During 1607-1753, Colonial America was founded. Starting on 1492, when Christopher Columbus discovered land beyond the England, people were launched into a new life. A group of puritans departed from England to escape the growing stress of the English government. Searching for freedom, in both religion and government, they sailed towards America. Their main goal was not only to start e new life, but also to convert the savages; “Indians.” With this move they experienced many difficulties. Upon starting a new life, they had to learn a new way of political life, social life, educational life, and above all religious lives.
Today the controversy of the importance of Christianity to the colonists in the years preceding the American Revolution is raging. When the pilgrims moved to America, they hoped to find freedom of religion, and government. Therefore, when they left England, King James 1 wrote charters and laws for them to keep while in America. For he was technically still in charge of them, but just from afar now. One of the many charters written by the king said, “and well knowing when a people are gathered together the Word of God requires, that to maintain the peace and union of such a people, there should be an orderly and decent government established according to God, to order and dispose of the affairs of all the people at all seasons as occasions shall require; do therefore associate and conjoin ourselves to be as one public state or commonwealth, and do, for ourselves and our successors and such as shall be adjoined to us any time hereafter, enter into combination and confederation together, to maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus which we now profess” (fundamental orders of Conne...
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...d innumerable times throughout the colonies during the three decades of revival, the peculiar Reformation vision of providence and grace was clearly propounded. Once again, God was the center of their lives, and everything else circulated around him.
Many authorities today say that America was not founded upon the Biblical worldview. There are those historians who say that Christianity was either insignificant or detrimental. This controversy encompasses Columbus to the Puritan Christians. However, by all that has just been stated, one can easily see how important the Bible was to colonists. In those days, the Biblical worldview was the only view aloud. It was the highest, most important book in the world. The bible was the only, sovereign foundation of Colonial America. That is the only reason America, “Land of the free, and home of the brave” has existed so long.
The American political notions we practice today take root from early colonial times. Our political understanding had its genesis as early as the 17th century, which stemmed from the writings of intellectuals, such as John Winthrop and William Penn. Equipped with these convictions, both Winthrop and Penn brought about visions of how their respective colonies will be structured in the New World. John Winthrop wrote The Modell of Christian Charity as a platform to lead a group of Puritan refugees in the colony of Boston, Massachusetts. Also armed with his own political philosophies, William Penn’s Frame of Government of Pennsylvania constructed a settlement, which promoted religious liberty and individual conscience. Although the two founders wrote about varying principles, there were some parallels evident between their founding visions. Furthermore, by highlighting the outward distinctions and similarities of their visions, we can recognize the strengths and weaknesses of the two political structures. Ultimately, the explorations of these very elements aid in determining which community is more appealing to call home. In my case, the principle of individual
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.
This chapter, “Three Old Worlds Create a New, 1492 – 1600,” covers the social, political and economic events that occurred in the worlds that made up America between 1492 and 1600. This chapter explores the history of the small societies that became the United States in broad contest of European exploration and exploitation. There existed conflicts between European kingdoms and this led to interest in colonies that strengthened the emerging nations. The curiosity of Europeans helped introduce them to African and American societies that had evolved over the centuries. The social and cultural collisions of these worlds changed and profoundly influenced Western history.
While residing in England, the Puritans and faithful Catholics faced prosecution, which led to their immigration to the New World. Most left England to avoid further harassment. Many groups and parishes applied for charters to America and, led by faithful ministers, the Pilgrims and Puritans made the long voyage to North America. Their religion became a unique element in the New England colonies by 1700. Before landing, the groups settled on agreements, signing laws and compacts to ensure a community effort towards survival when they came to shore, settling in New England. Their strong sense of community and faith in God led them to develop a hardworking society by year 1700, which Documents A and D express through the explanation of how the Pilgrims and Puritans plan to develop...
