The Puritans were a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to "purify" the Church of England of remaining Roman Catholic practices after the English Reformation. They believed the Church of England had not gone far enough in reform and continued to tolerate Catholic rituals, hierarchical leadership, and ceremonies. The Puritans emphasized a strict Calvinist theology, focusing on the authority of the Bible, personal piety, and the idea of a covenant with God for both individuals and communities. They aimed for moral and religious earnestness and sought to create a godly society both in England and later in America. The movement influenced the establishment of colonies, such as the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where they practiced their religious beliefs more freely. The Puritans were often non-separating reformers who wanted to cleanse the existing Church from within, though some advocated separation. They lived with a sense of spiritual anxiety about salvation, holding that faith, rather than works, was the key to salvation. Their lifestyle and religious convictions had a major impact on English and American religious and social history. In summary, the Puritans were a religious reform movement seeking to make Christianity in England more pure and biblical, with a strong emphasis on morality, scripture, and community covenant, shaping early modern Protestantism and colonial life in America.
