There were many different religions that came to the Americas during its beginning. The majority of the different religions moved to separate parts of the colonies. Each religion came with its own set of morals and beliefs. The structure of the home, town, and church were not the same between religions, even those that were technically following the same belief system. These different religions in early American times, such as the Quakers and Puritans, formed diverse cultures and ways of live that were viewed during colonial times. Although the majority of the colonists considered themselves Christians, there was not religious unity amongst the colonies.
In early America, the distribution of religions was not consistent between the colonies. In New Jersey, the Quakers made up thirty-nine percent of the population, Presbyterians made up fifty-five percent of the population, Baptists made nineteen percent, the Dutch Reformed made twenty-one percent, Dutch Lutherans made up four percent, Seventh Day Baptists made approximately two percent, and German Reformed made around two percent of the population as well. Many of the colonies set up “established churches” and mandated that colonists attended church, however not all colonies did this. Some allowed the people of the community to choose if and when they attended church, although there were rarely, if ever, competing churches in any of the towns. It was stated that “. . . differing Christian groups often believed that their own practices and faiths provided unique values that needed protection against those who disagreed, driving a need for rule and regulation.”
Of the many religions present during the colonial times, the Quakers and the Puritans brought with them significant concep...
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For Butler, housing, food, furnishing, and clothing were four main characteristics which shaped the colonists’ material world. Butler strongly argues that the colonists had a better diet than the European; there were massive changes also in the housing and clothing style. In chapter five, Butler discusses the religious life of colonists’. Butler believes that during the prerevolutionary period Colonial America became significantly diverse by the form of religion. According to Butler, Christianity was the prime religion in the colonies prior to 1680. The religious patterns in the 17th century were changed into new patterns which were Presbyterians, Baptists, Quakers, Lutheran, and Judaism. Butler says that this huge transformation of religious pattern also made a dynamic role in the American
By 1763, although some colonies still maintained established churches, other colonies had accomplished a virtual revolution for religious toleration and separation of church and state. The Anglican Church was the only established denomination in England. In contrast, the colonies supported a great variety of churches. The largest were the Congregationalist, Anglican, and German churches, but many smaller denominations could be found through the colonies. In addition to this, a high percentage of Americans didn’t belong to any church. These differences could be attributed to the fact that many of the Europeans who immigrated to America didn’t fit in to or agree with the churches in their homelands.
The New England colonies of Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland [Pa. and Md.are not in New England] were founded with the express purpose of dispensing of with a statechurch [not exactly. Rhode Island was “put together.” Maryland did not have a single statechurch, but the Calverts did not intend to dispense with state support of a church]. In this theydeviated not only from the other British coloes in the New World but also from their Motherlandand indeed all the civilizations of western Christendom to date. Before the founding of RhodeIsland, Pennsylvania, and Maryland these three colonies, a state without an official state churchwas inconceivable. As the Church of England evolved in Britain, the other British colonies inNorth America adopted either Congregationalism, Anglicanism, or Presbyterianism [never a statechurch in the colonies] as their own “state church.” The idea of a state without a state church wasunprecedented (Cohen 9/30).In place of the usual state church, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland adopted anew concept: “liberty of conscience.” Here, “liberty” is synonymous with “freedom.” By“conscience” our forefathers meant one's personal religious persuasion and its duties, as RogerWilliams explained to Governor John Endicott: “... I speake of Conscience, a perswasion fixed inthe minde and heart of a man, which inforceth him to judge (as Paul said of himself apersecutour) and to doe so and so, with respect to God, his worship, etc.” (Williams 340) To thefirst citizens of Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, civil “freedom of conscience” wasthe ability to live freely as a member of one's religion-that is, to perform such reli...
The Puritans who were seeking religious freedom were the first to affect New England religiously. Therefore, religion was heavily influential in the New England colonies. This area was strictly Calvinist, and there was little to no tolerance for any other religion. This homogeneity allowed for a rigorous sense of local order. The church was an equally-important partner with town governance in preserving social order (Church and State were not separate!) In every colony except for Rhode Island, law required everyone to attend worship services on the Sabbath and every taxpayer to contribute to the support of the
Religious freedom in Pennsylvania could best be described by the word tolerance. This word describes the liberal attitudes held by members of other religious groups and an acceptance of an inherent right to hold differing beliefs. Religious diversity in the new colony was not an obstacle to overcome but an essential facet of society. Even with this inclusive attitude toward differing beliefs, many provincial Pennsylvanians continued to indentify and distinguish themselves upon religious lines. This religious categorization continued in the majority throughout the colonial
Many colonies were founded for religious purposes. While religion was involved with all of the colonies, Massachusetts, New Haven, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were established exclusively for religious purposes.
