...John Winthrop’s message to his followers was basically the foundation of their colonization in the Massachusetts colony. In his sermon, Winthrop establishes his beliefs and thoughts on how the colonists were going to survive in the unknown land. Winthrop wished to maintain peace among the colonists and continue to follow their true religion beliefs. He also wished to create a thriving community that others could look up to (he called it “city upon a hill”). First and foremost, we have to understand that Winthrop was a Puritan. Puritans claimed that the Church of England was corrupted therefore Charles I and the church wanted them out of Europe. During this time period Europe was facing multiple changes daily. Reformations were taking place and the throne had different rulers with very distinct religious beliefs. Therefore, many people decided to migrate to the new colonies in the “New World” with those who followed the same ideologies. However, many of the travelers had no idea what to expect from the new establishment. Winthrop’s sermon served as a motivational speech to keep the Puritans focused. In Winthrop’s sermon he emphasizes three reasons why poor...
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...main goal being to establish their own religious principles based on the way they sought fit to honor God. It seems clear that both the Puritans and the Quakers desired a society of discipline in both religious practice and principle. Less clear, however, are the difficulties both had to maintain the discipline to live up to their high standards. Evidence suggests that important beliefs, attitudes, and behavior of the colonists conflicted with both societies’ religious ideals: many of which are presented in John Winthrop’s A Model of Christian Charity. The beliefs of the Puritans initially were toward the carrying out of God’s responsibilities, but eventually faced a conflict. The Puritans did not break with the Church of England, but instead sought to reform it. Aboard the Arbella, John Winthrop had written a sermon that pointed out their Christian duties and obligations. If they fulfilled their duties and obligations, they would be blessed; if not, they would be punished. Winthrop stated that the Lord expected a strict performance of the articles of the covenant.1 If they neglected the articles, the Lord would break out in wrath.2 The Puritans faced an enormous amount of pressure in order to be able to please the Lord and abide by his covenant that was set forth. An important point in Winthrop’s sermon is the principle of love and how it is important to love all men, and bring to a lifestyle either Puritan or Christian.3 This important belief that carried through the Puritan lifestyle...
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...The document “Trial and Interrogation of Anne Hutchinson” depicts the trial proceedings of Anne Hutchinson leading to her banishment from the Massachusetts Bay colony. The document states the many accusations Anne Hutchinson faced at the hands of Governor John Winthrop and his reasoning behind those accusations. The document does not list the specific date it was created or the publisher. Although, the transcript is originally sourced from History of the Colony and Province of Massachusetts by Thomas Hutchinson. Thomas created the original transcript around 1767 in the Boston, Massachusetts area. This document is primary sourced based on Thomas Hutchinson’s personal recollection of the event. The creator of the document seems to take on...
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...The most iconic figure of the colonial times is John Winthrop because he appears throughout history sailing the new world in search of the “city upon a hill” for his Puritan religion, and for the economic prosperity that came with it. The Puritans led by John Winthrop came to New England in 1630. They came on the Arabella, which was financed by them since they were in the high class of England. The Puritans decided to leave for the New World because they were unable to reform the Church of England. In A Modell of Christian Charity, Winthrop wrote that “the lord make it like that of New England; for we must consider that we shall be as a City Upon a Hill, the eyes of all people are upon us” (Bedford 256). Winthrop imagines and hopes that the new puritan society will be the perfect city that everyone looks too. John Winthrop and the puritans follow their dream to be able to establish their own society and did this with the belief...
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...the root of their individuality and personal beliefs. Religion played an extremely strong role in the establishment of the English colonies as it fueled motives for their formation in America and contributed heavily to how the colonies were structured and governed. Many colonies formed in colonial America, were established as refuge from religious persecution. In New England, Massachusetts Bay colony was created as a place for Puritans to escape religious persecution, as they were unable to worship publicly and forced to pay taxes to the Church of England. They established Massachusetts Bay based on Governor John Winthrop’s essay “A Model Christian Society” which discussed how the colony should be viewed as “a city upon a hill.” The community of Massachusetts would be seen as the quintessential Christian society that stressed godliness and unity over individualism....
