A Crash Course in Puritan History

Wikipedia may not the most reliable source of scholarly information, but it can be a very helpful resource during the preliminary stages of knowledge-gathering, much like any conventional encyclopedia.

Here are links to what I consider ten of the most crucial events in the history of puritanism – all discussed on Wikipedia. I would advise reading (or even just perusing) these in chronological order, over one or two sittings.

Doing so will give you an excellent preliminary grasp on the field, and provide a base of knowledge from which you can explore specific areas in more depth. Enjoy!

1559
The Elizabethan Religious Settlement

1563-67
The 'Vestments Controversy'

1588-89
The 'Marprelate Controversy'

1604
The Hampton Court Conference

1620
The founding of Plymouth Colony in New England (by separatists)

1629
The founding of Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England (by non-separatists)

1642-51
The English Civil War

1643-49
The Westminster Assembly

1660-62
The Act of Uniformity/The Great Ejection

1720s-30s
The First Great Awakening

If you've only got a half-hour, there's always the more concise history section in the Wikipedia entry for Puritan.