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How did religion affect colonization
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Religion played an integral role in the development and culture of the Spanish, French, and British colonies and extended into their relations to Indians. While many settlers sincerely wanted to convert the Indians to Christianity, there were settlers who used religion as a tool to both control and civilize Indians. The Indians who were exposed to the practices of conversion had experienced both suffering and benefitting from their relations with colonists. Throughout the early history of the colonization of New World, witchcraft had also figured into the religious observations of the groups that had led groups of settlers into a state of hysteria and panic which was indirectly related to their relations with the Indians. The French and Spanish were heavily influenced by Catholicism. Both colonies had established missions across the New World in hopes of converting Indians to Catholicism. The Spanish colonists were especially determined to establish missions and convert Indians in their territories as a response to the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile seeking to “transform their own pluralistic societies into a purely Christian kingdom (Butler 28). The Spanish were also heavily influenced by religion due to the Crusades in the Old World as well being motivated by “gold, God, and glory” for voyaging into the New World. The role of religion in Spanish society extended out towards how they governed their colonies as the Catholic populations were under control of both the monarchy and the Vatican. The French Catholics had taken example from the Spanish by establishing multiple missions in the New World in efforts to become trading partners with local Indian tribes. Both New Spain and New France were heavily influenced by Catholicism c... ... middle of paper ... ...Canadian fur trade. Therefore each of the colonial groups sincerely wanted to convert the Indians, however, there were many underlying conditions for converting that would leave the Indians to either being oppressed or killed by the colonists. Works Cited Butler, J., Balmer, R., & Wacker, G. (2008). Religion in American Life : A Short History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Dennis, M. (2003). American Indians, Witchcraft, and Witch-hunting. OAH Magazine Of History, 17(4), 21-27. McShea, B. (2013). Presenting the "Poor Miserable Savage" to French Urban Elites: Commentary on North American Living Conditions in Early Jesuit Relations. Sixteenth Century Journal, 44(3), 683-711. Shannon, T. J., & Gellman, D. N. (2014). American odysseys: a history of colonial North America. New York : Oxford University Press. Taylor, A. (2001). American colonies. New York: Viking.
Smith, Carter. Daily Life, A Sourcebook on Colonial America: The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, Connecticut 1991
Religion of the protestant church was an important factor in the pre-war timeline culture. The Second great awakening, which occurred in the 19th century, greatly impacted American society. This new point of view in terms and matters of faith led northerners to cherish the theory of Christian perfection, a theory that in fact was applied to society in an attempt to eliminate social imperfection. On the other hand, southerners reacted by cherishing a faith of personal piety, which focused mainly on a reading of the Bible; however, it expressed very little concern in addressing society’s problems.1
Gaustad, Edwin S. The Religious History of America: The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today. N.p.: HarperOne, 2004. Print.
Since the settling of the English colonies in the early 17th century, pioneers have been destined to expand into the North American frontier and to domesticate it with their Christian faith and progressive nature. In their exploration of the frontier, however, the Puritan colonists often encountered Indians whose savagery challenged their discipline and morals. Just as the colonists expanded, Indians also saw their native lands of many years vanish. The situation naturally compelled the Puritans and the Indians to fight each other for their mutual interests. Thus, while most accounts of Western history focus on the heathen threat, both Indians and colonists experienced the harshness of the captivity myth and its evolution into other mythology that defined American history.
Gaustad, Edwin S., ed. A Documentary History of Religion in America to the Civil War. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1982.
There exists a long held belief that the United States of America was founded on the principles and doctrinal views of Protestantism. Modern age Christians have scoured historical documents in an effort to provide evidence for a Judeo-Christian foundation in the nation’s republican framework. Likewise, their opponents have written lengthy dissertations and argued over various media outlets that Christian conclusions are unfounded. Yet despite their endless debate, religion, especially Christianity, has and continues to play a fundamental element of America’s cultural, societal, and political makeup. The Second Great Awakening, the religious revivalist movement of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, ignited not only a religious revolution that transformed the American landscape, but it also developed and cemented the individualistic ideologies that have driven American thought in subsequent generations.
Under British rule, native customs were being banned, schools and railroads were being built, and missionaries were spreading Christianity. Many Indians ...
