Puritan - Family Life

Family Life

Puritans placed family at the center of their societies as an organization to facilitate their devotion to God. Based on Biblical portrayals of Adam and Eve, Puritans believed that marriage represented one of the most fundamental human relationships rooted in procreation, love, and, most importantly, salvation. According to Puritans, husbands were the spiritual head of the household while women were to demonstrate religious piety and obedience under male authority. Furthermore, marriage represented not only the relationship between husband and wife but also the relationship between spouses and God. Puritan husbands commanded authority through family direction and prayer; the female relationship to her husband and to God was marked by submissiveness and humility.

Puritans believed wives to be spiritual equals to their husbands. Puritan author Thomas Gataker describes Puritan marriage as such:

The paradox created by female inferiority in the public sphere and the spiritual equality of men and women in marriage, then, gave way to the informal authority of women concerning matters of the home and childrearing. With the consent of their husbands, Puritan wives made important decisions concerning the labor of their children, property, and the management of inns and taverns owned by their husbands.

For Puritans, motherhood represented the most significant aspect of the female identity. Pious Puritan mothers labored for their children’s righteousness and salvation, connecting women directly to matters of religion and morality. In her poem titled “In Reference to her Children,” poet Anne Bradstreet reflects on her role as a mother:

Bradstreet alludes to the temporality of motherhood by comparing her children to a flock of birds on the precipice of leaving home. While Puritans praised the obedience of young children, they also believed that by separating children from their mothers at adolescence, children could better sustain a superior relationship with God.

According to Puritans, children entered the world with the stain of original sin. A child could only be redeemed through religious education and obedience. Girls carried the additional burden of Eve’s corruption and were catechized separately from boys at adolescence. Boys’ education prepared them for vocations and leadership roles while girls were educated for domestic and religious purposes. The pinnacle of achievement for children in Puritan society, however, occurred with the conversion process.

Puritans thrust paternal caretaking responsibilities upon masters in relation to their servants. The term servant was not used to describe African-Americans, specifically, but rather, referred to any paid laborer at the time. Puritans viewed the relationship between master and servant similarly to that of parent and child. Just as parents were expected to uphold Puritan religious values in the home, masters assumed the parental responsibility of housing and educating young servants. Older servants also dwelled with masters and were cared for in the event of illness or injury. African-American and Indian servants were likely excluded from such benefits.