Founding Fathers: Puritans in England and America

by John Adair

A fascinating history of the Puritans from their emergence to their decline. Republished to commemorate the four hundredth anniversary of the Mayflower’s pioneering voyage, this book is perfect for all who would like to learn more about these men and women, their ideas, and their influence. Early in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I a group of people emerged who wished to further purify the Church of England and the society in which they lived. They were labelled Puritans. Inspired by ideas from the Reformation as well as the Renaissance these ‘hotter sort of Protestants’ shaped two of the most momentous events of the seventeenth the foundation of New England and the English Civil War. John Adair’s brilliant book is a highly readable account that explores the origins of the Puritans, their shared and differing ideas, and how, even though their final years were marked with dissension and decline, their values have had a vast and continuing influence on the moral framework of northern European and North American civilization. Drawing upon the letters, diaries and writings of Civil War leaders Sir William Waller and Oliver Cromwell along with those of early New England pioneers like Anne Hutchinson and John Winthrop, Adair delivers a vivid narrative of life as a Puritan during these tumultuous decades when the religious and political worlds were reshaped. “immensely interesting” Marghanita Laski, Country Life Founding The Puritans in England and America should be essential reading for all people who are interested in British and American history. These men and women changed the course of history through the English Civil War and the founding of states in New England, and, whether we acknowledge it or not, they continue to influence our lives to this day.

Genres: History, Religion, American History, Nonfiction, Politics

424 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1983

About the author

John Eric Adair is a British academic who is a leadership theorist and author of more than forty books (translated into eighteen languages) on business, military and other leadership.

Reviews

[Graham Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating journey into the origins of America

I am very happy to learn . And I learned a lot .This book gave me the historical background of the founding of America. Very well researched and excellently written . Truly fascinating.

[Carol Keogh (Goodfellow) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a fascinating, well researched and informative insight on the America found by those intrepid adventurers to a new and scary landscape. I very much enjoyed this book and recommend it to any student on early America.

[Robert G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today’s headlines written yesterday

Much of this book could be taking from world headlines of today. The essence is that individual freedoms will seep away if not diligently maintained

[Mark Clegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sprawling account of English religious dissenters (derisively referred to as "Puritans") as they established a foothold in Massachusetts and fought and won a Civil War in England and launched a republic before giving way to the monarchy in 1660 during the Restoration. The book admirably seeks to dispel many myths surrounding Puritans — while practical and devout, they also also supported Enlightenment advances in science and reason. Women were also given near equal status in Puritan households, and were in some instances, allowed to preach. I would like to have seen more about what caused the gradual decline of the Puritans — Cromwellian excesses in England and religious intolerance towards other sects in America (Quakers and Presbyterians).

[Andrea Weider · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little disappointed! I was hoping for more information about the actual towns in New England and their founding fathers. My ancestor was a Puritan and founded the town of Sudbury, MA. The English history was interesting.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

The last chapter, "The Puritan Inside" is more than a little insipid (hey kids...we were dark suits because that's what Puritans wore!).

Otherwise, this is really just a series of essays written by (apparently) a Puritan fanboy (who knew there was such a thing). The author admits this in the preface and really, it's quite OK for the structure of the book.

Not a bad book by any means, but the high-level topics are fairly random and the detail really just tells us that the author did a bunch of research up to and including visiting many of the places he talks about. It doesn't really do much to expound on the topic at hand.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

The cover was pretty cool. Let me add that the last chapter was called "the puritan within". That's right, we all have a puritan deep down inside of us. Creepy.