Question

The purpose of the Puritans’ Errand into the Wilderness was to create a perfect godly community that would be a model for the rest for the world. To achieve this perfect community, the Puritans wanted to establish well-ordered communities that tolerated neither dissent nor public disputes. Were they successful in suppressing dissent? What was the ultimate outcome of their Errand—was it successful? essay

Answer 1

When the first colonists arrived to America, many were interested in creating a society that was innovative, original, but most importantly, virtuous. These people were the Puritans. The Puritans were members of the Protestant denominations of Europe, and they thought of America as a place in which they could create these new, virtuous communities.

This is what the author Perry Miller calls the Puritan's "Errand into the Wilderness." It is difficult to establish whether the Puritans were successful in their purpose. On the one hand, it is true that the Puritans were able to establish a community where dissent was a lot less common than in similar communities. They were also able to establish communities that were generally more peaceful, more equitable and more homogeneous than other communities. Nevertheless, they were not completely successful. Often, repression occured as part of an attempt to maintain peace. This led them to some undemocratic and violent practices. Moreover, the communities were not able to successfully deal with outside pressures.