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Public Life
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The public life of the New England Puritans consisted of days that lasted
from dusk until dawn. Although
watches or clocks did not exist at this time, the rising sun was the clock for
the Puritans. Public life
took place in two areas, the Meeting House and the Commons.
The Meeting House was where the Puritan community would go on Sundays and
Wednesdays for church and other government functions.
An example of a Meeting House topic is, “What exactly does God want you
to do and why?” In this
particular area of public life, the men would speak for both themselves and the
women. The other area of public life, The Commons was where one
would go to talk about daily topics and interact with the neighbors.
Although the women were silenced in the Meeting Houses, both the men and
the women could speak out in this area of public life.
Religion was the most important topic
talked about among the Puritans. In both the Meeting House and The
Commons, this main topic discussed addressed God’s plan and how their
community fits into that particular plan. Other
topics of discussion were their concern with security from the Indians and the
practical problems of the community. |