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...built by the settlers who had came there to seek new opportunities and find religious freedom. Puritans were among the first of many to settle in the New England regions, and they brought with them their ideas and values. For the Puritans, life revolved around religion, and their religious beliefs influenced how they viewed politics, the economy, and the social aspects of their lives. Politically, the Puritans believed in liberty and that every man is equal if they put forth labor and hard work. Governmental ideas and values that were brought to New England by the Puritans came from England, which was one of the only government styles they knew. Those who worked hard and cared about the community as a whole were...
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...1860 Professor Rathi Krishnan October 27, 2014 The Colonial period was an abundant period of American history in its source of respectful and influential people who helped to shape modern society through questioning the past beliefs. As a result, many people came to America with the purpose of searching for religious freedom. Their major hopes and wishes were to escape the religious persecution, which they were forced to face. In addition, they had the opportunity to choose religion that wished to be part of. Hence, the settlers came here with a load of European cultural and artistic traditions and began to implement them in real life. Consequently, the earliest writings that emerged during the colonial period were religious tracts and historical essays. Thus, this paper presents the information on the role of religion in colonial American literature and discusses the works of colonial authors to analyze how their religious views shape their literary works, their styles, and their interpretation of historical and political events. To start with, for the Puritans of the Colonial Period, various creations were actually connected to their religious beliefs and views of God. The Puritans sailed to America in order to build their lives on biblical laws away from the rule of the old church. Severe Calvinists, they believed in the indisputable authority of God, predestination, original sin and the doctrine of the elect person...
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...America, whether as travelers or settlers, become aware of a new and agreeable feeling: that the whole country is their oyster.” This proved to be true with the Puritans and their arrival in the new world. They traveled to the New World to escape religious persecution from the Church of England. They were pushed out for being too extreme. The new land provided so many opportunities yet to be discovered. The new life seemed so promising. With the new opportunities came potential for disaster as well. The Puritans found out quickly, settling in New England was not easy. They had to work hard to keep the colony running. Changes would need to be made if the New England colony wanted to stay alive. In coming to the New World, Puritans found the experience they expected, but not as easily as they anticipated. In all, the tendency of English colonists to form like-minded colonies was crucial to the success of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. To the Puritans, the idea of the “City on a Hill” was perfection. A city where everyone wanted to follow the exact word of the bible. Everyone would live each day to be saved by the almighty God. They wanted their city to be the as if it was the Holy City of God. They quickly found this idea to be difficult. John Winthrop writes home to his wife, “It is now bed tyme, but I must lye alone, therefore I make less haste.”(p. 11). Winthrop continues to write home to his wife telling her how difficult it is in this new world, but how much he wants her to come...
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...Day Liberty’ is not a new concept as such. The question is how did we as a nation arrived to a secular viewpoint on liberty considering our Puritan foundation and influenced that helped to shape our country from the early beginnings. For a better perspective, we must look back at the Puritan period for the seed of contemporary liberty. While Winthrop was a staunch follower of the Puritan lifestyle and a prominent figure within its structure, however on the other hand, there was also side of him that was partial to the precursor thought of contemporary liberty. For example, he was partial to Roger Williams aiding him safe passage to exile. As a matter of fact, I consider Roger Williams one of the first outspoken activists and proponent of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. Furthermore, he was an early abolitionist in North America against slavery and developed mutually agreeable relationships with Native Americans. In addition, some of Williams’s ideas may have also influenced the religion clause and the first amendment of the United States Constitution . Arguably, the catalyst for ‘modern liberty’ has always been part of the American psyche....
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...First, the speech Mr.Winthrop gave to the Puritans in his Christian Model address is intended exclusively for a Puritan audience. He informs them that God has created men with diverse economic and social equity as a manifestation of His infinite wisdom. Furthermore, explaining that God expects them to be helpful towards one another by walking in unity by demonstrating justice and mercy towards one another despite their differences. [2] Some of the points and admonitions find their roots in scripture. For example, Jesus stated,” Love your neighbor as yourself’” so it’s understandable for John to encourage his group to treat one another with love and respect but he forgot to extend this principle to non-Puritans, Native Americans, and Africans.[3]...
