Where Did The Puritans Originate From?

King James hearing the petitions of the Puritans.

After such an event, you wonder where did these crazy Puritans come from in the first place? Well, they were originally members of Protestant groups in England that opposed practices of the Church of England under King James the first. During this time many people disagreed with practices of the church, and decided to branch off on their own. Thus creating the Protestant group. King James saw this as a problem. In the document, PAPISTS, POWER, AND PURITANS: CATHOLIC OFFICEHOLDING AND THE RISE OF THE "PURITAN FACTION", it states, " Extreme Protestantism (in the form of Puritanism) was discouraged" ( Hankins 1). As a result of the disapproval, King James along with his successor Charles the first, forced the Puritans to leave England. The religious group traveled through many European countries before arriving in New England  in 1620. According to the document, Which Hunts in Puritan New England, Puritans calling themselves the Pilgrims founded the Plymouth colony in Massachusetts with hopes of establishing their vision of God's Kingdom on Earth ( Witch Craft in America 1). All the Puritans had intense faith in themselves as God's "chosen people." They also absorbed European superstitions of witchcraft and the inferiority of women, which became crucial factors in the "witch" persecutions. So there you have it. The crazy Puritans originated from England, and managed to create a society of extreme worship in New England.

Hankins, Jeffery R. "PAPISTS, POWER, AND PURITANS: CATHOLIC OFFICEHOLDING AND THE RISE OF THE "PURITAN FACTION" IN EARLY-SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY ESSEX." Catholic Historical Review 95.4 (2009): 689-717. World History Collection. EBSCO. Web. 3 May 2011.

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"King James I hearingthe petitions of Puritans." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History: Government and Politics. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 3 May. 2011.

"Witch-Hunts in Puritan New England." Witchcraft in America. Ed. Peggy Saari and Elizabeth Shaw. Vol. 1. Detroit: UXL, 2001. 19-32. Gale U.S. History In Context. Web. 3 May. 2011.