Colonial Time Essay, Research Paper

Colonial Time

(1607-1765)

Immigrating to America in 1607, the Separatists wanted to practice their own religion. Unhappy in England, the Separatists came to America on the Mayflower setting out to sea to America. Upon their arrival, sickness meet more than half of them causing the first year to be the ?Starving Time.?

In 1619, plantation systems, as well as slavery grew. The Separatists were later called Pilgrims because they made a pilgrimage for religious reasons. The Puritan religion was based on Calvinism. Great writers named Jonathan Edwards, Edward Taylor, and William Bradford led examples of the Puritan beliefs and Colonial times. Sinners in the Hands of an angry God, a sermon, which was preached by Jonathan Edwards, briefly states how sin will weigh people down and destroy your soul to bits of pieces until Hell is satisfied. Comparing life to sewing takes us to Huswifery, a poem, written by Edward Taylor. Writer William Bradford, author of Of Plymouth Plantation, a history of the time, describes the pilgrimage of the Separatists and their beliefs in God. All three writers develop the Puritan idea that God is the only judger, who selects His people to extend His salvation and mercy on.

Jonathan Edwards stressed the Puritans emotional side of religion, scaring people by explaining how God can protect us for only so long. Writing sermons at age 17, he expanded his Calvinistic background. Preaching one of the most famous sermons, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, gave the Puritans all the reasons to avoid evil and turn towards God by scaring them and making them see how wrong affects their souls. Believing God controls everything, the Puritans turned to God?s help to avoid evil. The Puritans also believed in predestination, which led the Puritans to believe that God had chosen if you?re going to Heaven or Hell before your birth. Relating to the ?Doctrine of Elect? the Puritans believe that God is the only true Lord who gives salvation to whom He wishes. God granted us his salvation by the death of his only son, Jesus Christ. Edwards made God clear and said that sin only pulls you farther towards Hell. God can only extend His hand and hold the sinners in His possession for so long, and for those who follow God?s way, they shall be delivered to paradise. As for the sinners, a grievous penalty at hand will be granted with eternity in Hell.

Edward Taylor, a well known poet in Colonial time wrote Huswifery, a poem that compared sewing to life and God. Taylor, a minister, tried to defend the original faith of the Puritans against the newer, religious ideas. In Huswifery, Taylor develops a comparison between cloth making, a household task, and God?s grace, salvation. Huswifery is a prayer in which a person is asking God for grace and guidance. The Bible, in Taylor?s image, is like a stick on which raw wool is placed before spinning. The soul is like a spool that gathers the thread from the wheel and his social behavior is directed to the reel to which the transfer of finished thread to the spinning wheel takes place. God appears as a weaver meshing the threads into cloth, and when the cloth is woven it shall be cleansed with sacraments, such as communion, and fashionably decorated into robes that reflect his thoughts and feelings. God?s grace is expressed by that change from plain wool to the beautiful robes of God?s salvation.

William Bradford is a Separatist, one of the Pilgrims that traveled to America from Holland in his time. Departing from England, the Separatists put their lives in the hands of God. One greedy and profane Englishman disregarded the poor and cursed them daily, and for that God sent him overboard to his death. During their flight, one of the beams on the Mayflower cracked, but God saved the Pilgrims with an iron screw the passengers had brought with them. God had extended his salvation over the Pilgrims as a reward for trust and faith in Him. Aboard the Mayflower, Bradford amongst a hundred other Puritans made it to America on December of 1620. One of his works, Of Plymouth Plantations, a history of his time, examined the Puritan?s vision towards America and described the Puritans? trip from Holland to America. Including the first terrible winter which was thrusting a contagious disease called small pox amongst the Puritans, leaving half of them dead. God sent his Holy Spirit to guide the Indians to help the needy Pilgrims. After introducing Sqanto, a native, and Samoset, the chief, the Indians and Pilgrims worked together and had the first Thanksgiving in 1621 in Jamestown.

God is the loving and universal. Calvinism understands that God defined above exists. God is the center of most religions, and what Bradford, Edwards, and Taylor were saying was that God works miracles and is sincerely loving to all his children. God sent his son Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sins, and yet still watches over us. Through their own viewpoint of God, the three writers established the Puritan aspect that God is forgiving, most merciful and would grant you your wishes in exchange for your trust and belief in Him.