What years define the Puritan Era, also known as the Colonial Era?

• A. 1620 - 1750
• B. 1492 - 1620
• C. 1607 - 1776
• D. 1700 - 1800

Answer: (A)

This era centers on the period when Puritan settlers were shaping early American writing, beginning with their arrival in New England around 1620 and continuing through much of the colonial period into the mid-18th century. The Plymouth settlement in 1620 marks the starting point, as Puritan religious life, sermons, diaries, and other writings dominated colonial literary culture for several decades. Around 1750, the colonial world was broadening and shifting toward new influences that precede the Revolutionary era, so the mid-1700s is a natural endpoint for this period. The other date ranges don’t fit because they either precede Puritan settlement in America, extend beyond the colonial era, or include years when Puritan influence was waning or no longer the central literary force.