Puritans

When asked to describe the lives of Puritan women, many have the tendency to compare them to Pilgrims and the lives they lived. Many describe them as oppressed, depressed, and discouraged, expected to live lives under strict rules and regulations of the government and the church. Yet, Puritan women’s lives were somewhat of the opposite. Yes, they were required to live according to the laws of the government and church, but they were also offered the concept of free agency. They were allowed to dress in bright colors and become full visible saints of the church community. The Puritans, unlike the Pilgrims, did not condemn adornment, such as stained glass nor music. However, Puritan women’s lives were very dissimilar to the lives of Puritan men. Laurel Ulrich in her book entitled Good Wives illustrates this argument clearly as she describes lives of typical women of the 17th and 18th centuries. Though there are several similarities between Puritan men and Puritan women, they could be considered as having completely different lifestyles.

In 1628, the council of New England granted a charter to the New England Company, comprised of a group of Puritan merchants. The charter authorized the company to settle and govern a specified area, which included the settlement of Salem.

These men were given the opportunity to depart England and form settlements in the New World, while women were forced to stay behind with their families, waiting for their husbands to grant them permission to come and settle with them in the New World. Women were not allowed to participate in governmental affairs, thus they were never granted any kind of charter nor were they consulted on decisions concerning pilgrimages to the New World. Though these kinds of affairs were completely closed to women, they would follow their husbands wherever they were led. John Winthrop’s wife, Margaret, is a prime example of this attitude, assuring him that she would follow wherever he went.