How Did Religion Contribute To The Formation Of The English Colonies
During the 16th and 17th century, people in Europe were experiencing violence and hatred towards any religion that differed from Christianity. Laws were put in place against those who had other beliefs, and it was considered common knowledge that a country could not exist unless all people held the same religious beliefs. Though many people in Europe agreed with this, there were a lot of people who did not. This brought up the idea of migrating to the new world, the Americas, in search of religious freedom. Freedom of religion greatly impacted and contributed to the founding of the English colonies by motivating Europeans to migrate to the Americas, as well as develop and grow societies in which religious tolerance was practiced.
There were …show more content…
Though not all colonies accepted every religion, there was much more acceptance than in Europe at the time. Not only did religious freedom motivate Europeans to immigrate to the Americas and found the colonies, but it also allowed the colonies to flourish and grow. For example, many colonies considered themselves a safe place for people of their main religion. William Penn, a Quaker, founded Pennsylvania, a safe area of religious tolerance. People in Pennsylvania were Lutherans, Jews, Quakers, and more. Due to the vast acceptance, the colony grew quickly both in population and socioeconomic development. This contributed to the colony's success and wealth. Another example is Rhode Island. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams, who was a strong believer in freedom of religion and escaped Europe due to religious persecution. He created Rhode Island in order to create a colony where anyone could worship freely. The community in Rhode Island was diverse and thrived on religious freedom. Religious freedom in both of these colonies not only created a community for people escaping Europe for freedom, but also contributed to the success and growth of the economy and social development. Therefore, religious freedom was vastly important to the success and founding of the English
There were …show more content…
Though not all colonies accepted every religion, there was much more acceptance than in Europe at the time. Not only did religious freedom motivate Europeans to immigrate to the Americas and found the colonies, but it also allowed the colonies to flourish and grow. For example, many colonies considered themselves a safe place for people of their main religion. William Penn, a Quaker, founded Pennsylvania, a safe area of religious tolerance. People in Pennsylvania were Lutherans, Jews, Quakers, and more. Due to the vast acceptance, the colony grew quickly both in population and socioeconomic development. This contributed to the colony's success and wealth. Another example is Rhode Island. Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams, who was a strong believer in freedom of religion and escaped Europe due to religious persecution. He created Rhode Island in order to create a colony where anyone could worship freely. The community in Rhode Island was diverse and thrived on religious freedom. Religious freedom in both of these colonies not only created a community for people escaping Europe for freedom, but also contributed to the success and growth of the economy and social development. Therefore, religious freedom was vastly important to the success and founding of the English