Religion was a key component to the construction of the early American colonial society. It shaped the beliefs and actions of the settlers within the society in many ways. Originally, the newcomers settling on North American land had main motives of owning their own land, increasing their country’s empire and gaining personal profit. Alongside those motives came the sheer desire to spread their religion with whom they encountered in the new land of opportunity. As stated, settlers set out to convert others towards Christianity because they believed freedom was found in worshiping God. Socially, if a person identified as a Christian they automatically were placed higher on the hierarchy. In the same respect, religion and politics at this time were delicately intertwined. Being Christian also meant the government heavily favored you and your peoples since you were to be considered influential in society. In the Maryland Act Concerning Religion (1644), John Winthrop’s Speech to the Massachusetts General Court (1645), the Trial of Anne Hutchinson (1637) and Roger Williams Letter to the Town of Providence (1655) one can notice the striking role religion plays both socially and
...owards complete absence of religious persecution, it served as a positive influence to neighboring colonies, and led to inspire the founders of America when writing the constitution.
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 ...
All early colonists were deeply religious and believed most of what happened to them in America was due to God’s wrath or pleasure. For example, 347 Virginians were massacred by Indians they had previously believed to be their friends, and more would have been killed were it not for one Indian who happened to warn them of another attack. Since the Native was a Christian convert, they saw this warning as an act of God and “the good fruit of an infidel converted to Christianity,” rather than simply an act of a good person. Though many of their people were killed, they still felt they were able to say “blessed be God forever, whose mercy endureth forever” due to this one act (doc 9). Native conversion was another way religion permeated the early colonists’ lives, as it was one of the main goals of the Virginia colony. A document published by the British explained that the European goal for the natives was to “bring them from their base condition…if they will believe in Him” (doc 8). Even their interactions with the “heathens” involved God. So, therefore everyone accepted laws that mandated that “every man and woman duly twice a day…shall…hear divine service” and that everyone must “have a care that the Almighty God be duly and daily served” (doc 9). Along with suffering and rigidity, religion was a
By the turn of the seventeenth century twelve of the English colonies were well on their way to surviving in the New World. The only colony not begun before 1700 was Georgia. These twelve colonies though unique as individual colonies several began to form similarities. Although by the 18th century Eastern America had been colonized by Englishmen, motives, geography, and settlers themselves created two distinct societies, New England and Chesapeake.
America today has changed tremendously throughout the years not only politically but also religiously. From the first colonists who came to America for religious independence to todays melting pot of different religious and cultural backgrounds. They had to get their differences somewhere, and what better place than America. It all started in colonial America, with the first settlers. Among these colonists there are a few major names and topics that help to shape colonial America into what it is now. These individuals impacted America’s religious development greatly, with their new ideas and foreign advancements in religious prosperity.
Many of England’s problems could be solved in America, and so colonization began. When the earliest settlers came, England had the responsibility to continue the Protestant Church, and prevent the Catholic Church from converting the entire Native American population of North America (Morison, p.105) A potential Protestant refuge could be based there in the threat of civil wars or a change of religion.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth century, reasons for colonization of the newly discovered American land ranged from religious to economic, resulting in a number of unique imperial settlements along its eastern coast. After years of salutary neglect followed by strict enforcement of unpopular taxes, vehement settlers from each individual state united against Great Britain to form an independent government, as outlined and regulated by the United States Constitution. From the beginning of the nation’s history, interpretations of the constitution, influenced by bias stimulated by people’s situations, have divided the people of the United States. As sectional specialization developed and different ways of life based on region emerged, the constitution
Often when looking at American history, people tend to lump all the characters and actors involved as similar. This is especially the case in regards to Early American Colonial history. Because the Puritan communities that grew rapidly after John Winthrop’s arrival in 1630 often overshadow the earlier colony at Plymouth, many are lead to assume that all settlers acted in similar ways with regard to land use, religion, and law. By analyzing the writings of William Bradford and John Winthrop, one begins to see differing pictures of colonization in New England.
What major problems did the young republic face after its victory over Great Britain? How did these problems motivate members of the elite to call for a federal constitution?
From 1750 until 1800 the colonial United States endured a period of enormous achievement along with a substantial amount of struggle. Before 1750, the new colony’s first struggle was between the colonists and England over who would have leadership within the New World. Once settled, the issues emerged from within the colonies themselves, particularly with the “belongings” they brought and imported. African American slaves were seen as property, and were not given any innate rights such as liberty or freedom when following their master to the New World. The revolution for the colonists from England began, with new freedoms received by the colonists; the slaves began to question their rights as humans. Innate rights such as liberty and freedom