A great deal has been said about the Puritans, but one may wonder just who these people were. By definition the Puritans were a deeply religious people who came to America in order to escape religious persecution, as well as to achieve freedom of religion. Amongst the Puritans there were two distinct groups of people: the separating Puritans and the non-separating Puritans. Each of these two groups sought to “purify” the Church of England either by reform or separation, hence the name “Puritan.” The separating Puritans believed in reform by separation, which caused them to disconnect themselves from the Church of England. After separating themselves, they would begin to worship in their own ways, applying their new reforms. Modification of the beliefs in the Church of England was still a primary objective of the non-separating Puritans. 

When they arrived in the New World, the Puritans began to implement these reforms. Although there were numerous adjustments put forth by the non-separating Puritans, separation from the Church of England or other people not of Puritan belief was not considered necessary. Both types of Puritans immigrated to the colonies and settlements, and each group found its own place in the New World. Separating Puritans left to form new settlements, while many non-separating Puritans joined already established settlements.