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Sheardy, Allison

English

2011

MA

Despite the highest of expectations, the outcome of the Puritan colonization of New England did not go exactly as planned. William Bradford, John Winthrop, and Cotton Mather were all notable leaders of the colonies as various points throughout the seventeenth century. They also each wrote amply, and each expressed the notion that God meant for the Puritans to settle the area and create a utopian community, or a "city upon a hill" in Winthrop's words. Because predestination was such a vital aspect ofthe Puritan belief system, it played an important role in their day to day lives. The belief in predestination shaped how the colonial Puritans viewed the world, as portrayed by these Puritan writers. Furthermore, this belief helped the Puritans explain the unknown, justify the inexplicable, and cement their own holiness. Important leaders in the community, including Bradford, Winthrop, and Mather, incorporated their beliefs in predestination and God's providence heavily throughout their writings.
These three men each represent a different period in the seventeenth century, each experiencing changes within the settlement in a different way. All three were extremely. devout individuals, and their reverence for God (and conversely, their fear of the devil) is apparent in their abundant writings. However, by the late seventeenth century and early eighteenth century, the Puritan project had shifted dramaticallY. Although New England was prospering, with booming populations and a solid economy, religion was no longer the priority. After a brief introduction to Puritan theology and a background of Puritan history, this project will explore the reasons why the settlement changed so much during the seventeenth century, as well as discuss how important leaders chose to explain the state of their errand.
The Puritan belief in the devil is one way that Bradford, Winthrop, and Mather explained the failings of their colony. The Puritans perceived the devil to be a very real threat, and in that sense Satan was sometimes used as a scapegoat. The Puritans faced some hard times in New England, including illness, famine, and poor weather. In the Puritan mind, these kinds of events indicated the work of the devil. Furthermore, the Puritan leaders often blamed the devil for sin within the community as to not blame their own peers. Bradford and Mather strongly believed that the devil's presence was so strong in New England because he was targeting the Puritans, due to their extraordinary godliness. In this way, the devil's presence often solidified the Puritan's piety. The upheaval surrounding the Salem Witch Trials, in addition to the increasing population and shift toward economic prosperity rather than spiritual, were all factors in the decline ofthe Puritan project. By the end ofthe seventeenth century, their failure to create a utopian community was becoming obvious. Again, the personal writings from the time period express the writers' justification, lament, and fear regarding the current state ofthe colony as well as its future.
In this project, I will explore the Puritan belief in predestination, its origins, and implications. Furthermore, by looking at the primary texts of Bradford, Winthrop, and Mather, I will discuss how these beliefs were incorporated into their writings, as well as how their convictions about the devil and his presence in New England contributed to the manuscripts. Finally, I will discuss how and why the Puritan leaders blamed the devil for the downfall ofthe colony, rather than face the consequences themselves.