The Role Played by Religion in Shaping the Early Colonies
PBS: God In America, The Story of a New Adom and Eve
Religion played an important role in early colonial America, It shaped who we are as a society and country today. Religion was in everyday colonial life, it was in government, social encounters, and even schools. The European settlers came over to the new world bringing with them there belief of christianity, they were known as the puritans. They established towns such as the Massachusetts bay colony which became an important society in the 1700‘s. It was a new beginning for the colonies to grow, prosper, and worship and they did just that. Religion played a huge role in the early colonies especially the Massachusetts bay colony. The Massachusetts bay colony was established by congregationalists (puritans who wanted to reform the Anglican church from within). This began what was known as The Great Puritain Migration, which lasted from 1629 to 1642 ( Meltzer and Bennett). The leader of the puritains traveling to the Massachusetts bay colony was John Winthrop. On the voyage over to the americas Winthrope said “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So if we deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world” (Belton). The Massachusetts bay colony indeed was a city upon a hill, They built a town and prospered and succeded. Winthrope became the governore and preacher for the town, state and religion were now mixed together by a complex bond that that will influence not only the town but the people as well. The puritains believed "If we are good, then God will bless us and we will prosper. And if we don't, if we screw up, if we start to fight with one another, if we start to seek our own ends, God will turn on us and this will be a total miserable failure (Belton)''. For this reason The Massachusetts bay colony was built
Religion played an important role in early colonial America, It shaped who we are as a society and country today. Religion was in everyday colonial life, it was in government, social encounters, and even schools. The European settlers came over to the new world bringing with them there belief of christianity, they were known as the puritans. They established towns such as the Massachusetts bay colony which became an important society in the 1700‘s. It was a new beginning for the colonies to grow, prosper, and worship and they did just that. Religion played a huge role in the early colonies especially the Massachusetts bay colony. The Massachusetts bay colony was established by congregationalists (puritans who wanted to reform the Anglican church from within). This began what was known as The Great Puritain Migration, which lasted from 1629 to 1642 ( Meltzer and Bennett). The leader of the puritains traveling to the Massachusetts bay colony was John Winthrop. On the voyage over to the americas Winthrope said “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So if we deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world” (Belton). The Massachusetts bay colony indeed was a city upon a hill, They built a town and prospered and succeded. Winthrope became the governore and preacher for the town, state and religion were now mixed together by a complex bond that that will influence not only the town but the people as well. The puritains believed "If we are good, then God will bless us and we will prosper. And if we don't, if we screw up, if we start to fight with one another, if we start to seek our own ends, God will turn on us and this will be a total miserable failure (Belton)''. For this reason The Massachusetts bay colony was built