PuritansColonialPeriod

• **Puritan** refers to the Protestant groups seeking to purify the Church of England beginning in 1560. Puritans wanted simpler forms of worship and church organization such as Christian scriptures. A small group fled to holland then the new World to build God's society.


 * __The Salem Witch Trials__** is the most remembered historical event of the colonial period. The trials were hearings to prosecute poeple accused of witchcraft. They took pla ce between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 150 people were arrested, 19 people were actually hung. At least 5 died while in prison.

• __**Important WORKS and AUTHORS**__ • __**Common Themes of Colonial writers**__ Religious and political idealism Pragmatism
 * 1) **//The Crucible -->//** a 1953 play written by Arthur Miller describing the events of the Salem witch trials. [[image:The_Crucible.jpg width="234" height="227" link="http://www.filmreference.com/images/sjff_03_img1043.jpg"]]
 * 2) **Anne Bradstreet //-->//** First American to publish a book of poetry. Hers being //The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up In America.// She had in inversion style of writing - meaning she flipped the word structure - and wrote mostly about her daily life.
 * 1) **Jonathan Edwards//-->//** Jonathan was from a long line of ministers and attended Yale at age 13. His style was more fire and brimstone and beleived everybody was condemned to hell.

• __**Puritans' STYLE of writing**__ Wirters had a Protestant style of writing with reverence, or profound love and awe for the Bible. Their writing reflected the readers; literate and well grounded in religion.

• __**There are many reasons for the DECLINE of the Colonial Period**__ including:
 * 1) It seemed hopeless to be elect.
 * 2) More people born in America meant different experiences and challenges.
 * 3) "Age of Reason" => focus more on logic to start the government.
 * 4) Growth of towns and cities lead to more ideas, questioning, and different religions.