Early Puritanism and The Salem Witch Trials of 1692

1. Early Puritanism and The Salem Witch Trials of 1692

2. Who Were the Early Puritans? • “Puritan” is a word used to describe a number of Protestant groups of the 16th and 17th centuries. • They first arrived in America in 1620. • Puritans fled to the New World from England to avoid religious persecution. • Puritans believed in simple forms of worship and a humble way of life.

3. Early History • Only about 27 of the 100 people aboard the Mayflower were Puritans. • Puritans thought of themselves as soldiers in a war against Satan – the arch enemy who planned to ruin the kingdom of God on Earth. • They saw no hope of reforming a national church so they formed their own church.

4. The Puritan Legacy • Puritans contributed to the American character through their moral, ethical, and religious convictions. • Harvard College was established by the Puritan culture, one example of their great value of education. • They created the Mayflower Compact, upon which our Constitution is based.

5. Puritan Beliefs • God is everything, man is nothing • Religion and the teachings of the church are the center of all aspects of life • Puritans believed The Bible to be the supreme authority on earth • Nature and all that is in it is evil • Each individual is fated from birth to be among the saved (“the elect”) or the damned

6. Puritan Beliefs • Judgmental God (rewards good/punishes evil) • Predestination/Election (salvation or damnation was predetermined by God) • Original Sin (humans are innately sinful, tainted by the sins of Adam & Eve; good can be accomplished only through hard work & self-discipline)

7. Predestination • The Puritans believed that most of humanity was damned and that only a select number of people would gain eternal salvation (the “elect”). • Determining whether an individual was part of the “elect” was a difficult and uncertain endeavor. No one could be sure whether s/he was in God’s good graces, even with saintly behavior.

8. Am I One of the “Elect”? • Puritans examined themselves & their lives constantly looking for evidence of their election • Guilt & remorse were signs of God’s grace • Thrift, industry, hard work were viewed as signs of God’s grace • Business success was a sign of God’s grace

9. Puritan Government • Totally controlled by the church • Elections only by church members • Ministers main officers of civil government • Non-attendance resulted in loss of property and rights • Anyone who did not know the catechism was suspected of evil

10. Puritan Politics • The Puritans of the New World lived under a theocracy, or a system of government in which the church and state are closely linked and religious law is man’s law. • In such communities, the religious leader was also a civic leader, and the spiritual as well as social well-being of the community was the responsibility of the leader.

11. Government by Contract • Puritans believed that people should enter into governmental contracts freely, as exhibited in the Mayflower Compact. • Members of “the elect” were expected to exert great influence on the government, which resulted in undemocratic political views.

12. Sins • Adultery • Anything pleasant considered “of the devil” • Clothing • Playing • Dancing

13. Satan • Active enemy of mankind • Could bewitch certain people • Fallen from grace

14. Witches and Witchcraft • 17th and 18th century • Mankind considered inherently evil • Helpers to destroy the plans of God and the New World • Puritans and the New Canaan • New World stronghold of the devil • Salem, Massachusetts

15. Witchcraft at Work • Satan could assume various shapes or become invisible • Satan could enter a person’s body without that person knowing it. • Satan or an agent could assume the shape of an innocent person and torment someone else • Contracts with the devil • Confession

16. Puritan Women • Puritan women held little power or influence in their communities, particularly unmarried women. • Women were not allowed to own property. • While its actual practice was unusual, husbands were allowed to punish or publicly humiliate their wives for infractions such as insubordination.