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The Age of Reason: Tinkers and Experimenters - Kali 

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The Age of Reason: Tinkers and Experimenters - Kali 

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Rationalism is the belief that human beings can arrive at truth by using reason, rather than by relying on the authority of the past, on religious faith, or on intuition. Rationalism began in Europe, and the Puritans and the Rationalists viewed God differently. Everyone has the capacity to regulate and improve his or her life was believed by the Rationalists. Although it started in Europe, tinkering and experimenting was also starting in American Colonies.

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Forming New Relationships-Kayla and Ethan

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Forming New Relationships-Kayla and Ethan

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As the English set up colonies on the shores of North America, they relied heavily on the Native Americans to teach them survival skills. It was a mutually beneficial relationship, because the Native Americans received firearms, textiles, and steel tools. At this time, the American Indian population vastly outnumbered the colonists.

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Cori and Lily;
When European settlers arrived in America, they brought disease that the Native Americans had not been exposed to previously. This caused many of them to catch the diseases brought over and resulted in the deaths of many Native Americans. Because of this, the surviving Native Americans relocated into separate settlements to avoid catching the diseases again.

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The Puritan Legacy (Kevin Barnes and Avery Johnson)

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The Puritan Legacy (Kevin Barnes and Avery Johnson)

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The Puritans sought to separate the Church of England from the government. They wished to have a more personal connection, free of government constraints. They attempted to return to simpler forms of worship. All this change brought harsh criticism, as persecution in the forms of whippings and jail came for the English Puritans. They fled to Holland and, eventually, the new world for a better society for worship.

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Autumn
Literature during this time was practical and political, following the Revolutionary War- the main focus was on governing the new nation. The Autobiography, Ben Franklin, was a written account of the new, "self-made" America.

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The Puritan minister Cotton Mather adopted the use of inoculation (vaccination) from a Turkish physician in order to combat the smallpox epidemic in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Despite believing that sin was the cause of sickness, Mather succeeded in curing 294 out of 300 smallpox cases. Initial opposition to the use of vaccination was fierce, especially because inoculation had been invented by a Muslim.

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Deism: Are People Basically Good? -Lindsey

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Deism: Are People Basically Good? -Lindsey

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Deists are people from many religions who believe that God made it possible for all people to discover natural laws through their God-given power of reason. Also, they believed that their was goodness in humanity. They thought that the best form of worship was to be kind to others, as the purpose of life was for people to be happy.

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Nick O'Brien and Ben Cook; The Bible in America

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Nick O'Brien and Ben Cook; The Bible in America

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The Puritans believed that the Bible was the literal word of God. Emphasizing education, specifically the ability to read and write, the Puritans founded Harvard University. The printing press was eventually established in the American Colonies by 1639, which provided further development of their education. Diaries and histories also served as examples of the impact of puritanism on literature, as the religious beliefs of the Puritans governed both spiritual and public relationships. These writings consisted of simple and clear dialogue that explained their interpretations on the “workings of God” in their personal lives, creating a direct connection between Biblical events and the monumental events of their past.

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European explorers such as Christopher Columbus, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, and Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca described their journeys in letters, journals, and books. Their writings described America favorably, emphasizing the abundance of resources and the hospitality of the Native Americans.

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7. Puritan Politics: Government by Contract   (Ben P. and Garrett)

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7. Puritan Politics: Government by Contract   (Ben P. and Garrett)

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Puritans believed people should freely consent to their government, forming a basis for democracy in America. However, they also thought the spiritual elite should be in charge, which led to a degree of authoritarianism.

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Alaira Kish and Becca Ward-Diorio: Salem Witch Trials

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Alaira Kish and Becca Ward-Diorio: Salem Witch Trials

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In the winter of 1691-1692, two girls became mysteriously sick, and the people of Salem needed something or someone to blame. They accused three women, one of whom confessed, which began a ten month witch hunt. 150 people were accused of witchcraft, and many of them died or were killed. There is no clear answer to why this happened, but historians believe that there was either a mass hysteria, or paranoia of powerful women. This inspired works such as the Crucible, written by Authur Miller.

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Puritan Beliefs: Sinners All? (6, Jack and Celia)

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Puritan Beliefs: Sinners All? (6, Jack and Celia)

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In this branch, there was a fuzzy line between whether an individual would be saved or damned; this was generally predetermined.  In order to figure this out, they valued self-reliance, industriousness, temperance, and simplicity, which would prove it one way or the other.  This was a belief that many held onto as their life drastically changed coming over to the New World.