Protestant Reformation Research Paper

The Protestant Reformation was a major sixteenth-century European religious movement. It was widespread revolt aimed at reforming the beliefs and principles of the Roman Catholic Church. The Reformation was initiated by a German priest, Martin Luther, who publicly criticized the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church. This movement is important to American history because the Protestant Reformation created many groups who became religious minorities, such as Puritans, Anglicans, Quakers, and Pilgrims. This led to a social unrest and turmoil, as many of the minorities were prosecuted. North America was seen as a safe place and thus these minorities became some of the first colonists of the New World. The Columbian Exchange, named after …show more content…
They established and made their economic bases almost the same. Each of the colonies also had a strong religious background and most children were taught about religion. The colonies also all had a thriving trading economy that sent raw materials such as fish, timber, and furs to England in return for manufactured goods. The southern colonies economy was based greatly on farming crops, such as tobacco, rice, and wheat. The middle colonies thrived off large productions of barley, wheat, oats, and rye. The New England colonies did not have great soil for farming and, in turn, most of their economy came from …show more content…
The components of discontent seemed lacking. The colonies were not in a state of economic crisis; they were prosperous. Even the ruler, King George III, was not unusually tyrannical like some of his predecessors had been. Many events led up to the revolution. The colonist felt that they were unfairly taxed by a parliament that gave them no direct representation. Additionally, the colonists felt ignored in their attempts to address grievances with England regarding taxes and representation. On another hand, religious issues rose, questions regarding political ideology emerged, and economics became the center of many debates. This was not the first time America had quarreled with Britain but this time it was serious. Every action caused by one side was reciprocated strongly by the other. The British began to implement more taxes. In turn, colonist boycotted British products and soon began to truly revolt. Events, such as the Boston Massacre and The Boston Tea Party, are examples of revolts within the

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