... that challenged people's freedom of thought. The Puritans of the 1630s added a new element of religious and social intolerance to America, expanding on the blueprint created by the Pilgrims. Known for their strict, repressive society, the Puritans barred all forms of deviation within their community, as described in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Set in the mid-1600s, The Scarlet Letter epitomizes the religious intolerance of Puritan society. By the mid-1800s, however, the religious fervor that had been so ... prevalent two centuries ago was gone, replaced by the ideals of Tr...

• Word Count: 789
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate