Coming to the "New World"

-John Winthrop (1588-1649) was the leader of the first Puritans to Massachusetts Bay, New England in 1630

-They arrived on a ship named the Arabella

-Some of the first to come to America for a better life
-immigrants (a person who comes to a country where they were not born to settle there)

-They were not poor; majority were farmers, lawyers, merchants, or well-educated ministers

-They liked being connected to religious and political leaders of England

-Thought of New England as a place where they could practice/make their own religion and governments

-They could experiment with different church structures/state government

-Wanted to be models of reform to other places in the world including England

-Winthrop:Founder of Massachusetts Bay colony and elected for four terms as governer

-Believed in theocracy
-form of government that combines the church and state rules together
-a significant part is the importance of community over self benefit

-Some other Puritan leaders agreed with these ides

-Example:John Cotton and John Harvard who, in 1638 founded Harvard College, Richard Matther and his son Cotton

-Created churches all over New England
-example:in Boston, Newton/now Cambridge in Massachusetts or Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut

The Puritans in England

-In the 1500s the Reformation or change began in Europe

-the Reformation was a revolt against the Catholic Church who claimed they could interpret what the Bible said

-Some people such as the Puritans did not agree with this

-English Protestants who believed that the change had not completely gotten rid of the church of Catholic influences were called first by their enemies and later by themselves Puritans.

-The change (reformation) in England began in the reign of Henry VIII.

-The Puritans wanted the English church to be further purified.

-The Pilgrims were unhappy with the Church of England

-In England everyone had to be a member of the Church of England and those who disagreed were punished

-Some people such as the Puritans wanted to be separate from the Church of England so they could worship in their way/ have religious freedom

Here's Some More Information on the Puritans:
-John Calvin=a leader in the Reformation

-Puritans believed the Bible was the true word of God and told how to run the church

-thought churches should have special counsels instead of the bishops

-a few wanted each individual churches to control themselves

-thought every person should attend church, read the Bible, and pray

-wanted people to way their own prayers, not use the ones that other had created and written down already

-Puritans made church more relaxed

-in the 1500s, Puritans constantly were against the Church of England and finally, left to North America in the 1600s

-left so they could have religious freedom and more people would accept their ideas

-one of the most famous group of PUritans were the Pilgrims

-in 1620, they founded Plymouth colony in Massachusetts

More Information about the Puritans:

-Puritans: Protestant reformers originally from England

-later traveled to American colonies in New England

-mission to "purify religion"

-called Puritans at first by enemies but later used this name themselves

Puritans in England:

-Puritan movements started as part of the PRotestant Reformation in England


-early 1500s, King Henry

-The Pilgrims wanted the church to be run differently but did not want to separate from it



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