Puritan Religion
The life of puritans in the 17th Century was largely focused on religion. They lived their everyday lives by a strict moral code. They believed that all sins should be punished, even little things like sleeping in church or stealing food. They believed that God would also punish this person for their sin. If something bad happened to someone in the community, such their house burning down or their child dying, the rest of the Puritan community would not help them. They thought that it was God's plan for them. Puritans strongly believed that the devil was real and every faced a struggle with the forces of good and evil. They believed that Satan chose the weakest people (women, children, people who were insane) to carry out his work. If you were thought to follow Satan, you were considered a witch. Witchcraft was one of the most horrendous crimes a person could commit and would be punished by death. Fear of witchcraft and magic was common in the New England region. Over 100 witches were tried and hanged in the 17th Century.