What did the massachusetts bay puritans do?
They ate, prayed, worked, went to church, and signed the Mayflower Compact.
The Massachusetts Bay Puritans were a religious group who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the 17th century. They had a strong influence on the development of the colony and played an important role in shaping the future of New England.
To understand what the Massachusetts Bay Puritans did, we can look at their religious beliefs and the actions they took based on those beliefs:
1. Religious practices: The Puritans were committed to living virtuous and pious lives. They believed in strict adherence to their interpretation of the Christian faith, emphasizing personal and communal discipline, simplicity, and sobriety in all aspects of life. They attended church regularly and held strong beliefs in predestination, the idea that God had already chosen the fate of every individual.
2. Establishing a theocratic society: The Massachusetts Bay Puritans sought to create a society based on their religious principles. They established a theocratic government, where religious and civil leaders were closely intertwined. Laws were based on biblical principles, and religious dissension or deviation from the Puritan ideals was often met with punishment, such as banishment.
3. Community organization: The Puritans believed in creating tight-knit communities where everyone supported and watched over each other. They established towns and villages, with each individual expected to play their part in upholding the moral and spiritual welfare of the community. Family, church, and community were closely interconnected.
4. Education: The Massachusetts Bay Puritans emphasized the importance of education, particularly the ability to read the Bible. They established schools and made efforts to ensure that all children, including girls, had access to basic education. Harvard College, founded in 1636, was established to educate ministers and promote higher learning.
5. Interaction with Native Americans: Initially, the Puritans had some contact and limited cooperation with the Native Americans in the region. However, as conflicts and tensions grew, particularly during the Pequot War in the 1630s, relationships deteriorated, and the Puritans increasingly saw Native Americans as a threat to their religious and territorial interests.
In summary, the Massachusetts Bay Puritans were a religious community known for their strict adherence to their interpretation of the Christian faith. They sought to establish a theocratic society founded on their religious principles, emphasized community organization and education, and had complex interactions with Native Americans in the region.