Religion happened to be one of the most important factors in the Puritan way of life. The Puritans believed they were chosen by God himself for a specific purpose. They lived every day fearing God, knowing He is in control of everything. All were expected to attend group meetings, what we would call church, every Sabbath day. No exceptions or excuses were valid against this specific belief. If they did miss church, they were required to pay a fine. Performing labor on the Sabbath day was also frowned upon and prohibited. Reading the Bible was a requirement, and all who did not were considered to be worshipping the devil.
Religion wasn’t an option during this time like it is today. No one had a choice of whether or not they wanted to attend church, read their Bible, or perform good works. They also didn’t like for music to be played in the church. Music would indicate a distraction or sense of entertainment, which wouldn’t be acceptable. Their meetings were very structured and very serious. Deacons would poke misbehaving children with “staffs” to immediately correct their behavior, as depicted in this picture.
This picture shows the Puritan church. They worked in an orderly fashion. Everything was plain and structured, with little focus on ornamental things. Decorations were considered to be a distraction from the faith. They believed that worship should be simple but strict.
The Puritans believed that every sin had a direct punishment and it’s own consequence. Today, Christians believe the wages of all sin is death. Instead of leaving God in control, they believed that appointed governors were to reward virtue and punish wrongdoers. Some believed in demonic forces and in some allegations of witchcraft. Their Biblical interpretations are said to have been shared with Protestants. They believed in the Christ as Christians do, but with some alteration of ways. Like Catholicism, they emphasized good works to sustain their salvation.
This video shows how the Puritans believed in offering and salvation, but also expectations when dealing with church. The girl may not be ready for salvation, but she will still be held accountable for following the rule of society, attending church.
Many of the Puritans believed that the English Reformation wasn’t taken far enough, and that they should have pushed “purity” of worship and doctrine much further. The Puritans who agreed separated themselves into groups, while others remained non-separating Puritans. Those who separated themselves are known as Separatists. Separated or not, Puritans were motivated and determined to make an impact in their generation. If they achieved this, then their goal was accomplished.
They walked through life with their own personal faith. It was very important for them to pass this faith on to their children and grandchildren. This greatly explains Anne Bradstreet’s purpose behind the letter to her children. She made it clear that her overall goal was to declare the glory of God. Over the years the Puritan way has, for the most part, been neglected; however, few still follow this way of life in some areas today.
The "savages"
referenced in John Smith's writings are the Native Americans. The
Europeans didn't find anything wrong with this belittling title.
Referring to the Native Americans as "savages" was just a
racist comment that would actually help justify the Europeans with
the taking of their territory and resources. It was very dehumanizing
towards the Natives, and eliminated any idea of worth or feelings.
Some may admire
the Indian way of life, but the Europeans showed little sympathy
towards it. They referred to them as "savages" for many
reasons such as: their lack of knowledge towards money and property,
their outer appearance and behavior, and their less modest cultural
background. The Europeans were very cultural prejudice people. The
Native Americans were judged for simply protecting themselves and
their land the only way they knew how.
Not only did
Native Americans use stone and animal parts to carve tools during
this time, but some say they would cut out the heart of animals for
food. They were nomads and had no sense of social organization
amongst them. Tribal mentality was the only thing they were
accustomed to. Their diverse means of religion seemed very confusing
to the Europeans; because they didn't understand it, they rejected
it.
Because of the
Europeans, many people today have the wrong idea about the Native
Americans. Even books and films portray false facts. Most of them
focus on the numerous stereotypes that society believes today. For
example, the Disney movie, Peter Pan, contains the line “You are
our Great White Father”. This represents that Native Americans are
subservient to whites, which is not at all true. This movie also
shows a chanting scene where the Indians are depicted as somewhat
obnoxious, carefree, and wild. We wouldn't have these assumptions and
stereotypes if it weren't for the Europeans.
Many assume that
the Native Americans were brutal scalpers out to kill anyone that
crossed their path. This picture is an example of modern fiction that
shows the “savage” side of a Native American. It was intended to
depict their tragic side, the one in which they express resentment
towards the white race. Could you blame them?
The Native
Americans can be defended to an extent. They could possibly be
described as more civilized than the white men. Everything they did
had a reason and a purpose. They were forced to make a life given an
insufficient amount of resources, ones they had to accumulate on
their own. The most important thing to the Native Americans was their
family and their land. Whatever they could do to protect those two
things, they would accomplish it. The Native Americans and Europeans
definitely came from two different backgrounds and two different ways
of life; however, this doesn't make the Natives any less important.
The Europeans may
have referenced the Native Americans as “savages”, but they were
the real savages. There isn't anything sane about people from a
completely different country invading someone else's land, taking
over, and killing many of their kind. That portrays more of a
scandalistic view than anything else.
My name is Morgan Goodwin. I'm a sophomore here at JSU, majoring in Pre-Health Biology. I graduated from Oxford High School, not to far from the Jacksonville campus. I'm a very energetic person and have great passion towards every single sport, literally. I have played basketball, softball, and volleyball in school, and many others for recreational purposes. Reading has never been something I've thoroughly enjoyed, but I surprisingly really liked Lit 202, so I'm looking forward to this course and what it has to offer.
