The Puritan Woman's Place in Society during Colonial America The Puritan Revolution of 17th-century in America endorsed an intimate classification of women with domestic life that achieve a wide acceptance throughout the 18th century. Women were thus locked in the "created" domestic sphere while men were busy in the political sphere. However, Anne Hutchinson was a religious dissenter and she challenged the Puritan principle of conformity with religious laws was a symbol of godliness and that the Bible as the sole source of those laws. Nevertheless, Hester was a feminist and she challenged the Puritan belief of women belonging in the "cult of domesticity." Up to this time, Puritan women were very restricted to life at home and therefore judged as inferior to men. For example, in my research I found that women were sent to the colonies as "prospective wives" for the settlers and the women lived in homes with married couples where they would receive suitors if they chose (source 1, 24). This exhibits how women did not come to America for the same reason as men did because the men came here for religious, economical reasons, or more. Nevertheless, women were immigrating to America to be the wives of the settlers; this demonstrates that women were expected to live in the household for the rest of their lives. In addition, in The Scarlet Letter, as Hester is standing on the scaffold in the beginning of the book, "a judge, a general, and the minister of the town; all of whom sat or stood in a balcony of the meeting house, looking down upon the platform of the spectacle without risking the majesty or reverence of rank and office…(55)" This shows how men are looking down at Hester implying that she is inferior. The reason they stand on a balcony is to protect their "majesty or reverence of rank and office" since they think their reputation will be ruined if they are at the same level as women. Hence, women were separated into a different realm from men and they were "known" to be lower than men are. The strict standards of Puritan life were attacked by early feminists who were once Puritan. For instance, Anne Hutchinson believed that people under a "covenant of grace" could commune directly with God. This was an outrage for the Puritans because if people can talk to God directly then there would be no need for religion.
Edmund S. Morgan's The Puritan Family displays a multifaceted view of the various aspects of Puritan life. In this book, we, the audience, see into the Puritans' lives and are thereby forced to reflect upon our own. The Puritan beliefs and practices were complicated and rather "snobbish," as seen in The Puritan Family.
...e to the Puritan ideas that women were more vulnerable and evil than men, their sexuality was more obvious and sinful, and the fear of women gaining power and authority.
With a strong female protagonist and two mentally weak males, it is hard to consider Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter anything but a feminist treatise. He obviously intended to put down not only Puritanism, which is an obvious aspect of the novel, but to establish a powerful, secure female in American literature. Hester proves, although she has sinned in the past, she can confront her mistakes, take care of herself and her child, and help others at the same time. She can withhold a position in society that many can respect because of her character something the males of the story obviously could not succeed at doing.
When women first arrived to the new colonies, many did not have the money to pay in order to get off the boat. This forced them into 4-5 years of servitude. Women would then be free to search for a husband. In Colonial America, the social status of citizens was based on financial standings, ethnicity, and religious beliefs. Social class was a determining factor of opportunities available to women. They had considerably greater rights than their counterparts in England, however women faced the strict rules and discrimination of a predominantly Puritan society.
The Puritans took pride in their adherence to the tenets of their religion, and this brought on a pickle when a female (or anyone for that matter) was voicing their perspectives or disagreeing with it. The men had made it with the goal that the normal lady wouldn't voice her perspectives and remained uninformed and bound. The prosecutors could be any copartner of the woman who the charged conversed with that might tell a male part of the horde. One quality that the men discovered to be exceptionally dangerous was that of attractiveness. Attractiveness was said to have control over the men. The men said to that the most beautiful ladies could command groups the men's psyches and reason them to do things that they might not do at all.
Anne Hutchinson challenged the traditional role of women in the Puritan society through her opposing religious beliefs. Anne Hutchinson was most likely not the first woman to have her own thoughts. She was simply the first to act on them. Anne Hutchinson was born on or about July 17, 1591 in Alford, Lincolnshire, England. She was the daughter of Reverend Francis Marbury.
