When the topic of a Puritanical society is brought up, people tend to think of a rigorous, conservative, highly devout society. While this description is generally true, it seems as though half the time it is false. The Puritan society is known not only to act out of brotherly, Christian love, but is also known to cruelly lash out on those who sinned or were deemed unfit for society. Such authoritarian actions lay the groundwork for its demise. It was only a matter of time before something exploited the population?s weakest qualities and insecurities and brought forth its collapse.
The isolation of the Puritan society created a rigid social system that did not allow for any variation in lifestyle. The church was against the Devil, and at the same time it was against such things as dancing and other premature acts. The Puritans were a God-fearing community. The reputation of the family was very important to the public. Young Puritan children were given little or no freedom to act like children. They were to be seen and not heard. It is not surprising that some would rebel against this c
The Puritans set out to create an archetypal society that thrived on unity and the belief that they were doing the work of God. However, the hysteria in Salem present during the witch trials deteriorated the rationale and emotional stability of its citizens. This exploited the Puritan?s weakest qualities and insecurities. The breakdown of Salem?s social order precipitated to a tragedy which saw twenty innocent people hanged.
The collapse of the Puritan tradition was an eye-opener to the world that the ?perfect? society does not exist. Future reformers used this period as an example of how not to govern.
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