The origins of Puritanism are to be found in the early stages of the English Reformation. The name “Puritans” was a term of disrespect allocated to the movement by its opponents. Although the nickname first appeared in the 1560s, …show more content…
Their growth was linked to the increased knowledge that came to the common people in the Age of Enlightenment. As people became literate, and as the Bible became more accessible to the masses, many began to read the Bible for themselves. Some Puritans were connected with Anabaptist factions in Europe, but the majority was associated with the Church of England. The word Puritan was created in the 1560s as a mocking term for those who supported more purity in worship and doctrine. The leader of the Reformation was John Calvin, his writings and philosophies gave rise to Protestantism and were essential to the Christian reformation. They challenged that the Church of England had become an invention of political struggles and artificial doctrines. The Puritans were a division of dissenters who decided that the Church of England was beyond reform. Avoiding persecution from church and the King, they journeyed to …show more content…
There was little room for compromise and may God help anyone who thought differently. Words like “heretic” and “heathen” were in use to define anyone seeking religious freedom in the terms we recognize today. Severe punishment was imposed on those who were seen as drifting from God's work. “There were incidents when individuals of differing faiths were hanged in Boston Common. Adulterers were required to wear a scarlet "A" if they were fortunate. Public floggings were routine. The colony forced the shamed accused individual to sit in the public square, while bystanders spat or laughed at them.” (Puritan Life.) Puritans felt no remorse about administering