a group of radicalEnglish Protestants that arose in the late sixteenth century and became a majorforce in England during the seventeenth century. Puritans wanted to "purify" the church of England by eliminating traces of itsorigins to the Roman Catholic church. They urged a strict moral code. Their influence spread during the seventeenth century to include Holland and America. Many Puritans were persecuted in their homeland and went to America, settling the colonies that eventually became Massachusetts. —SHSBC Binder 9 Approved Glossary