The Puritans and the Law

How did the Puritans define crime?

During the 1600s, a strongly Puritan parliament defined more sins as crimes, and law and order became more focused on moral crimes.

How did Puritan beliefs influence their view of crime?

Puritan beliefs influenced their view of crime in 3 ways:

• ❖ Puritans were radical Protestants.
• ❖ They believed people should stay focused on a godly life, rather than a worldly one. Activities that were too enjoyable were seen as taking focus away from God and were therefore sinful.
• ❖ The Puritans wanted a society which made people fit for Heaven. They therefore viewed sinful behaviour as criminal.

Why were the Puritans able to change what was defined as a crime?

There were 5 reasons why Puritans were able to change what was defined as a crime:

• ❖ The growing power of the Puritans meant they were in a position to define crimes under law for some of the 1600s.
• ❖ From the beginning of the 17th century there were increasing numbers of Puritans, which gave their ideas more influence.
• ❖ Many members of Parliament were Puritans, which meant they had the power to make laws.
• ❖ During the Civil War and afterwards, during the Protectorate, the Puritan government had the power to impose their beliefs through law.
• ❖ The Puritans wanted a society in which people lived holy lives and became fit for heaven. They therefore viewed sinful behaviour as criminal.

Why did the Puritans see some leisure activities as crimes?

There were 2 reasons why the Puritans viewed some leisure activities as crimes:

• ❖ This was partly because they believed enjoyment and fun were a distraction from God.
• ❖ It was also because some leisure activities, such as the theatre or sports, might lead to people committing further sins such as drinking or fighting in the crowds.

What did the Puritans consider to be crimes?

There were 7 behaviours the Puritans thought were criminal:

• ❖ Sports such as bear-baiting, cock-fighting and horse-racing were banned.
• ❖ Theatres in London were closed.
• ❖ In some areas, make-up was banned for women.
• ❖ Sunday was considered a day of rest, so anything considered to be work was banned.
• ❖ Festivals such as May Day, Whitsun, Easter and Christmas were banned on the grounds that they weren't fully religious festivals, and were therefore blasphemous.
• ❖ In 1650, swearing became a crime punishable with a fine.
• ❖ Also from 1650, adultery was punishable by death.

Did the Puritans stop any actions from being a crime?

The Puritans did decriminalise some religious behaviour and gave people more religious freedom. For example, recusancy was no longer a crime.

Why did the Puritans stop influencing what was considered a crime?

The Puritan regime ended in 1660 when King Charles II was restored to the throne of England. He decriminalised many moral crimes and the people of England loved him for it.