by Steven J. Wamback

Created on: April 11, 2007   Last Updated: August 10, 2011

In the early seventeenth century, thousands of Christians from England came to the American colonies in search of relief from religious persecution. In England, King Charles had been intolerant of the attempts of these people to reform the Church of England.

These people were first referred to as puritans during the reign of Queen Elizabeth due to their belief that the Church of England should be "purified of any liturgy, ceremony, or practices which were not found in Scripture." (Victoria E. Wamback)

1 The name "puritan" was given to these people to scorn their beliefs. Once they had settled themselves in their new home in the American colonies, the puritans modeled their lives after the New Testament and those not agreeing with such views were asked to leave the community.

2 It was believed by the puritans that there should be no deviations from their way of life and any such deviations would be met with "strict disapproval and discipline."

3 Puritan ideologies have been a great influence on the history of America including Native American's, their literature and everyday procedures. For example, even in modern times, it is still commonly believed that the body should be covered and that nakedness is "sinful."

Therefore, even though puritans came to America during the early seventeenth century, it can be proven that their beliefs had a great deal of influence over the writings of many authors, including Native American authors, in the nineteenth century.

One such piece that exemplifies the influence of puritan ideology on Native American writers in the nineteenth century is the piece by the Tuscaroran writer David Cusick titled Sketches of Ancient History of the Six Nations. This piece was written in 1825, about two hundred years after the puritans arrived in America. In this piece, Cusick tells a version of the Iroquois creation story. The story begins with an explanation of the existence of two worlds. One world, the "lower world", is a prime example of the puritan influence on nineteenth century Native American writers. Cusick states, "The lower world was in a great darkness- the possession of the great monster."

4 This statement is a direct reference to the puritan idea that there is a "lower world," hell, consumed by darkness, or evil, which is ruled by the devil, the great monster. Such a statement shows the effect that the conversion of Native Americans to Christianity has had on the writings of Native American authors.

Furthermore, as the story progresses,

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