The Puritans’ ideas and values influenced the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies.
They valued the importance of church and state bound as one. They also had that drive to work hard and be prosperous economically. But lastly, the Puritans had socially adopted the idea of the importance of God and living all for him. All of the ideas had influenced the development of the New England colonies The Puritans values the church and was the center of their town. The way the towns were set up, the church and the town hall were the center of the New England cities.
Politically, the church and state were bound together as one. It was believed by the Puritans that the government and church should work together to promote their religion and help the people succeed both materially and spiritually. In 1636, they Puritans believed that God wanted them to follow the laws of the state and church. Not only that, but that the state had to enforce religious beliefs to the people. Secondly, the Puritans strove to prosper and valued hard work if they were to be successful economically.
They believed that if their efforts would fail, then they should be ridiculed by the world. They were a united community and all must work and suffer together as one. Mostly, the people who had traveled to the New World were the second born sons and had no choice but to make money all on their own due to the fact that they had received no inheritance from their families. Pretty soon the increase in economics would disrupt the Puritan community. It was said in Document J, in 1662, “that worldly gain was not the end and design of the people of New England, but Religion.”Lastly, being that the church was an important part of the Puritan lifestyle, they socially inspired ideas of the necessity of education to have a strong and strict church.
The Puritans strongly believed that the children were their future and so education would keep the church strong in the future generations. After the Puritans had settled in the New England colonies, they had wanted to establish schooling for the children. Soon they would build Harvard College to educate ministers who would be certified to teach future generations. Because the church and government were bound together, the people felt constricted.This would lead to the famously know Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson who would soon be banished from the Massachusetts Bay .
They had believed in religious freedom and that the church and state should be separated which was known as the Great Awakening, a religious revival. The Puritans greatly influenced the development of the New England colonies. They not only inspired ideas politically and economically, but also socially. They believed God was everything in life and that to follow him fully was just and right. Puritans shaped the ideas and values that were to come in the future generations.
