How Did Religion Influence The Rule In The Early English Colonies

Roger Williams might be well notorious for being the new founder of the state Rhode Island. When he first settled a colony in Narragansett, a settlement in Rhode Island, one of his many principles was that there should be a separation between church and state colonies. Many individuals made the decision to move to Rhode Island–– due to their religious freedom. Jews, Baptists, and even Quakers decided to join this movement. A good proportion of settlers confiscated lands, which belonged to Native Americans; however, Roger Williams made an impactful decision that no one should be allowed to confiscate them.

Many of the travelers to the New World had their goals in mind, some expecting to own a piece of land, while others seeking religious freedom. There were quite a number of ideas and goals proclaimed by John Winthrop in his sermon as he embarked with many others to the New World in hopes to create a society based around their religious beliefs. Some of those ideas were comparable to the laws of Pennsylvania where William Penn and the legislature wrote and put in place laws that gave religious freedom to all, but were with Christian ideals. The new Pennsylvanian laws and John Winthrop’s sermon had many things in common, one being the creation of a close knit colony or utopian society which would focus on puritan ideals.

When maryland was granted a charter, religious toleration was set into place, but the colonists wanted to set it into place. On April 21, 1649, the colony passed a law “The Maryland Toleration Act” which provided religious tolerance towards trinitarian christians, apart from the fact they are roman catholics. When this colony was brought to attention it had been somewhat based on their religious beliefs and so this set off a spark in the minds of religious toleration for others. ” The Colony was conceived as a refuge for English Catholics.” Softschools.

British Colonization and American Identity Virginia, Massachusetts Bay, and Plymouth colonists all originated from New England, but what principle of individuality and community do they follow that each makes the Northern and Southern New World colonies diverge into these separate groups? Since the mid-fifteenth century, the European empire had their motives for traveling to America, along with their own set of ideas for an ideal civilization. The Virginians had aspirations for economic pursuit and a representative form of government, while their northern colonial counterparts focused more on the religious facets. Despite a few differences, these various attitudes towards what makes up triumph and the controversies over what is best to represent

The Salem Witch Trials, occurring between the years of 1692 and 1693, consisted of persecutions, arrests, and hysteria through the village of Salem, Massachusetts. In determining the source of the mass hysteria during these trials, it is necessary to look from a societal point of view. Religiously, tensions began to form and alter the village in ways that were for and against their beliefs. Changing morals of the village brought forth ideologies that were based with selfish intentions. Social structures altered to weaken and divide the town and its people.

The people who settled in Colonial Massachusetts had a very religious point of view. Their whole goal was to create a puritan society. This led to them being very unified and working together as a community for the greater

John Winthrop and his followers established a society that would be an example to many more societies to come. They came to New England to create a place that was occupied by people approved by God and whom abided by God’s laws. Winthrop knew that this colony would have to be completely different from England, since at the time, England was in chaos, therefore, he learned from all of the mistakes England made, religiously and politically, and planned a colony that would thrive under the ruling of God and his worshipers. Everyone knew that this was a massive undertaking that may not promise them the success they were looking for, but the Puritans had to get out of England because they knew that God would eventually punish them for the evils

With the colony’s strength and success coming mainly from its unification for a common religion, any segregation could pose as a weakness to harmful tribes nearby. In the assigned readings, Governor Winthrop says why he believes Anne Hutchinson is detrimental to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He states, ”The pretence was to repeate Sermons, but when that was done, shee would comment upon the Doctrines, and interpret all passages at her pleasure, and expound dark places of Scripture, so as whatsoever the Letter held forth ... shee would bee sure to make it serve her turn, for the confirming of her maine principles.” In other words, the governor is saying that Anne was giving her own interpretation of the scripture that resulted in discrediting the beliefs that the entire colony was founded on.

Although all the colonists all came from England, the community development, purpose, and societal make-up caused a distinct difference between two distinct societies in New England and the Chesapeake region. The distinctions were obvious, whether it be the volume of religious drive, the need or lack of community, families versus single settlers, the decision on minimal wage, whether or not articles of agreements were drawn for and titles as well as other social matters were drawn, as well as where loyalties lay in leaders. New England was, overall, more religious than the Chesapeake region. Settlers in New England were searching relief for religious persecution in Europe. Puritans, Quakers, and Catholics were coming in droves to America searching for an opportunity to have religious freedom.

Roger Williams was one of the first Puritans in the New World to truly seek religious freedoms for all. Roger Williams had several issues with the power that the Church had over its subjects and the way in which they would impose their views onto others, even when the Puritans themselves had fled England to avoid religious persecution. Williams made many claims that upset those in power in the colonies, one of which being that the English had no claim to the land and that the charter granted by King James did not give them the authority to take the land away from the Native Americans. Williams saw that the Church should stay away from the civil matters of the State, removing the justification that God granted the King the authority for a charter.

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.

They wanted to create pure, moral Christian society based on moral living. By hard working, integration of religion in politics, and social development of certain lifestyle practices, Puritans had a large influence on the development of the New England colonies from 1630s through the 1660s. Puritans believed in hard work as the pathway of success since they thought they were favored by God to succeed (Doc I). They tried to shun idleness and believed that being lazy is not profitable (Doc C).

In New England, there was no such thing as religious tolerance. Everyone was required to be part of the Church of England whether they believed or not. This led to a disagreement among those who believed that those who were not “visible saints” should not be allowed to worship in the same place as those who were. These colonists were referred to as the Separatists because they eventually separated from the Church of England. Those who chose to stay with the church were called Puritans, although that term could technically be used to describe both.

This is just like how in Hartford the church and the state were separated so that it could be more focused on their own part. Religion can affect how a society can be functioned, it has a big impact on the development of a colony or

Religion played a great role in the establishment of the English colonies. The main reason the English traveled to North America was to escape religious persecution. Once the English settled in they created colonies, and established rules for a religious society. They would also try to convert Natives into Christianity, and they established universities to practice ministry. Once the English settlers got to North America, the House of Burgesses in 1619 said they would try to convert Native children specifically boys into a “ true religion”, then eventually teach them how teach them how to be Christian civil people.