Puritan New England: From Settlement to Salem

Catalog description

This course explores the origins, development, and decline of Puritanism in England and America from the mid-sixteenth century to the early eighteenth century. Students will trace the roots of Puritanism in the English Reformation and examine its transplantation to New England, focusing on theology, politics, and law. Key topics include the causes and consequences of the English Civil Wars; Puritan interactions with Natives, Africans, and Jews; the Salem witchcraft trials; and historical memory. Readings will draw from both primary and secondary sources.