Kayleigh Larson

Miss. Fordahl

9 April 2014

English

                                                                “The Promise”

In the 1600’s to the 1750’s the Puritans believed that God was angry, and could “drop” them in a pot of hell at any time, or every sin they made, made them closer to  hell as we learned in  “The General History of Virginia”, “Plymouth Plantation”, “Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God”. In the video of that we watched called “Utopian Promise” it would talk about how the puritans got to America and why they came here. Another thing they talked about was how Puritans and Quakers differ because the Puritans are much stricter with their religion, and the way of life. The Quakers also believed in the “inner light,” as the Puritans did not.

            In “The General History of Virginia” the Puritans were coming to America. They have major troubles with leaders and diseases. This story was about the way to America. In the story Smith says “Smith unexpectedly returning, had the plot discovered for him much trouble he prevented it” In the Puritan religion the leader must know how to deal with unexpected troubles. But in this story when someone gets appointed to leader they let it go to their heads, and they constantly want more power. Smith got appointed leader, and he wanted more so he killed the president of Jamestown. I believe it is crazy on how hard a journey across world can be especially if you’re a leader because you constantly will want more power like Smith did. In this time period of coming to America wasn't so easy, John Smith made this very clear.

            In the “Plymouth Plantation” by William Bradford talks about when they go to America and the struggles had, and why they came here. The main reason why they came here is because the Puritans wanted religious freedom. They wanted to believe what they wanted to without having to get it approved or being told want they can or cannot belief in, As they arrive to America he says, being thus arrived in good harbor, and brought safe to the land, they full upon their knees and blessed God” (104) In the Puritans culture they believe God has a reason for everything, like everything they do they believe God is the reason why. The Puritans would thank God no matter what and that’s when they become paranoid.

            In the “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards, who was a preacher in this time, and this is a story he preached. In the story it explains how they believed God could just decide when they were going to hell and there was nothing you could really do. The only way you could become forgiven is if you “Thus all you that never passed under great change of the heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls” (126). In this story it clears states you don’t have promises that you’re not going to hell, and the littlest things you do God can choose you’re going to hell. If somebody was preaching to me that I am going to go to hell pretty much no matter what I would be scared for my life, because it is known that preachers, and pastors are the people were supposed to believe no matter what. I think I would want to switch my life around if I got this lecture! 

            With these three stories they lead up to witch trial because eventually all the Puritans became annoyed about what they’re doing how they’re doing, and thinking God was behind every bad thing. Then they started to lose their minds and if someone sinned then they were a witch because that was a sign from God letting them know that person was a terrible person. I do not know very much about the witch trial, one thing I know for sure is that these people were crazy, and they needed to lay off a bit. The story “Crucible” is a story about the witch trial but not by somebody that was there while it was all happening, it is somebody that did a lot of research on how things went, and he might of even believed in some of it himself.  McCarthyism is when people hated the communists, and wanted to kill them all. The government didn't want anything to do with them because they weren't all for the government. This time period was very interesting let’s find out more!