Their god had instructed the Puritans to “be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.” The Puritans, never ones to shirk responsibility or to sidestep the proverb of an honest day’s work, diligently set forth to follow this command. And they did just that, at a prolific, indefatigable rate. It is estimated that 10–12% of Americans today are direct descendants of this small group of Puritans.
