Customer Reviews

From Puritan to Yankee: Character and the Social Order in Connecticut, 1690-1765

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In England, the Puritans defied church and state. In America, ironically, the Puritans established colonies which came to emphasize deference to authority. In colonial New England, a rough equality in condition eased most tensions of hierarchy in status. By the eve of the Revolution, however, several factors--religious, political, economic and demographic--worked to rekindle the Puritan tradition of agitation and radicalism. The Protestant emphasis on the authority of individual conscience was revived. Richard L. Bushman explores these developments in Connecticut, providing a colorful social portrait. He brings to life arguments and controversies, illuminating the convictions and feelings of each side. Bushman's work proves very informative and quite readable.

This book is a wonderful addition for the amateur genealogist of Connecticut families. Many things are explained here that flesh out the "facts" gleaned from documents about various family members. I particularly found helpful the discussion on property and town formations.

Perhaps the greatest question, at least in the mind of this reviewer, is how did the "character and social order" of the original, founding Puritans, and here especially those of Connecticut, fade into the grey category of "Yankee?" This book goes a long way in helping us to comprehend the question, and move toward an answer.

I think Bushman proves his thesis on p. iv: "my thesis is that law and authority embodied in governing institutions gave way under the impact first of economic ambitions and later of the religious ambitions of the Great Awakening." Trade increased population, which moved further away from the towns, where Puritan control was most secure, to the fringes where people could and would ignore the central commands. Thus, the nation has always had the problem of integrating new-comers.

The competition between the more settled big towns and the ex-urban fringes often came down to whether or not to issue paper money, and engage in speculation, or not. Of course, much of the divide between Puritan and Yankee can be traced to the Half Way Covenant of 1662, which allowed church members to be quasi-members, and their children baptized, even if the adults could not cite a definitive moment of emotional conversion to Christ. On p. 195, Bushman shows how the Great Awakening, under George Whitefield, taught that salvation does not come through human effort, which submarined the quasi-Pelagian efforts of community control of the Old Light Puritan pastors.

One of my favorite quotes is on p. 204, when Brainerd said: "He [Old Light pastor] had no more grace than this chair."

On p. 213, Bushman concludes that the ultra conservatism of the original Puritans spawned the liberalism of the next generation, which seems to fit the pattern of at least modern history.

Bushman used excellent research of ancient town reoords to our advantage.