The Puritans settled this colony and also had strict religious beliefs and rules and harsh punishments. Church was obligatory and failure to attend could result in a fine. The church was also patrolled by a man who held a long pole; one end was feathers used to tickle the chins of old men who were falling asleep and the other end was a hard wooden button to alert children who were laughing or sleeping. The Puritans believed that God decided each person's fate at birth and that nothing could be done to change it. Hangings and whippings were common punishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Furthermore, the Church held almost all the power. Although ministers were not allowed to hold political office, the clergy made the majority of important decisions. Finally, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was truly a man's world. Women were not included in municipal meetings or decision-making. They had to be patient, prudent, silent, fruitful, etc. The general attitude of the Puritans seems to be that they are better than everyone else. They considered themselves “a model of Christian charity” and declared their goal to be “like a city on a hill, the eyes of all are turned toward us.” These features seem to be characteristic of England's modes of oppression from which many colonists were trying to free themselves. As a woman enjoying her rights and freedoms, I would not want to live in Massachusetts Bay