Nathaniel Hawthorne was born into a family that possessed prominent Puritan ancestors, and the shame he felt because of their actions, as well as his strange fascination with them, had a significant impact on his life and his writings. While it would be an exaggeration to say that Hawthorne's knowledge of the Puritan lifestyle was his only source of inspiration, this knowledge was certainly influential as it is often reflected in the majority of his work. Born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804, Hawthorne was born in a town whose Puritan past is well known due to the infamous Salem witch trials. Although he was born well after the time of the Puritans, growing up in a city so steeped in Puritan history is likely why his knowledge of Puritan life was so extensive (Medium 1). The reason Hawthorne was so interested in his Salem Puritan ancestors was the fact that his great-great-grandfather, John Hathorne, was a judge during the Salem witch trials. Additionally, his great-great-grandfather was a member of the Massachusetts General Court, and Hawthorne extensively researched the punishments his great-great-grandfather meted out to the sinners of Salem (Barna 2). Hawthorne was so disgusted by these connections that when he began publishing his work he changed his surname to Hawthorne in place of his original surname of Hathorne. While some may argue that Hawthorne supported Puritan doctrine, due to the fact that he often discussed the folly of sin and was considered conservative enough to have seen sin as an inherent part of human nature, it is not true that he admired Puritan doctrine. ways of his Puritan ancestors. Hawthorne once stated that society should progress more slowly and calmly... middle of paper ......ots, fourth edition (2010): 1-3. Literary reference center. Network. July 20, 2015.Barna, Mark Richard. "Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Unpardonable Sin." World & I 13.3 (1998): 324. MasterFILE Elite. Network. July 8, 2015.Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The minister's black veil”. Eldritch Press and Web. July 20, 2015.Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Penguin, 2003. Print.Manheim, Daniel. “The golden chain of the pearl in THE SCARLET LETTER.” Explainer 68.3 (2010): 177-180. Literary reference center. Network. July 20, 2015. Means, Richard. "Nathaniel Hawthorne." Nathaniel Hawthorne (2006): 1-3. Literary reference center. Network. July 20, 2015. “Nathaniel Hawthorne.” PoemHunter.com. PoemHunter.com and Web. July 20, 2015. Trepanier, Lee. "The Need for Renewal: The Conservatism of Nathaniel Hawthorne." Modern Age 45.4 (2003): 315-323. World history collection. Network. July 20 2015.