religion in the colonies - 773 Words

Since the very first colony was founded in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia, religion played a very important role in America. Nine of the thirteen colonies had established churches. Having an established church meant you paid taxes for the support of that church whether or not you were a member. The colonies with official state or established churches of the Congregational (Puritan) church denomination consisted of Maine, Connecticut, and Vermont. Colonies that remained a part of the original Church of the England were Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and New York. John Calvin had a major influence on the English colonies in America. Calvin was a Frenchmen who broke from the Catholic Church†¦show more content†¦To Cotton, â€Å"the visible church had the task of educating the mass of believers in the spirit of the true religious ideal and the government [shall be] sovereign.†3 He felt that there should be one uniform religion, Puritan, and that God should be the only one to make rules for the Christian people. He believed that a democracy for the church would only make people more inferior to those who were apart of the government. As the colonies began to become less close to their European home front in England and the Church of England, many people began to stray away from the traditional Church of England and join and even create new dominations. So many changes took place in religion and politics that it emphasizes the fact that, â€Å"New England was rapidly moving from a state of homogenous Puritanism to heterogeneous colonialism.† 4 The Great Awakening and the Enlightenment played a huge part in the new society and government in theShow MoreRelatedSouthern Colonies Religion1355 Words   |  6 PagesSouthern Colonies Religion | Southern Colonies claimed to have religious freedom but that tended to be a superficial idea. In these colonies Anglican faith was the most predominate. Anglican included Presbyterian and Baptist. While Protestants were somewhat tolerated most were Anglican. They didn’t really consider Native Americans and slaves religion to be an actual religion. Several people tried to convert slaves and Native Americans to their religion. When slaves began to give in theyRead MoreReligion And The American Colonies2143 Words   |  9 Pagescolonization, the proliferation of various religions over the course of colonial history is quite extensive and, by proxy, its’ influence upon developing colonial societies was far-reaching. Because of the historical significance of many different religions throughout the colonies, it would also suggest that religious diversity was likely equally impactful in eliciting change. All of this leads this author to speculate about how much influence religion had upon colonial upheaval over time and whetherRead MoreSlavery And Religion : The English Colonies867 Words   |  4 PagesSlavery and Religion in the English Colonies Many English immigrants came to America to seek religious freedom and some to improve their economic conditions. The concept of how slavery, thought by many colonists to be an economic necessity, was shaped and came to be rationalized and justified through Christian religious beliefs, is very interesting. The first English colonists settled in the Massachusetts colonies for religious reasons; to escape religious persecution in England as in the caseRead MoreEconomics vs Religion American Colonies1043 Words   |  5 PagesEconomics over Religion Throughout history there have been two leading factors that lead a colony to success. These two factors are religion and economics or money. Which factor is more important? In my opinion, economics is more important because the colonists had many issues getting necessities, and if they had enough money for all that, their problems would all basically be gone. 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Most of their motives were similar, but others were very different. Specifically, the New England Colonies and the Southern were similar and different in many aspects concerning their religion, politics, and economics. The New England Colonies differed from the Southern colonies in their religious practicesRead MoreDifferences Between New England And Spanish Colonies951 Words   |  4 PagesThe New England and Spanish Colonies In a time when numerous countries were beginning to explore the new and exciting land of North America during the Age of Exploration, and groups of people from England and Spain were fleeing their home countries either for religious freedom or wealth, vast and civilized colonies began to form all throughout the New World. It is in this context that the colonies founded by the English and the Spanish began to develop and grow. There was a significant differenceRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Of The Spanish And New England Colonies1189 Words   |  5 PagesThe Spanish and New England Colonies In a time between 1492 and the 1700 the Spanish and the English started to colonize the New World with the Spaniards coming over first in 1492 after being approved by the Roman Catholic Church. The Spanish people started their colonization in present day Mexico, while the English colony of Massachusetts in 1630 by Puritans fleeing England due to persecution. It is in this context that there were two similarities and a differences from both European countries.Read MoreSocial Structure and Development in the Chesapeake and New England Colonies950 Words   |  4 PagesChesapeake and New England colonies were both settled by predominantly British immigrants. They founded the Chesapeake colonies such as Virginia in 1607 and Maryland in 1634 they founded the New England colonies such as Massachusetts in 1630, Connecticut in 1635, Rhode Island is 1636 and New Hampshire in 1639. Both the New England colonies and the Chesapeake colonies started as similar colonies but developed into differen t societies. The New England and Chesapeake colonies developed into two differentRead MoreNative Americans And The United States991 Words   |  4 Pagesfreedom of religion in the Mother Land. This made the New World a setting with a mixture of different religions that were persecuted in England. Each of the persecuted religious groups brought different cultures and as a result settled in different regions of the American continent Atlantic coast. These settlers were distributed through New England, the Carolinas, the Mid-Atlantic, and Chesapeake. Their differences in customs and terrain settled made for the success (or failure) of each colony. The first