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Religion In The American Colonies Essay

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Religion played an important role in each of the British colonies. Many Christian groups tried to enforce religious observance through the colony's government and the local town's rules. Some laws stated that everyone must attend a house of worship and pay taxes that helped fund the pay of ministers. Out of the thirteen colonies, only eight had official churches. In the colony, those who practice a different version of Christianity or a non- Christian faith were sometimes killed (www.facinghistory.org 1). After researching the American colonies, religion had a big impact on their lifestyle and culture. Slavery was very popular in the colonies and was also influenced by religion. Slavery was established between the 1680s and the 1780s. Slave …show more content…

The English Parliament passed the Toleration Act in 1689, which gave Quakers and many other religious groups the right to build churches and to public worship in the colonies. From there on people who did not threaten the authority of the Puritans were left alone (5). During the 1730s and the 1740s, a religious revival swept happened in the colonies. George Whitefield, a revivalist, toured America. During this tour, Jonathan Edwards said a sermon called, ¨Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” This lecture started a wave of religious fervor and began the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening caused a revolutionary movement in many ways. For example, it made it mandatory for Awakeners to mobilize, petition, organize, and it gave them political experience. The Great Awakening additionally inspired believers to follow their own beliefs despite what the church believes. Lastly, the Great Awakening challenged the right of civil authority to get involved in all matters of religion (7). Colonies were also created with religion in mind. For example, Maryland was created by Cecilius Calvert as a safe place for Catholics in 1634. Then in 1649, the Catholic leadership passed a religious toleration law. The Quakers also founded Pennsylvania. The way they treated the indians was influenced by their faith

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Regardless of a colony’s religious situation, whether they allowed complete freedom of worship or were occupied by strict religious laws, all thirteen colonies were affected by a movement called the Great Awakening. Generally, the Great Awakening is characterized by a fervent revival in religion practice. Although, this movement had a major impact on most aspects of colonial life, it is important to note the effect it had on religion and how that in turn affected the political life of the colonist. Because of The Great Awakening, many ministers lost authority the authority they held over because more people were taking to studying the Bible in their own homes. This idea would have larger implications for the future.

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The settlers of Pennsylvania were mostly Quakers with other Europeans who wanted freedom. The Quakers weren’t welcome in England and wanted to find a place where they would be treated equally. They believed in simple lifestyles and wanted all men to be treated equally. The Quakers refused to fight in wars, pay taxes to the Church of England, or bow to the king. The Quakers and others who wanted freedom were the settlers of

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Many of the traditional practices in Virginia were thanks to the structure applied by the England country courts. Because the Church of England was the established church in the colony, it legally required colonists to attend its services and, through taxes, to financially support its ministers. Furthermore, it made the church a place where people could make political, social and economic networks. They “came together not only to worship but to exchange business documents, discuss tobacco prices, argue over the quality of horses, catch up on local gossip, and share news of the wider world." (Pagan.

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They based their community around the puritan church with strict guidelines and rules (Doc J). The church of Salem had a goal of pleasing God by any means (Doc F). Overall, the New England Colony was based off a plantation of religion and not of trade(Doc B). This shows just how devoutly the people of the New England Colony practiced religion and how much they differed from the

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The Great Awakening unified the diverse colonies with the belief that colonists must shift their lives’ focus from worldly matters, such as accumulating land and wealth, back to faith and the church i n order to avoid condemnation by God. Ministers, such as the passionate George Whitefield, became very influential and powerful at the time by spreading this concept along with methods for earning salvation. For example, “at Philadelphia…, many thousands flock[ed] to hear him preach the Gospel, and great numbers were converted to Christ” (VOF 78). With a large following, Whitefield’s ideas “... encouraged many colonists to trust their own views rather than those of established elites” (GME 160).

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First Great Awakening: The First Great Awakening was a reaction to the Enlightenment in the 1730's and 1740's that was basically a giant jump forward for American Protestantism in primarily the American colonies, Protestant Europe and British America. The reason The First Great Awakening occurred is, men in these regions began to question what their use was regarding society and religion. This means people began to move in their own direction when it came to personal salvation. New denominations began to rise and it brought the colonies closer together than ever before.

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They believed that the worship of God had to progress from the individual that “God predestined to make the world, man, and all things as well as who would be saved and who would be damned”(Belivers). The main similarity between the Pilgrims and the Puritans had been that they both disagreed with the church. The movement of these colonies created a big impact on North America. That being said, these coloniest were the first religions that carved our first states.

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People warned that the movement was too emotional, but the growth of so many new churches forced colonists to become more tolerant to people who had different beliefs.

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Religious diversity is not foreign to Americans. American is known for its religious diversity. This diversity did not just arise. It has been around since Colonial American. In this paper I will argue that the influx in immigration in America and differing beliefs within individual denominations shaped religious diversity in the colonial American landscape.

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Religion in the Southern colonies wasn’t as big of a deal like it was in the Middle, and Northern colonies. The main religion in the south was, Anglican. The economy in the south was like no other. The South has warm weather and a good amount of rainfall. The two main crops included: tobacco and rice.

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Richard Kaplan also said, “the theological belief in the potential mutability, indeed perfectibility, of people also encouraged a reforming attitude toward social institutions. Humanity and earthly society were not inherently sinful and, thus, could and should be reformed.” With the new quantity of religious people, the belief that there should no longer be sinful or unjust things grew tremendously. With this belief, people began to believe that things that needed to be reformed, should be reformed. The Second Great Awakening sparked a nationwide wave of reform movements that had a huge impact on American society throughout the 19th century.

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New England’s economy would also be influenced by the British tax later that would cause Americans to revolt many of which trusted in their faith to guide them The Puritans who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 were also motivated by religious beliefs. They believed in the idea of a "city upon a hill," a vision of a holy community that would serve as an example to the rest of the world (American YAWP, 2.6). This belief led to a strict social order and a commitment to the moral and spiritual purity of the community. It also led to conflicts with other religious groups, such as the Quakers, who were seen as a threat to the Puritan social order.

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William Penn’s vows for equality extend into religions. Pennsylvania is now known for its religious freedoms and liberties that allow all types of people to settle into this colony which gives you the peace of mind that your religion won’t limit you economically or socially. William Penn helmed the idea of religious freedom through the “Pennsylvania Frame of Mind” government. He created this document which gives all citizens many rights, but a major line from it, is that all citizens who believe in God as well as embrace Sunday as a holy day for God, are allowed to practice that religion. If you are thinking of emigrating from the Netherlands or Germany, you’re not alone!

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I have been going to church every Sunday I’ve been here, because they use the same punishment for skipping. These bloody copy cats use the exact same public embarrassment as we do. Another aspect that they copy about us is telling little children that if they didn’t go to church they would drown. They’re life is practically the same as ours. What is the point of starting a new life if it’s the same as your old one!

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The English Monarch, at the time, wanted power over religion and sought total control. With this goal, practicing other religions, outside the Church of England, punishable by law. Many English wasted to continue practicing their religions, and America offered the potential to do so without the threat of English law. B. Describe the economic systems, social characteristics and political systems of the following colonies.

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