Dbq U S History Section 2

During the 1600’s many ideas and values affected the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies (specifically from 1630 through the 1660’s) . The puritains had a close kinship, for example â€Å"working as one man†, and entertaining eachother in brotherly affection. The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England. The designation â€Å"Puritan† is often incorrectly used, notably based on the assumption that hedonism and Puritanism are antonyms: Historically, the word was used to characterize the Protestant group as extremists similar to the Cathari of France, and according to Thomas Fuller in his Church History dated back to 1564, Archbishop Matthew Parker of that time used it and â€Å"precisian† with the sense of modern â€Å"stickler†. They were blocked from changing the system from within, but their views were taken by the emigration of congregations to the Netherlands and later New England, and by evangelical clergy to Ireland and later into Wales, and were spread into lay society by preaching and parts of the educational system, particularly certain colleges of the University of Cambridge. Initially, Puritans were mainly concerned with religious matters, rather than politics or social matters. They took on distinctive views on clerical dress and in opposition to the episcopal system, particularly after the 1619 conclusions of the Synod of Dort were resisted by the English bishops. They largely adopted Sabbatarian views in the 17th century, and were influenced by millennialism. The main influences to the new England colonies were that puritans Stressed education, which meant formation of schools such as Harvard to train ministers. Also, Motivation for success, it was â€Å"God's will† that the New England colonies flourish. Third, a diverse working class, farmers as well as artisans, created from families that immigrated instead of just young men who settled Jamestown. Fourth, democratic values, which meant, town hall meetings, which began with the Puritans, Fifth separation of church and state, which was one of the first issues that tore at Puritan society. And lastly, the first forms of rebellion, leading to the independence of the United States. One of the most dominant Puritanical beliefs that still lingers, to a large extent, was its categorization of God. Simply put, the Puritans had a very demonizing view of the divine and the role of humans within such a scheme. The Puritans believed strongly in original sin, and to this extent, ended up ensuring that humans never deviated from the belief that they were naturally sinful. Such a belief ended up affecting New England, and all of America to a degree, with a challenging view of God. On one hand, individuals sought to believe in redemption because of the democratic experience that they had inherited, a political system that stressed the idea of â€Å"forming a more perfect union† and trying to â€Å"get it right.    Yet, this was opposite of the Puritan point of view regarding spirituality where God was proverbially unhappy with individuals regardless of acts. Both were set on a collision course by the Puritans, revealing a division in how individuals viewed themselves and the world. What the Puritans did in Massachusetts was embodied by all of the New England Colonies, resulti ng in a very paradoxical view of religion and a conflict, to a certain extent, in the New England Colonies.