Puritanism in England and America: How are they different?
Human civilisation is replete with revolutions and movements that have shaped world history. In the late 16th century, England witnessed a religious reformation movement known as Puritanism. The objective of the movement was to remove any connection to Catholicism within the Church of England, after it transitioned from Catholic to Protestant beliefs. In fact, to ensure this, a change was initiated within the English church with respect to structure and rituals.
People involved in the movement were known as Puritans and they advocated strong morals such as piety, and modesty. In fact, Puritanism was all about adhering to this strict and austere religious and moral conduct and incorporate it into the contemporary English lifestyle. However, apart from impacting England’s religious laws, Puritanism also travelled across various colonies in America, that were built around churches. Here, we unfold the distinctive features of Puritanism in England and that in America.
Puritanism in England
As already mentioned, Puritanism in England emerged in the 16th century. It was a religious movement to reform the Anglican Church and remove all Catholic footprints. In fact, in 1534, the English Church was first separated from Catholicism. However, in 1553, Queen Mary ascended the throne of England and brought back Catholicism. She even ordered that Puritans be exiled. This prevailing threat on their beliefs made Puritans far more united and even strengthened their beliefs. In 1558, when Queen Elizabeth I took over the monarchy, she re-established Protestantism, but not Puritanism. As a result, Puritans kept on rebelling and were often prosecuted. Eventually, this led to the English civil war in 1642 between the Royalists (Protestants) and Parliamentarians (Puritans) as they continued fighting over religious freedom till 1660.
Puritanism in America
In the year 1608, a section of the Puritans emigrated from England to Holland (present day Netherlands). This is where they first set up colonies. However, to widen their reach, Puritans in 1620 left for Massachusetts. This is where they set up Plymouth colony, followed by Massachusetts Bay colony in 1628. Soon, Puritans colonised six American states namely: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and they collectively came to be known as New England. In New England emerged self-governing churches where only individuals who abided by Puritan set of conduct and maintained a ‘godly’ lifestyle were allowed. This predominance of Puritanism continued in America till the mid-17th century. However, as soon as the first generation was gone, their successors embraced Protestantism rather than Puritanism, as they considered the latter to be rigid and overconnected with the church. By 1689, New Englanders started believing in Puritanism more as a philosophy rather than a religion. This philosophy included being self-reliant, tenacious, moral and above all isolated from politics. Today, all these have been adapted into a secular form of life.