Essay On Radical Reformers

During the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, many radical reformers were unsatisfied with the Anglican Church becoming the official Church of England. Being a stigmatized religious minority group, many reformers rallied together and formed a separation movement that eventually led to 14,000 of them fleeing the country. Between the years 1620 and 1630, radical reformers, known as English Puritans, immigrated to the New World to protect their children from moral corruption, as well as, to allow them to freely practice their spiritual beliefs. Puritans were known for enforcing their harsh disciplinary practices onto their children. They solemnly believed that the bible would not only purify all children who were susceptible to corruption or those already corrupted by evil but that its words could bring them closer to God. (Mintz, 11).
Puritans were among the first group of people to reflect upon …show more content…
It was believed by many that wet nursing would lead to the degradation of a child’s health whereas maternal breastfeeding would deter infant mortality. Moreover, due to their religious beliefs, it was customary for mothers to wait the first four to five days to nurse their children because the first milk was bad for infants to consume (Mintz, 16). Their belief system may have been a contribution to how our society views breastfeeding currently. Despite not having any scientific evidence on the benefits of nursing, Puritans actively encouraged mothers, out of religious reasons, to partake in maternal breastfeeding. Now, our society is fully aware of the nutritional benefits a mother can contribute to their children’s health and is highly recommended by doctors (Trubowitz, 35). Not only does maternal breastfeeding help medically but it is the first bond between mother and child, which could contribute to a stronger parent-child