The Puritans as the Founders of the American Spirit

The traditional explanation is that America’s strength derives from Puritan faith. Since Max Weber wrote The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, this view has become an almost overwhelming consensus in academic circles. The Puritans—those freedom-seeking believers who came to the American continent from England and the Netherlands—were the creators of the American spirit. They laid its foundations and went on to shape America’s mainstream culture and values.

Puritanism was a branch of Protestant Christianity. Protestantism advocated reform, and among its adherents the Puritans called for reform most vigorously. They demanded the removal of the cumbersome rituals of the Church of England, promoted a life of “diligence, frugality, and cleanliness,” and insisted on establishing a “pure” church—hence the name Puritan.

The English term Pilgrim originally means a pilgrim or seeker on a sacred journey—someone who pursues God—not an ordinary person merely trying to get by in daily life. The Puritans came to North America in pursuit of the God they held in their hearts; they came as pilgrims. Puritanism was also a way of life, a disposition, and a system of values. Puritans were devout and lived morally disciplined lives. They believed that “everyone is a priest, everyone has a calling,” that each individual could communicate directly with God. They opposed arrogance, corruption, excessive ritual, and empty formalism, and advocated simplicity, authenticity, and equality before God.

Puritans believed in diligence and frugality, in restraining indulgence and pleasure. In commerce, they emphasized honesty, trustworthiness, and the value of one’s reputation. They not only pursued wealth, but also stressed giving back to society, assuming social responsibility, and contributing to charitable and public-interest causes.