Puritan Life

Puritan lifestyle was based basically exclusively on serving God.  Therefore if someone was found not serving God in Puritan eyes, they were punished.  The Puritans were not shy about punishing their people. Public whippings were commonplace.  The stockade was an embarrassing punishment which forced the guilty to sit in the public square and be mocked. The Puritans believed in Old Testament methods, and that any earthly punishment was much better than God's alternative.  The Puritans were extreme God-fearing Christians who thought punishment was necessary so the guilty could learn from their wrongdoing and hopefully avoid going to hell.

Squanto

     Squanto played a big role for the Pilgrims.  Squanto, also known as Tisquantum, first helped the Pilgrims by teaching them the native method of maize cultivation. This was vital for the Pilgrims survival and gave the tools to make an abundance of food. The method required catching herring and using them to fertilize crops.  Squanto served as a translator and guide for settlers on a diplomatic mission to the Wampanoag sachem.  He brought the Pilgrim ambassadors to different Indian tribes, and translated to make trade relations.  Unfortunately, he tried to trick both the English and the Indians by claiming certain tribes were going to attack the English.  Regardless, Squanto served as a major asset for the Pilgrims' survival.