The Effects of Puritanism and the Great Awakening Upon American Society

During the seventeenth and eighteenth century, both Puritanism and the Great Awakening played crucial roles in developing American society by paving the way to the development of democracy, by establishing a culture governed by ethics and morals, and by creating a united and independent society. The Puritans referred to motley "group of religious reformers who emerged within the Church of England" and "shared a common Calvinist theology" (Heyrman, 2002). Their opposition to the Anglican Church and its impurities, eventually led to their dispersal into the American colonies, where they established their own sense of "genuine self-government" (Bailey and Kennedy, 43).

After some initial "surveys" of land, the Puritan Pilgrims settled in Plymouth Rock, where they signed the Mayflower Compact in 1620. This seemingly insignificant document actually served as the "invaluable precedent for later constitutions" (Bailey and Kennedy, 43). This document, the first American constitution, enabled adult male settlers to assemble and "create their own laws in open-discussion town meetings," which was considered a great privilege (44). The Puritan Pilgrims also had the opportunity to elect their leaders, one of whom was the noted scholar William Bradford (44). This early form of Puritan government parallels the democracy that exists in America today.

"Among the ideals embraced within the social heritage of Americans, a peculiar importance attaches to Puritanism and democracy." The correlation between Puritanism and democracy can be seen with the emphasis that both place on "ideals." The Puritan faith has justified many events, and in that respect, it "has repeatedly served as the basis of concerted action" (Perry, 34). Puritanism rationalized the "reforming and separatist movements in the Anglican church", the English Revolution, English migrations to New England in the early seventeenth century, and the transformation of the Puritan settlements into a unified and theocratic state (34).

In 1629, certain non-Separatist Puritans received a royal charter from England permitting them to settle and form what came to be known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony. During the 1630s, the time of the "Great Migration", approximately 70,000 individuals left England, however, only 11,000 traveled to Massachusetts, and not all of the individuals were Puritans. John Winthrop, an elected governor, aided Massachusetts through fur trading, fishing, and shipbuilding. The political significance of this is that after the establishment of the colony, the franchise was available to all "freemen" who were associated with the Puritan congregations, and these freemen comprised approximately two-fifths of the population (Bailey and Kennedy, 45). Although the government of the Puritans may be considered liberal, it was not the democracy that American society has today. Rather, the documents made during this time period, such as the Mayflower Compact, merely served as a "step toward genuine self-government" (43). Governor Winthrop disagreed with the notion of democracy because he felt that "the purpose of government was to enforce God's laws (46).

God's laws were the laws that the Puritans used to govern themselves. Devoting themselves to the practice of Puritanism, the early settlers based their laws on their valued ethics and morals. For the Puritans, it was the civil government's responsibility to "strictly enforce public morality by prohibiting vices like drunkenness, gambling, ostentatious dress, swearing, and Sabbath-breaking" (Heyrman, 2002). Personal displays of affection, such as a young couple kissing in public, were considered crimes that could be fined up to twenty shillings in New Haven (Bailey and Kennedy, 46). However, the Puritans feared God's wrath more so than being reproached by the government.

The Great Awakening describes a period of revitalization of religious piety that occurred in the American colonies in the latter part of the eighteenth century (Bailey and Kennedy, 94). Several preachers gave sermons regarding the outcome of sins, including Jonathan Edwards, who depicts horrifying images of God's vengeance in his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" (Matthews, 2002). Such disturbing images perturbed the minds of Puritans, to the extent that they would confess their sins at the meeting hall, where the sermon was being held (Bailey and Kennedy, 95). Present-day American society is affected by the guiding conscience of ethics and morals as well. Many laws are created based on what society deems acceptable, and this holds true for both the past and present America.

In 1643, four colonies banded together to form the New England Confederation, and this was mostly comprised of Puritans. The significance of this event is that is can be seen as a "milestone toward American unity" (Bailey and Kennedy, 52). Puritanism was subdivided into two groups, namely the Congregationalists who settled Plymouth and other colonies in the 1620s and the Presbyterians who dominated communities in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania during the late seventeenth century and throughout the eighteenth century (Heyrman, 2002). However, both divisions still shared some aspects of the Puritan philosophy that united them. The popularity of Puritanism eventually subsides, but is brought back with the Great Awakening (Heyrman, 2002). The Great Awakening unites the Puritans with the sermons that warn of God's wrath.

Education also united the Puritans during the period of the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening was influential in development of America, in that it led to the founding of several colleges, many of which are Ivy Leagues today (Bailey and Kennedy, 95). Yale College was founded in 1701, Princeton College was founded in 1746, and Brown College was founded in 1764 (101). All of these colleges are prestigious Ivy league schools that were created during the Age of Enlightenment. Each college was formed with its own religious beliefs and wanted to indoctrinate the young men that attended their college with their beliefs (95). This may have molded the political beliefs of the educated individuals, who in turn, were responsible for the development of America.

Puritanism and the Great Awakening greatly influenced the development of American Society by setting an example of an efficient government, by providing society with a set of morals and ethics to abide by, and by uniting society with common aspirations and hopes among its people.