Puritan Dbq free essay sample

He believed in simple life where he denied himself the privilege to spend his money or time on leisurely things. He spent any free time he had on studying his religion. John Higginson says that â€Å"New England is†¦ a plantation of Religion, not a Plantation of Trade. † John again reinforces the fact that Puritan values strongly despised of a system of trade where they gained worldly items. John also says â€Å"remember†¦ that worldly gain was not the end and designe†¦, but Religion. † A primary example of this is the City on the Hill. The city of Boston was supposed to be a beacon to the rest of the world of a pure Christian society where everyone believed that the afterlife was more important, and only did enough in their life economically to survive. Puritans values in subsidence living as required by their religion shaped New England. The Puritans influenced the political system in New England in a way that is very similar to how the political system works today. We will write a custom essay sample on Puritan Dbq or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Values held by the Puritans required them to attend church every Sunday. Because church was always attended by every member of the community on Sundays decisions about the whole of community could easily be made between the head of each household. They believed that each person should have no power greater than that which they will use. (Doc H) This insured that the leaders of the communities were not able to abuse their power. The power given to those leaders is not more than the power of those who give it. (Doc H) The people are more in control of their government. Court assemblies in the colony of Massachusetts insured that each community was brought together in order to make laws for the whole of the colony. The lasting effect of how Puritan values shaped development in New England from 1630 to the 1660s is not their values but the values which arose in opposition to Puritan values. Therefore you can say these other beliefs are directly the result of Puritan values. Roger Williams was a separatist that said â€Å"God requireth not a uniformity of religion to be enacted and enforced in any civil state†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This was the first notion in American history of the separation of church and state and heavily influenced development in New England. This led the way to founding of the city of Providence in which everyman held equal rights and voted on every change in their civil lives. Roger William gave rose to other proponents of his ideas of separation of church and state. Nathaniel Ward said that if the church is to promote toleration of any religion then they must give liberty in matters of religion in their moral laws. He says that to not do so is a fiddle that â€Å"will be out of tune, and some of the strings crack. † Puritan values and the results of Puritan values heavily influence the political development of New England. Throughout the 1630s to 1660s political developments in New England took a route that through Puritan values many of the same beliefs held on government are seen today. Puritan values created the separation of church and state, equal rights of men, and representation of the people in government. Social development in New England through 1630 to the 1660s was dependent on the Puritan religious beliefs. The church was the center of all social development in New England. This evident while looking at a map of a community in New England during 1630 to 1660s. The center of town is dominated by a church, village green, and town hall. (Doc B) These all tie together because John Wintrop the founder of a Puritan community said that everyone should work together for the good of each other because God commands it. This evident influence of church and religious values held by Puritans influence New Englands development because the social lifestyle was led by the church and the social development determines the economic and political development.