Some History of Puritans, Salem, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The House of the Seven Gables

Puritans were a group of Protestants in England that date back in the 16th century. During that time, England was ruled by Elizabeth I and she strongly supported the Church of England movement. Puritans had different views from Queen Elizabeth I and they wanted to reform the Church of England so that it became more Puritan.  However, this reformation didn't happened completely and the Puritans decided to take there religion to somewhere else, and that somewhere else is New England.

The idea of witchcraft in Salem was introduced in 1692. Betty Paris was found sick and the idea of witchcraft rose quickly. The first accusations were made by the Putnams. The Putnams took their complaint to Judge John Hathorne. Judge John Hathorne examined the "witches" and there formed a growing crowd of spectators.

Nathaniel Hawthorne changed his last name to distinguish himself from his relative: Judge John Hathorne. He probably changed his name because he didn't feel proud that his ancestor was a judge that condemned many people for witchcraft. At one point, his uncle bought the House of the Seven Gables and remodeled it. During Hawthorne's youth, he often went to the House and was told of its history by his cousin, Susannah Ingersoll.

The House of the Seven Gables is the oldest mansion In North American that is still in existence today. It was remodeled by its owners many times throughout its years. During a period of time, the House only had three gables remaining. In 1908, the House was again purchased, but this time by Caroline O. Emmerton who restored it to it's early days and changed it into a museum. To make the House more interesting, she changed it so that it matched Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables.

The Moment I knew I was an American

Let's start out by asking what an American is. A simple definition of an American from Dictionary.com an inhabitant of the United States of America. That sounds pretty accurate, but let's add to it. I would say an American is also someone who love's the land and its culture in addition to living in the United States.

I knew I was an American not when I was born, but when I learned about America. I knew I was an American when I knew that this was the United States of America and when I learned about it's history. When was this? Around the first of second grade maybe. I didn't feel I was an American though. Being raised up in a Chinese background by very Chinese parents, I thought of myself as Chinese more. However, that didn't make much sense to me since I wasn't living in China.

I didn't believe I was a true American until recently, after reading What Is an American in class. After reading it, I found that an American is made up of all cultures, all other cultures including the Chinese culture. After knowing this, saying I am an American made more sense to me. I am proud to say that I am American.

Us vs. Them, Everyone for Themself

In this world, anger is an issue that has to be dealt by with thought and time. Anger can blind a person so that he or she may not see the truth behind lies. Some people don't think before they act and if they do, their fists do the thinking. Before they even know it, arguments turn into funerals.

How open someone is to ideas and judgment also plays a part in why people murder. One may not like a idea proposed by another. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. was killed by James Earl Ray for giving speeches that were helping African Americans to get the same rights as anyone else.

Survival of the fittest drives people to unseen and absurd behaviors. Fear of death can cause someone to react differently from how they usually act. If a lifeboat can only take ten people out of a drowning ship, everyone would fight for a spot on the lifeboat so that they can see their love ones.

Death will come for everyone eventually. Being scared of death is a silly thing to do. Who has a longer life? Someone lives to 50 and has lived without regrets or one that lives to 100 being scared to do anything at all? Death just means you will be taken from this world, but are you really dead when you die? You live on after dying as long as someone still remembers you. Death can come to someone at any moment and without anyone knowing. The important thing is what you leave behind. When you die, what legacy do you leave behind? Who will remember you?