The Puritans contributed to the American Dream because they believed in their own unique form of freedom and took a lot of criticism for it. They wanted the right, or freedom, to live in a world without tolerance for sinners. They had a very strict type of religion. They hated to see so many people around them living such careless lives, not respecting God or his will. When they came to America, they were hoping to have a better life for themselves where they didn't have to put up with their beliefs being ignored as Queen Elizabeth I did. To them, freedom was being able to live an obedient and structured life, which took a lot of discipline. Though this contrasts what most consider to be freedom, the Puritans did their part for the American Dream by coming here and fighting to establish a colony where they could live and practice their religion as they wanted to.
In my opinion, the Puritans don't deserve the reputation that they have gotten over the years. They lived their lives very6 strictly and expected a lot from those around them, but there are many people living their lives that way today as well and people do not look down on them as they did the Puritans. Their followers are not the only ones, far from it, who have fought and killed in the name of their dream. In a way, I think the Puritans could be admired. Not for all the damage they caused to innocent people, by any means, but because they were always so strongly disliked and outcast by their neighbors and persisted in living as they saw fit anyhow. They must have had very strong wills and beliefs to live the way that they did for so long. No matter what it is, one should always be willing to do whatever it takes to defend their ideas.
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