The church and Christian beliefs had a very large impact on the Puritan religion and lifestyle. According to discovery education, “Church was the cornerstone of the mainly Puritan society of the 17th century.”( Douglas 4). Puritan laws were intensively rigid and people in society were expected to follow a moral strict code. And because of Puritans and their strict moral codes, any act that was considered to go against this code was considered a sin and deserved to be punished. In Puritan theology, God h...
...ne, it kept the women in a box, it basically prevented uprising by instilling divine fear. Eventually, these ideas evolved, but we still witness many of the after effects of puritanism in today's world.
Ministers found her guilty and was sentenced to imprisonment and was banished from the colony. In the 19th century Anne Hutchinson was seen as a heroine of religious freedom. Also in the 20th century she was also seen as an early champion of women’s rights and celebrated as a feminist. The Puritans The Puritans wanted to purify the church so that’s how they got their name “the Puritans”. Puritans believe that salvation comes by God’s grace.
Woman and family roles are considerably different today than they were back in Puritan times. Puritans thought that the public’s foundation rested on the “little commonwealth”, and not merely on the individual. The “little commonwealth” meant that a father’s rule over his family mirrored God’s rule over creation or a king over his subjects. John Winthrop believed that a “true wife” thought of herself “in [weakness] to her husband’s authority.” As ludicrous as this idea may appeal to women and others in today’s society, this idea was truly necessary for colonies to be able to thrive and maintain social order.
Anne rebelled she shared a spirit-centered theology which held that God’s grace could be gained simply through faith. (Biography). This going against the Puritan ministers’ orthodox view which stated that people must live according to the Bible’s precepts by performing deeds did not set well with the magistrates (Biography). Her following grew and Governor John Winthrop charged her with sedition and heresy (Biography). Even though she challenged Winthrop, the magistrates sided with him out of fear of retaliation on themselves and she was banished from the community (Biography).
While I'm sitting here at my computer, in my air conditioned home, with the radio blaring and the t.v. on downstairs, I try to imagine how life was as a young Puritan. To be honest, I don't think I could live a week the way they do. I could try but it would be excruciatingly difficult.
The Puritans stressed grace, devotion, prayer, and self-examination to achieve religious virtue while including a basic knowledge of unacceptable actions of the time; this was expected to secure order and peace within the Puritan community. The Puritan culture is one that recognizes Protestantism, a sect of Christianity. Though a fundamental of Christianity is forgiveness for one's sins, this seems to have been forgotten amongst the women of the community: "Morally, as well as materially, there was a coarser fiber in those wives and maidens of old English birth and breeding, than in their fair descendants. " As we read between the lines we can notice a concern in Hester's acceptance within the Puritan community. More so, Hester senses a lack of acceptance within the circle of women in the community.
The male Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony did not like women to think that they were above them, such evidence is the trial of Anne Hutchinson at Massachusetts Bay in 1637. The document is a transcripts of Anne’s trial. Anne Hutchinson was a rebel during her time and she was fond of the concept of Antinomianism, if your not as fond with this concept,let’s break it down “Antinomiansim” is a greek word it is formed from the words “anti” and “nomos”, “anti” means against and “nomos” means law when combined they form antinomianism which means in its simplest form, against the law or against laws. The transcript was most likely at first kept just for records but eventually it was kept not only to preserve history but to capture the human spirit.
The church did many things in the puritan religion. It controlled society, created a place for all people to go and be with god, and also created social roles for women which kept them oppressed and not allowed to be equal to their male partners. In The Crucible, Goody Nurse, a kind old woman is killed simply because dominate men of the church decided suspected evidence is enough to be proven a witch. So were many other women, but no men were called witches, no men had to fear for their lives and hope that they would not be. The church was run by males because it was god's choice to have them dominate the church men were the only ones who could preach. They were the only ones who could truly bring the word of god to the people. If a women