Colonial Culture The Good, The Bad and the Ugly: Religion in the 13 Colonies
The Good -The desire for religious freedom was what motivated many to start colonies -Massachusetts- Separatists escape persecution in England -Pennsylvania- Quakers escape persecution in England and encourage religious freedom in their colony. -Maryland- Catholics escape persecution in England -Rhode Island- Dissenting Puritans banished for speaking out against puritan Authority -Connecticut- Dissenting Puritans who wanted more religious freedom
The Good Religious groups laid the foundation for what it means to be an American A. Puritan Work Ethic- Massachusetts B. Equality- Quakers led by William Penn, abolition (anti-slavery), female suffrage, against mistreatment of Native Americans C. Tolerance- In Maryland, Lord Baltimore passed the Act of Toleration, which welcomed all religious groups.
The Good Religious groups like the Puritans laid the foundation for self- government. (Mayflower Compact) They elected their leaders and officers...No Bishops! No Popes! As the colonies grew, towns would vote for representatives to go represent them at general court (legislative assembly)
The Good Religion gave colonists the confidence to challenge authority Roger Williams was kicked out of Massachusetts and started Rhode Island because he disagreed with the Puritans...and was banished. B. Thomas Hooker also left Massachusetts and started Connecticut because he disagreed with the Puritans. Hooker also authored the first written Constitution in the colonies-The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut C. Anne Hutchinson belived in free speech, equality of women and the right of each person to interpret the Bible, she challneged the church and was banished and helped Roger Williams start Rhode Island.
The Good -The Great Awakening was a spiritual renewal that swept the American Colonies from th3 1730’s to the 1770’s to counter the Enlightenment. -Due to the leadership of Gilbert Tennent, Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield the colonists rediscovered the emotion and passion within religion. -The people grew in confidence to challenge authority. The chain of authority no longer ran from God to ruler to people, but from God to people to ruler. -John Adams gave credit to the Great Awakening as the source of motivation behind the American Revolution.
The Bad Intolerance- Puritans were very strict, forcing everyone to go to church, follow a strict moral code and interpret the Bible the way they did Massacre- Some religious groups like the Puritans believed that they were on a mission from God and that it was OK to mistreat the Native Americans and take their land.
The Ugly The Boston Martyrs Four Quakers were hung in Boston because they refused to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony Marmaduke Stephenson and William Robinson (1659), Mary Dyer (1660) and William Leddra (1661) broke the laws on purpose knowing they would be hung. King Charles II intervened and overturned the law in 1661
The Salem Witch Trials 1692 For reasons that are unknown, a group of girls in Salem pretended to be possessed by the devil and tormented by evil spirits. The girls accused many people in the town of being witches (many owned large tracts of land) A trial was held for hundreds, many were found guilty based on the false witness of the girls Nineteen men and women were hung and one man was pressed to death.