eral assembly (the House of Burgesses) passes in six days a series of harsh laws, including ones making the wearing of "excessive apparel" illegal and requiring attendance at two church services every Sunday. (Encyclopedia Britannica)“These pressures placed upon the people by strict religious practices led them to take a stand in a direction that helped found today’s society and values. Puritanism was carried into our form of civil government. “The First Great Awakening” (1730s – 1770s) produced a general discussion of the principles of freedom and human rights, the habit of contending for rights with religious zeal, and the preparation of the mind for all questions pertaining to civil government in the American colonies.” (Singer, C. Gregg) Although it is true that there was a strong deistic influence at the time of the signing of the Declaration, there is no question that there were the residual effects of strong Puritan Influence. The American Revolution could not have occurred without the 150-year-old Puritan foundation in America....
