The Great Puritan Migration
Poet involved
What happened
Between 1630 and 1640, in what became known as the Great Migration, over 20,000 English Puritans sailed to New England, largely in family groups, to establish the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Motivated by a desire for religious freedom, these middle-class and educated migrants sought to create a 'city upon a hill' as a model of reformed Protestantism. This wave of immigration established the cultural and religious foundations of the region, influencing the development of American society and institutions.
Literary impact
The Puritan migration profoundly shaped early American literature, with its emphasis on plain style, religious introspection, and the jeremiad. Writers like Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor emerged from this culture, producing poetry that grappled with faith, daily life, and the New World experience. The Puritan narrative of a chosen people with a divine mission became a recurring theme in later American literature.
Source: Wikipedia
