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The Puritans arose in England in the 17th century as a reformation movement within the Church of England. They rejected many aspects of both Roman Catholicism and the Church of England, among the most important of these rejections being an emphasis on one's own relationship to god (Williams 829). The Puritans would become the predominant religious group in Early American New England following the English Civil War, as many fled to the New World in search of religious freedom. Increase Mather (1639-1723), a famous New England Puritan minister, is pictured below.

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The Puritan understanding of religiosity, as discussed on the main webpage, placed an emphasis on one's internal connection to God (Williams 829). Whereas other Christian denominations stressed the importance of the clergy as the connection to God, Puritans believed that a connection to God existed within each person. It was then important for one to maintain this connection by leading a life free from sin. Though ministers served to remind one of the importance in maintaining this connection to God, the responsibility of this maintenance fell ultimately on the individual. Below is pictured one of Increase Mather's many sermons, where the Puritan minster uses the example of a criminal to remind others of the wickedness of sin.

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Execution Narratives then served as a way for Puritan ministers, such as Increase Mather, to demonstrate the temptation and wickedness of sin. It was in committing a crime that one showed a break from God and an embrace of sin. By focusing on such crimes in their sermons, Puritan ministers were able to make examples of how this connection to God had gone awry in criminals. The practice of using of criminals in sermons evolved into execution narratives by the early 18th century (Williams 829), where this theme of a life gone awry could be more closely examined in narrative form. Additionally, these narratives allowed for a focus on how criminals worked to reestablish this connection to God in the days before execution. Below is pictured an excerpt from Patience Boston's narrative.