This lecture video offers a history of English Puritans and how the influence of Puritanism shaped democratic ideals in America. From settlement to the mid-eighteenth century, this society experienced forces that would influence a shift--though incomplete--from Puritan to New England Yankee. The influence of these families cannot be overstated. Their wealth, opinions, steadfast belief in the common good, political ideals, economic endeavors, and overall social character would leave an indelible mark on American society.