The sixteenth century brought about many changes throughout the world. One of the most significant happenings of this time was the colonization movement around the world. Spain, France, and England, the three major world powers at the time, were moving west in hopes of colonizing the Americas before their rivals. More localized was a reformation movement among a group of people known as the Puritans. Striving for religious freedom, the Puritans headed to the New World to start a community of their own in a place as uncultivated and unbound as they hoped to be. When they landed in what is now known as New England, however, the Puritans were unprepared for the harsh living conditions and the people already populating the area. Relying on a "barbaric" culture to help keep them alive was a task that was not taken lightly, but has come to be known as a monumental occasion.
             Puritan, a word that means "morally rigorous and strict," is cemented into American culture today (Puritan). When we hear the word "Puritan," immediately the image of buckle shoes and Thanksgiving comes to mind. However, the Puritans were much more than a people aiming for religious freedom who just happened to spend a meal with Native Americans, and who relied on these same Native Americans to help keep them alive their first winter in the New World. The Puritans were religiously strict and, to some degree, violent. While aiming for freedom of religion for themselves, they afforded no such luxury to anyone else. Their laws were strict and punishments severe.
             Myths that the Puritans were "high-minded" and "intolerant" are not all untrue, but "have been exaggerated" over the centuries (Sage). They were not as somber or solemn as believed, but instead wore colored clothes, had games, celebrations, and feasts. Despite their religious severity, the Puritans viewed marriage as a joy instead of an ...