National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Colonizing the Bay
John Winthrop's "Model of Christian Charity" was delivered as a sermon aboard the Arabella, as the Puritans approached their destination of Massachusetts Bay in 1630. The speech spells out his vision of the society they hoped to create...
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Massachusetts
During the religious upheavals of the 16th century, a body of men and women called Puritans sought to reform the Established Church of England from within. Essentially, they demanded that the rituals and structures associated with Roman...
Digital History
Digital History: Explorations: The Puritans
No group has played a more pivotal role in shaping American values than the New England Puritans. The seventeenth-century Puritans contributed to our country's sense of mission, its work ethic, and its moral sensibility. Today, eight...
University of Groningen
American History: Documents: Charter of Massachusetts Bay 1629
Provides background information and the complete text of the charter of the Massachusetts Bay 1629.
University of Groningen
American History: Documents: New England Articles of Confederation 1643
View the complete text of the New England Articles of Confederation 1643, an alliance of the English colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven.
University of Victoria (Canada)
Shakespeare's Life and Times: History and Politics
This section on the life and times of Shakespeare addresses the stories behind his 'histories'.
Henry J. Sage
Sage American History: The Puritans of New England
A description of religious strife and factions in the 17th Century. Provides a detailed and comprehensive account of the Puritans, their life and culture, as they migrate to America and establish themselves in New England.
University of Toronto (Canada)
University of Toronto: Selected Poetry of Anne Bradstreet
Biographical information about Anne Bradstreet's life. Includes details about her works and their publication history. Includes a brief bibliography and the text of eleven of her works.
University of California
The History Project: The Antinomian Controversy
One of the most enduring myths in American history is the belief that the Puritans fled to America in search of religious liberty. Unfortunately, this belief is at best only a half-truth, The Puritans were strict religious people who...
University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma College of Law: The 1629 Charter of Massachusetts Bay
Complete text of the Charter of Massachusetts Bay, 1629.
University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma College of Law: The First Thanksgiving Proclamation
Resource features the full text of the First Thanksgiving Proclamation June 20, 1676, which expressed thanks for the good fortune of the community of Charleston, Massachusetts.
University of Massachusetts
Univ of Massachusetts Amherst: Mary Rowlandson Captive
Mary Rowlandson's account of her capture and captivity is retold and illustrated with modern photographs. Includes quotations from her account and a brief bibliography.
Other
Animus: Puritanism, Enlightenment, and the u.s. Constitution
Examines the effect of Puritan religious thought on the U.S. Constitution. Discusses Puritanism and covenant theology.
Library of Congress
Loc: America as a Religious Refuge
One of the primary reasons for colonization of the New World was to escape European religious persecution. This site provides stories of religious nonconformists, militants, zealots, reformers, and the faithful.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Utopian Promise: Mary Rowlandson
After immigrating to the New England colonies, being captured by Wampanoag Indians, Puritan and author acclimates herself to the Native American culture as a form of survival and documents her time kept captive. See "Mary Rowlandson...
Georgia Department of Education
Ga Virtual Learning: American Literature: The Crucible: Act Iv
This lesson focuses on Act IV of The Crucible by Arthur Miller. It features a short synopsis, a study guide, and a self-assessment quiz over Act IV.
OpenStax
Open Stax: English Settlements in America
Read about the first English settlements in America, the differences between the Chesapeake Bay colonies and the New England colonies, the wars between native inhabitants and English colonists, and the role of Bacon's Rebellion in the...
OpenStax
Open Stax: Religious Upheavals in the Developing Atlantic World
From a chapter on "Early Globalization: The Atlantic World," this section explains the changes brought by the Protestant Reformation and how it influenced the development of the Atlantic World while describing Spain's response to the...
Stanford University
Sheg: Document Based History: Reading Like a Historian: The Puritans
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students solve a problem surrounding a historical question by reading primary source documents. This historical inquiry lesson allows students to source, corroborate, and contextualize speeches from...
Washington State University
Washington State University: Timeline of American Literature 1700 1749
A time line of social, political, and literary history of the period from 1700-1749, the end of the Puritan period. Contains information about Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards, and Sarah Kemble Knight, Puritan writers of the time.
Washington State University
Washington State University: American Authors: Edward Taylor (C. 1642 1729)
This resource provides a bibliography of works relating to Edward Taylor.
Other
Salem Witch Museum: Welcome to 1692
Virtual tour from the Salem Witch Museum highlights the historical sites of the Salem Witch Trials and provides an overview and an FAQ concerning the events of 1692.
Bill Carson
Puritan & Reformed Writings: "Our Insufficiency"
Full text of Edward Taylor's poem, "Our Insufficiency to Praise God Suitably, for His Mercy."
Bill Carson
Puritan & Reformed Writings: "The Cup of Blessing"
Complete text of Taylor's poem, "The Cup of Blessing Which We Bless."