A reforming people : Puritanism and the transformation of public life in New England
(Book)
Author
Published
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.
Format
Book
Edition
First edition.
ISBN
9780679441175, 0679441174
Physical Desc
xvii, 255 pages ; 25 cm
Status
Coventry - Adult Non-Fiction
974.02 HAL
1 available
974.02 HAL
1 available
East Providence (Weaver) - Adult Non-Fiction
974.02 Hal
1 available
974.02 Hal
1 available
Newport - Adult Non-Fiction
974.02 Hal
1 available
974.02 Hal
1 available
Description
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More Details
Published
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.
Edition
First edition.
Language
English
ISBN
9780679441175, 0679441174
Notes
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
This work is an account of the aspirations and accomplishments of the people who founded the New England colonies, comparing the reforms they enacted with those attempted in England during the period of the English Revolution. The author, a historian looks afresh at how the colonists set up churches, civil governments, and methods for distributing land. Bringing with them a deep fear of arbitrary, unlimited authority grounded in either church or state, these settlers based their churches on the participation of laypeople and insisted on consent as a premise of all civil governance. Encouraging broad participation and relying on the vigorous use of petitioning, they also transformed civil and criminal law and the workings of courts. The outcome was a civil society far less authoritarian and hierarchical than was customary in their age, indeed, a society so advanced that a few dared to describe it as "democratical." They were well ahead of their time in doing so. As Puritans, the colonists also hoped to exemplify a social ethics of equity, peace, and the common good. In a case study of a single town, the author follows a minister as he encourages the townspeople to live up to these high standards in their politics. This is a book that challenges us to discard long standing stereotypes of the Puritans as temperamentally authoritarian and their leadership as despotic. The author demonstrates exactly the opposite. Here, we watch the colonists as they insist on aligning institutions and social practice with equity and liberty. This re-evaluation of the earliest moments of New England's history, reveals the colonists to be the most effective and daring reformers of their day.
Copies
Location | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Coventry - Adult Non-Fiction | 974.02 HAL | On Shelf |
East Providence (Weaver) - Adult Non-Fiction | 974.02 Hal | On Shelf |
Newport - Adult Non-Fiction | 974.02 Hal | On Shelf |
South Kingstown (Peace Dale) - Adult Non-Fiction | 974.02 HAL | Processing |
Westerly - Non-Fiction (2nd Floor-Reference Room) | 974.02 H | On Shelf |
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Subjects
LC Subjects
Local government -- New England -- History -- 17th century.
New England -- Church history -- 17th century.
New England -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
New England -- Politics and government -- To 1775.
Puritans -- New England -- History -- 17th century.
Religion and politics -- New England -- History -- 17th century.
New England -- Church history -- 17th century.
New England -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775.
New England -- Politics and government -- To 1775.
Puritans -- New England -- History -- 17th century.
Religion and politics -- New England -- History -- 17th century.
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Citations
APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)
Hall, D. D. (2011). A reforming people: Puritanism and the transformation of public life in New England (First edition.). Alfred A. Knopf.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Hall, David D. 2011. A Reforming People: Puritanism and the Transformation of Public Life in New England. Alfred A. Knopf.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)Hall, David D. A Reforming People: Puritanism and the Transformation of Public Life in New England Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.
MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)Hall, David D. A Reforming People: Puritanism and the Transformation of Public Life in New England First edition., Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.
Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.
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