The Puritans were religious settlers who came to America, the reason being that they needed reform of the Church of England. They wanted to purify the religious practices in England and its government. With that failing, they separated from it to create their own, where their practices and way of living would be that of the bible, as John Winthrop states “We shall find that the God of Israel is among us when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies”(A Model of Christian Charity, 1629).
Socially, Puritans wanted to rise above the sinners to purify them and live Christ-like life and said by John Winthrop, colonists “must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us”, meaning they believed they were doing the work of God by preaching the Bible to others. William Bradford said “ but hey cried unto the Lord, and he heard their voice and looked on their adversity, &tc.
Let them, therefore, praise the Lord, because he is good, & his mercies endure forever”, enforcing the idea that those who had faith would prosper in the colonies and life.
Puritan male leaders would preach to families and the community. Women were not allowed to preach or even have a say in decisions made in church or government, as only male church members were allowed to vote. Males were superior in families, they would lead in the church, do the hard work, and a woman’s job was caring for the homes and children.
Those who committed an act against their social norm or biblical beliefs would be punished or looked down upon. Ann Hutchinson was a midwife who came to Massachusetts with her family. When she arrived she began to have religious meetings held in her home, where she would call out ministers and faults in the religion of Christ, for example, they could not make people saints. During the trial against her, it was stated “You have stepped out of your place, you have rather been a Husband than a Wife and a preacher than a Hearer; and a Magistrate than a Subject.” (Transcript of the Trial of Anne Hutchinson), meaning Ann stepped out of her place as a woman by doing such actions. In the excerpt of The Transcript from the Trial of Anne Hutchinson, Puritans viewed Ann as a threat because they believed she was doing that against God and his work and that it would influence others to believe it and go against the religious life.
The colonists were rebelling against England’s control of them. After Parliament passed unfair taxes without the colonists’ thoughts in mind, colonists decided to fight back During the Revolution the colonists created a set of values and rules for their new government. The Stamp act Congress then created a Declaration of the Rights and Grievances of the Colonists, which declared the colonists had the same rights as those from the mainland of England. The Stamp act Congress stated, “That it is inseparably essential to the freedom of a people, and the undoubted right of Englishmen, that no taxes be imposed on them, but with their consent, given personally, or by their representatives”(Declaration of Rights of the Stamp Act Congress, 1765), expressing it was a colonists’ right to give consent or they’re by representatives to any tax made upon them. Since the colonists were not fairly represented under British control, in their new government that would change, as it would be a government for the people by the people.
A declaration of independence was created to inform why colonists desired to be set free from Britain’s control. Colonist’s new declaration of independence states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”( The Declaration of Independence, 1776), therefore, colonists would be created equal with liberty that would be respected by the new government. Also communicated in the Declaration of Independence, colonists have the right to alter or abolish any law or rule that would take away their rights and even change the government if it became uncivil towards them. (The Declaration of Independence, 1776). The Preamble is a statement made to introduce the constitution, disclosing that to keep a perfect union, initiate equality in the legal system, secure peace within the states, be protected by the national government, prosper socially and economically, enjoy the freedom and opportunity of America, the constitution would be accepted as America’s. (Preamble to the United States Constitution, 1787)
All People are Created Equal. (2022, Apr 28). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/all-people-are-created-equal/