Puritans were a group of religious people who founded the colony of Massachusetts Bay in 1628, with dreams of creating “a city upon a hill” for Godly people like themselves. They had to deal with many obstacles in establishing the colony, such as Indians, disease, and people who simply refused to adhere to their beliefs. Puritanism was the basis for the government and local organization within this New England Colony. The Massachusetts Bay society revolved around Biblical principals to function efficiently. Thus, the Puritans of this New England colony established life in North America for a specific purpose, to create a true kingdom of God on earth. Puritan families and relationships had various similarities and differences in respect to modern day culture. Children were provided for at a young age, but then sent away to a world of apprenticeship and servitude. Much of their society revolved around Calvinistic teachings and social virtue, yet a number of their cultural ideas and laws would be considered quite outdated by today’s standards.

Puritans had to deal with many agricultural and cultural problems in their new colony. Forming a new colony was by no means an

Another possible explanation for this parent and child separation may serve another more psychological purpose. Puritan parents may have done this to avoid the discipline-oriented portion of their children’s lives. They were afraid of spoiling their own children and not challenging them enough to improve themselves. By sending the children away to another non-relative, the children may receive a pure and free from bias form of discipline that is void of parental affection and completely objective. The children could reunite with their families when they had grown up and become skilled and disciplined adults. In all actuality, the parents completely avoided the rebellious teenage years.

Puritans often used biblical knowledge to interpret everyday events. In John Winthrop’s journal, Winthrop witnesses a fight between a snake and a mouse. A local pastor, Mr. Wilson, explained that the snake was a representation of the devil, and the mouse was humanity. The mouse won the fight, and thus, humanity could defeat Satan. The people were amazed at this insight. All events in the Puritan life, good or bad, could be attributed to some divine interference. A good example of this idea can be seen in an entry in Winthrop’s Journal about Anne Hutchinson. Hutchinson believed that God could dwell within the Christian, and she claimed to have received divine revelation from him. Anne Hutchinson had very difficult childbirth. Hutchinson’s baby was born with a deformity of some sort. Mr. Cotton referred to the baby as “twenty-seven several lumps of man’s seed.” Hutchinson’s beliefs varied from the Puritans, and they saw this event as God’s punishment for Her. The Puritans thought God was interfering with her life to punish her for her blasphemy.

More specifically, Puritans believed that life was given to Adam and Eve, the first humans, in exchange for their loyalty and complete obedience. However, Adam and Eve betrayed God and doomed their descendants to a life of sin instilled in their being from the time of birth. Therefore, suffering, disease, death, and corruption became a part of human life. Most Puritan clergy saw five portions of life on the path to God’s favor. These included election, vocation, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Election is basically God’s choice, to pick the soul or reject it. Vocation is the Holy Spirit touching a soul and offering grace. Justification is the point at which one is redeemed of the previous sinful life. Sanctification is the process of life changes that occur after the justification, when one becomes a morally improved person. Glorification can occur only when one has

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