From the very beginning the English wanted to convert the Native American’s to Christianity. English settlers were very towards them as they wanted to persuade the natives that this was the best choice for their tribe. For example, in Declaration of the State, Waterhouse explains that, “our God was a good God, much better than theirs, in that he had with so many good things above them endowed us”. Since the time they were born, the English were taught one way and this way was the religion of Christianity. It was their mission to carry out what they’ve been taught and to influence Natives that their God was the only one. At this point in time, the English were desperate and any amount of people to convert to Christianity would benefit the English. Unfamiliar with the land they lived on, they turned to the Natives for help in finding food and resources. Also, Native Americans had a more animalistic way of religion, believing in more than one god. This was a problem for the English colonists because Natives could not only rely on one god. William Strachey writes in the Historie of Travaile into Virginia Britania, “(I believe) the impression of the Divine nature, and however these have not porcion of the knowing blessed Christian spirit.” Colonists looked upon the Natives as savages because they do not know the Christian way. Another difference from Native Americans and Colonists was that Native Americans believed the land belonged to everyone in common and not individual private ownership as the colonists
Gaustad, Edwin and Leigh Schmidt. The Religious History of America;The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today. New York: Harper One, 2002.
Religion is embedded in the very fiber of American society, and it is as important to Americans as their history. Some Americans believe that religion i...
Many colonist viewed the Native Americans as spawn of the devil. In Thomas Morton’s writing he said “if we do not judge amiss of these savages in accounting them witches,… some correspondence they have with the Devil out of all doubt.” (Foner 5) An example of historical content is the Metacom’s War by the year of 1675. The Indians in southern New England didn’t like the new settlers pushing on new religion and harsh treatment. Some of the Indians “converted to Christianity, living in protected ‘praying towns.’” (Jones, Wood, Borstelmann, May, and Ruiz 68) The Indians were ok with the conditions until “a white man shot and wounded a Native American.” (Jones, Wood, Borstelmann, May, and Ruiz 69) Colonist began to even distrust the Indians that were willing to convert to Christianity and moved their “praying towns” to “Deer Island in Boston Harbor” (Jones, Wood, Borstelmann, May, and Ruiz 69) This historical content shows that the colonist didn’t truly trust the Indians even when they were of the same religion, like Morton’s writing said “they have with the Devil out of all doubt” (Foner
In the 1400’s European countries had been thrusted into overseas expansion in the fever for land and gold. All throughout Europe, monarchies had sent explorers all over the world to conquer land for their country. Each country had conquered and colonized in various styles, but each had a specific goal that they wanted to achieve. During the European colonization of the Americas or the New World, both the Spanish and the French spread the idea of Catholicism throughout the Americas, however the Spanish believed in treating the Native Americans in a harsher way by enslaving them for labor whereas the French established trade relationships.
Though there were religious concerns that contributed to the settling of British North America, the economic concerns outweighed the notable religious concerns. A religious concern that played a role in British colonization was that the British wanted to have the Indians of North America converted to Protestant Christianity (Boorstin et al. 34). In addition, specific groups that were seeking religious freedom used the British colonizing as a venue to achieve this objective. Such groups included the Puritan separatists who had begun to lose their freedoms in England, and thus they became colonists in New England.
We must embrace our own individual beliefs and views because they do affect how we view others beliefs and views. Tradition and history of religion can be traced back to the arrival of the Puritans and the age of enlightenment (Portier, 45). In American culture, religion defines them and is implicated in all parts of life. Religion is said to be a political and economic movement and have influences in political decisions and movements. Even in the 1960’s segregation era, religion played a role in ending that (Portier, 20). Privatization shaped religious history. Americans experience the right to religious freedom. The belief allows church and state separation. This separates religion from our daily lives. Separation of shared daily life and emphasizes the individuals control over their religious practice and beliefs. Americans in the United States have the freedom to choose to worship in a manner they chose. They possess religious freedom which is not available everywhere in the world. It is hoped or believed that because of this freedom, it allows them to look at other religions in a different
6. Bohdan R. Bociurkiw and John W. Strong, Religion and Atheism in the U.S.S.R. and