One important aspect of Quaker life to understand before reading An Account of the Travels, Sufferings and Persecutions of Barbara Blaugdone, is the use of traveling ministers to spread the Quaker religion around the world. The Society of Friends, given the popular name “Quakers”, originated in England in the seventeenth century and quickly spread to the English colonies, and later to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Turkey, and America (Sharpless 393). The most influential people in this rapid spread of the Quaker religion were the missionaries. While Quakers believed that “no one should preach the Word without a direct call from God”, they did believe that any one “male or female, old or young (395)” could receive this call. The truth of the matter was, however, that the majority of the traveling ministers in the seventeenth century were women.
As the regions began to expand and develop, their motivations for settlement helped to mold their societies. New England was a place where men sought refuge from religious persecution and was established as a haven for religious refugees. Despite this reason for settling, the New Englanders still attempted to spread their own beliefs of religion. As illustrated by John Winthrop in his Model of a Christian Charity, he preached to his fellow colonists that “we shall be a city upon a hill” (Doc A) exemplifying the Puritans’ aspirations of a Holy Utopia. He and countless other New Englanders practiced the belief that they must all work together. They were determined to “mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work.” The Articles of Agreement plainly laid out the basis for the New England region. These articles made New England a cosmopolitan mix of rich and poor families, all being in possession of land and resolute in doing God’s work (Doc D). However, while the New Englanders settled to create a Holy Utopia, the people of the Chesapeake were concerned not only with their religious freedom, but also ...
With salutary neglect in the colonies, the Quakers and the Puritans were able to continue with their customs and traditions thus adding a diverse quality to the colonial society in which they lived.
Colonies such as Virginia kept the British Anglican religion while others practiced other religions or believed in religious tolerance. Maryland established Catholicism as its dominant religion but welcomed other settlers such as Christians and Protestants. Puritans dominated Massachusetts with their strong beliefs and strict laws. Religious minorities such as Quakers, Jews, and Baptists, settled in Rhode Island. Salutary Neglect led to America becoming a religiously mixed
William Penn was a great individual who contributed tremendously to this nation. John Moretta’s “William Penn and the Quaker Legacy” talks about the courageous efforts by Penn and his perspectives on things. Penn was a spiritual human being who believed in god and wanted a peaceful society for one to live in. He was a brave individual who wanted everyone to be equal and was democratic. Religious tolerance alleged by Penn changed the views of many individuals who lived in that era. The importance of Penn’s background, Quakerism and the development of his society due to his view on religious tolerance will be discussed in this paper.
...ligion in their own way without the baleful glares and the harsh penalties that they face back home. While there was no doubt a large monetary interest in building up these colonies for profit, the root cause for them to have existed at all was to create a religious community. Even though there was a economic factor in the creation of the colony, the true first goal was to create a religious colony for the puritan people, however that religious goal was superseded by the goal for the investors who backed the venture to make money.
The colonies’ ability to embrace different religious denominations marked a significant separation from the English church, and thus from the English way of thinking. Throughout the 1700's, the ethnic homogeneity within the colonies was shattered;
One of the many reasons people left England was because the strict religious practices and they could not practice religion the way they wanted to. Once they were settled in the North American colonies they could tailor their religion more to their beliefs. In contrast, the different colonies had different religions, but one event that help to reform the colonies was The Great Awakening. One important point about the Great Awakening was it attracted thousands of people with different backgrounds, and all were welcome to attend the service no matter what their ethnic background or status in society (The First American Great Awakening: Lessons Learned and What Can Be Done to Foster a Habitat for the Next Great Awakening, pg
Many people believe that the colonial period was highly religious, and that the people followed strict laws and moralities. When in fact, almost the exact opposite happened.