Thanksgiving Who Were the Pilgrims?

Church of EnglandPuritans

SeparatistsNetherlands

America

Church of England

• Gregory the Great chose Augustine to lead a mission trip to Britain in 595AD

• Augustine of Canterbury is the founder of the English Church in 597AD

• Considered a part of the Western Church

Church of England

Church of England

• Initially the Church went with Rome in 1517

• In 1534 they separated from Rome over the divorce of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon

Church of England

• Queen Mary I returned the Church of England to Roman Catholicism in 1555

• Known as Bloody Mary because she enjoyed killing Protestants

Church of England

• Just 3 years later, in 1558, the Church of England officially became Protestant leaving Rome under Queen Elizabeth.

Church of England

• 1559 Act of Uniformity– Catholic– Reformed– Illegal not to attend

official services ($20/week)

Puritans

• Started as an activist movement inside the Church of England.

• Puritan is derogatory meaning “sticklers”

• Mainly sought greater purity & doctrine within the Church of England

Puritans

• Most were strong Calvinists.

• British laws made it hard for Puritans to do much inside the church

• Many moved to the Netherlands

Puritans

• Only 21,000 Puritans eventually moved to America…they had many kids and didn’t die easily.

• By 1790 there were 700,000 American born Puritans

• Influential in society (started Harvard)

Pilgrims

• Pilgrims weren’t Puritans• They were Separatists• Led by Robert Browne• Known as Browne

Separatists, not Pilgrims

Pilgrims

• Believed their differences with the Church of England were irreconcilable and worship should be locally governed.

Pilgrims

• In 1593 two pastors were executed for sedition.

• John Bunyan would endure Separatist consequences.

Pilgrims

• In 1604 it was hoped King James would make it easier on reformists…but he rejected all their requests except a new English Translation.

Pilgrims

• In 1604 it was hoped King James would make it easier on reformists…but he rejected all their requests except a new English Translation.

Pilgrims

“But after these things they could not long continue in any peaceable condition, but were hunted & persecuted on every side, so as their former afflictions were but as flea-bitings in comparison of these which now came upon them. For some were taken & clapt up in prison, others had… [to] leave their howses & habitations, and the means of their livelehood.”

- William Bradford

Pilgrims

• William Bradford and other Brownist Separatists moved to the Netherlands.

• The work was hard but they made a life…almost too good of a life.

Pilgrims

• William Bradford and other Brownist Separatists moved to the Netherlands.

• The work was hard but they made a life…almost too good of a life.

Pilgrims

• Decided to go to America supported by venture capitalists wanting them to make fortunes through fishing.

Pilgrims