Religion in Colonial America: Trends, Regulations, and Beliefs

Attempted to enforce strict religious observance

Not a culture of religious unity

Religious life was haphazard and irregular

As colonies settled, influence of clergy & churches grew

Slavery shaped by religion

Degree of religious tolerance

Meetinghouse: secular & religious functions

New England PuritansGovernment theocratic: leaders’ authority from divine

guidance & civil authority used to enforce religious conformity

Mid-Atlantic and Southern ColoniesQuakers, Catholics, Lutherans, Jews,

Baptists, AnglicansChurch of England recognized by law as the state church

Great Awakening:movement challenged the clerical elite and colonial

establishment by focusing on the sinfulness of every individual, and on salvation through personal, emotional conversion

Protestant rationalism:God endowed humans with reason so that they could tell the difference between right and wrong. Knowing the difference

meant that humans made free choices to sin or behave morally

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