Puritanism greatly influenced values and ideas to the New England colonies. According
to Halpern (2016), “The Puritans influenced the social, political and economic developments of
the New England colonies in the late 16 th & 17 th and they are significant from the fact that they
introduced series of rules and laws that were mostly used by the core founding people to
establish the political structure of the New England colonies.” Also, puritanism was significant
because it initiated religious freedom to the New England colonies.
Puritanism brought both best and worst contributions to the American culture. One of the
best contribution is that it brought a social structure. Under this, the American culture is now that
one of community, togetherness, liberality, and even brotherhood. Moore (2016) points out that,
“the American culture is now a model of Christian Charity.” Americans are working, rejoicing,
mourning, and even suffer together. Furthermore, it also brought about religion and
predestination to the American culture. They praise and have strong belief with their God they
are all under one Bible.
Besides, puritanism brought about worst contributions to the American culture.
Puritanism initiated civil war both in the America culture and England while their efforts of
transforming these nations to live the puritan model way of life. Halpern (2016) explains that
some people resisted the puritan way of living and chose to remain their normal way. This then
led to a civil war in between that left a lot of people dead. As such, it can be concluded that
Puritanism was significant in the early New England colonies and it instigated both positive and
negative effects to the American culture. The US is now shaped and practices ideas and morals
that were introduced by the puritans.
PURITANISM 3
References
Halpern, R. L. (2016). Puritanism and Maenadism in A Mask. In Renaissance Poetry (pp. 228-
248). Routledge.
Moore, Susan Hardman. "13 Reformed theology and puritanism." The Cambridge Companion to
Reformed Theology (2016): 199.