The Puritans were a community of people who held strong religious beliefs and held high standards. They molded their offspring to follow have the same values and beliefs. The molding process of children often called child rearing was significantly different compared to modern days. In Puritan society children were expected to be intelligent and had little time to enjoy the stage of adolescence. Societal pressures also had a positive and negative impact on children. In Puritan society religion, education, and discipline played an important role in shaping childhood experience.

The Puritans were a highly religious group of people. They desired a righteous community with disciplined families. In some cases the pressures of strict religious environment were freighting to children and led them to be fearful. Puritans wanted to their children to be disciplined in religion. A Massachusetts Court record states, “Also that all masters of families doe once a week (at least) catechize their children and servants in the grounds and principles of religion. . . .(Hollitz, 28). Puritans took their religious values sincerely and expected children to follow strict standards, codes of conduct, and beliefs. Actions that are not acceptable were considered as the devil’s work. There is similar pressure in on modern societies that adhere to strict religious beliefs. Unfortunately, some children were negatively affected and responded with fear. Samuel Sewall was one young child who expressed his fears in a letter to his father. In a historical document Sewall articulates,“ I feel also daily great unwillingness to do good duties, and the great ruling sin of my heart: and that God is angry with me, and gives me no answers to my prayers. . . .”(Hollitz, 27). Mather expresses fears of his heart being sinful and vacant of grace. He was brought up in a firm religious environment that caused him a great deal of stress. The values he was taught led him to believe he was not graceful. The fears expressed by these children are not common among modern day twelve year olds who fear things like the dark and rejection from peers. These two sources illustrate how valuable religion is to the Puritans the impact it had on Puritan childhood.

The Puritans were also hardworking and valued education. They believed education was an essential benefit to any commonwealth. Puritan children were required to have thorough knowledge of the religious beliefs and they learned how to read and write at an early age. Puritan authorities managed a lot of the education. A Massachusetts Court record also states, “It is therefore ordered that the selectmen of every town. . . . shall have a vigilant eye over their brethren & neighbors, to see, first that none of them suffer so much barbarism in any of their families as not to endeavor to teach by themselves or others. . . .(Hollitz, 28). The law enabled authorities to ensure education was taken seriously in