- was the focus of Puritan services and Puritans considered church to be not the building in which they worshipped but the men and women who entered into a solemn covenant with each other and with God to lead a holy and righteous life. (Roark, et al 2007). Since Puritans were Calvinists, they believed Christians must discipline their behavior to conform strictly to their religious ideas. Calvinism also preached the doctrine of preordination whereby individuals were either saved or damned according to Gods predetermined choice and their covenant required the disciplining of the absolute community church members were to observe the behavior of other members and report any transgressions to church elders whose job it was to punish violators of the communitys covenant.The church had no direct role in civil government however, the Puritans believed that government was ultimately mortify to the church. They sought to make public life fully conform to their view of Gods law, expecting strict ceremony of the Sabbath, refusing to celebrate Christmas and Easter, and censuring games of chance, music and dancing, among other things (Roark, et al 2007) The Puritans created a civil government that was governed by Puritans for Puritanism the leading officials in towns of the Colony were the freemen who had to be male church members they could vote for governor, deputy governor and other colonial officials. When the bod of freemen became too large to meet conveniently, each town agreed to send two deputies to the General chat up to act as the Colonys legislative body.