How Did The Reformation Influence The Settlement Of The American Colonies

The American Colonies: A Religious Haven The Reformation in the sixteenth-century brought rivalry between the Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches that had an impact on the exploration to the New World. The Reformation was a time period when religious curiosity was heightened due to the Humanists' spread of the word about the differences between the Church and the literature of Christian authors. The Church of England still required the people to worship God the way they taught and those who did not would face religious persecution. The desire for religious freedom motivated more people to settle in the American colonies due to the search for freedom from religious persecution, religious unity, and religious purity. The search for freedom from religious persecution lead to the exploration and settlement of the American colonies. Monarchs believed it was their responsibility to make sure all citizens worshipped God the way they believed was correct. "All subjects of the English crown were required to attend the Church of England and pay the church a tithe. Failure to do so was a criminal offense and was punishable by fines, imprisonment, and even death" (Chapter 5 Lecture Notes). Religious

Dissenting religious groups wanted to be surrounded by others who worship the same religion as they do. "Pennsylvania was founded as a place of refuge for English Quakers" (Chapter 9 Lecture Notes). George Fox, a well-known Quaker, visited the American colonies and encouraged the idea of a Quaker colony in the New World. Quakers, unlike most religious dissents, rejected the expression of worship; therefore, there was no official church of the colony and settlers were free to practice as they pleased. With colonies composed of the same religious groups, there is less conflict when it comes to the official church in the colony and the way they choose to worship their