From Puritan To Yankee

The Puritans of the Great Migration of the 1630s believed that their task was an essential maneuver in the drama of Christendom. They would work out the complete reformation which was not yet accomplished in the Old World, that is, to build a "City upon the Hill" in the wilderness of America. The Puritans attempted to create a theocracy in which only church members could hold civil office.While building their "City upon the Hill", people in New England confronted various difficulties. Roger Williams challenged the very idea of building a sacred city in this world; Anne Hutchinson challenged the doctrines delivered by the church; the Indians threatened the security of the colonies; and natural disasters took place every year. When people had to make their choice between survival and theoretical purity, they usually chose the former. The generations born in America experienced no religious persecution. Consequently, it was hard for them to keep the same religious passion as their fathers did. Church members declined and most churches had to adopt "Half-Way Covenant" by the end of the century. The British government announced "the Tolerance Law" after the Restoration, revoked the colonies' charters and altered the franchise. In place of the old requirement of church membership, the new charter stipulated that anyone who met a certain property requirement could be admitted to freemanship.The Puritan society secularized continuously. Though religious passion led to the outbreak of the Great Awakening in the first half of 18^th century, it turned out to be a movement that deeply undermined the power of the church. On the other hand, the jeremiads preached on the pulpits in the colonies gradually formed a whole set of symbolism which played a major role in fashioning the myth of America. During the process of secularization, New England gradually developed the democratic and republican genes embodied in Puritanism. The Puritan society finally evolved into part of the republican United States.