Puritans Influence On New England Colonies Dbq Research Paper

Eve Minemann Period 1A Mr. Murphy

DBQ: Puritans Influence on New England between the 1630`s to the 1660`s

During the 1630`s to the 1660`s the Puritans had a frat influence on the New England colonies. Puritans were protestants that arose within the Church of England. They demanded to have a greater and more rigorous discipline and were not satisfied with what the Church of England offered.They separated themselves from the Church of England but still considered themselves from the Church of England. when their desires were not fulfilled they left to settle in the Americas.Many spread throughout the colonies and settled in places like New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The Puritans made an impact on the political, economical, and the social development of New England colonies through the 1630`s and the 1660`s.
In 1630, the Puritans settled and founded Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The leader was John Winthrop, he created the idea of “city on a hill” and also “ a model of christian charity”.This idea was that the city that was on the hill was to be an example to the other cities, and they hope the others would follow (Doc A). New England enforced many laws that the Puritans believed in. Whoever did not obey “God's law”, was breaking a law. When Roger Williams contradicted the Puritans in 1644, he was later on banished. He stated that God didn't have a uniform religion and also this will cause a destruction of of millions of souls (Doc F). With the law on their side, The Puritans influenced the political aspect of New
England. Many families owned their owned their own farms that produce a decent amount of products that were sold for a fair price.The community had a substantial amount of wealth. The Puritans always worked together to increase the wealth. They believed that God was always favoring in their success in whatever they did. There was a huge supply of timber and fishing, these aspects were quite helpful when it came to increasing the economy.Eventhough the economy was abundant,religion was still the main focus. Their values and morals were not changed for the sake of money. John Higginson reassured the world that New England was designed for religion and not worldly gain (Doc J). The Puritans believed that having an education was crucial. The idea of having communities with families was just perfect. Because of this New England had more families settling than having individuals. The Puritans believed small towns or villages that had even amounts of land for all of the community. Family was an unquestionable value. The small towns were well organized and provided a school in which all the children attended (Doc B). The reason why education was very essential in the lives of these people, was because if no one knows how to read then whos gonna read the bible. This was an advantage to the Puritans, because the other colonies were illiterate and had no education. In conclusion, the Puritans had an extreme influence on the political, economical, and social development of the New England colonies, With new laws, education,and having wealthy communities. The Puritans definitely made an impact on how the New England colonies made decisions and how it shaped New England to what it was at the time.