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...American Literature Before 1865 14 February 2012 Puritan Ideology: Irresistible Grace Puritanism was a group of practices and principles that created reforms in doctrine and religion. The basic Puritan beliefs were founded on the TULIP concept. It is an acronym that stands for: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints. There are also other beliefs outside of TULIP, such as typology, manifest destiny, and backsliding. However, a principle that was focused on by John Winthrop and Jonathan Edwards is irresistible grace. It makes the assertion that God’s grace is freely given; it cannot be earned or denied. Grace is recognized as the saving and transfiguring power of God. Winthrop’s “A Model of Christian Charity” and Edward’s “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” are effective examples of literature that shows irresistible grace. John Winthrop, along with many other people from Europe, came to America to establish the “city on the hill” idea of religion. While being the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, he felt that it was his duty to remind the people of their purpose for coming to America. He envisioned a society that practiced God’s teaching and that was based on His ideas. By creating this religious community, the Puritans would be an illustration showing everyone else how to live the way that God wanted. In his sermon, “A Model of Christian Charity,” he tells the Puritans that their success would...
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...The Scarlet Letter: Shining light on personal affliction Introduction Hawthorne’s exploratory view into deeper psychological realms is ever present in his masterpiece “The Scarlet Letter”. In a time period that was unaccustomed to the questioning of religious authority, Hawthorne placed specific unspoken sentiments at the forefront of his novel. Controversial topics such as punishment versus forgiveness and sin and judgment were broached as a means of conveying the persisting contempt he held towards the Puritan way of life. Moreover, Hawthorne examined more than the overt, obvious effects sin had on an individual; He analyzed its consequences and significances when one attempted to surreptitiously conceal sin. It is the latter which I...
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...Manifest Destiny and the Oregon Fever Jimmy Richard HIST101 D008 American Military University Dr. Peter Cash During the 19th Century, “Manifest Destiny” was the belief or idea that Anglo-Americans were chosen by God to expand Northern American republican institutions and Protestant churches from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast. (Henretta, Edwards, & Self, 2012) Many great Anglo-Americans such as Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Polk, Pioneer Daniel Boone, and Army volunteers Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark, just to name a few, had been interested in expanding Anglo-American exploration and presence in North America. Motivated by economic wealth and prosperity, political power, or just plain curiosity,...
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...on religious ideals. In the New World, they encountered the Indians, whose culture, belief, and language is unknown to them and who make them feel insecure. The whites lay claim to 'their' new discovered country that was predestined for them by God. Catharine Maria Sedgwick's Hope Leslie (1827), set in seventeenth-century New England, deals with love, friendship, loyalty, and trust, which is challenging when two different worlds collide. The author works in many different ways to keep the novel exciting. The narrator is tangible in the text and he is partly addressing the reader directly. Furthermore, the author often stops telling her story at the most exciting point, and brings the plot up again later. The most significant technique of her narration however, is Sedgwick's use of the figurative language. In this research paper, I intend to decrypt and interpret the different aspects of the metaphorical language and omens in Hope Leslie. 2. The Metaphorical Language and Omens in Hope Leslie 2.1 The Puritans as God's Exemplary Instruments in Connection with Texts from Contemporary Witnesses Catharine Maria Sedgwick uses a very strong language to describe the Puritans, who see themselves as the "chosen servants of the Lord" (Sedgwick 75). The author's word choice strongly reminds me of John Cotton's remarks in Gods Promise to His Plantation (1630), a fair-well sermon for the people, who were going to leave Great Britain with John Winthrop...
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...Dariela Colon AP English Senior Thesis Mr. Noel Sexual Liberation in a Patriarchal Society The American feminist writer, Kate Millet, once said that “We’re more sexually repressed than men, having been given a much more strict puritanical code of behavior than men ever have”. Throughout history, women have often been viewed as the “weaker” gender and have been expected to behave a certain way. Women are seen as submissive and docile because of societal expectations, these expectations eventually became the societal norm. This “norm”, according to Sigmund Freud, is the repression of several archaic and primitive desires. Females have often had to repress these desires more than males. Males have been the dominating species throughout history and have expected women to repress their nature. For the most part, females kept their place in society and played their role but there were some who broke the norm. There have been serious consequences for females who have attempted to liberate themselves, especially when they attempt to do so sexually. Females have the ability to achieve their sexual liberation despite the patriarchal societies in which they live. Two females which have attempted to achieve sexual liberation are Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter and Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar named Desire. Both Hester Prynne and Blanche Dubois’s attempts to achieve sexual liberation were hindered by the patriarchal societies in which they lived in; making only one of them...
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