Religious Uniformity In Colonial America

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The Revolution Before The War April 19, 1775, marked the beginning of the American Revolution, or the war for American independence. The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the war, but not the revolution. An array of changes took place between American colonists and their British counterparts long before 1775, laying the groundwork for the true revolution. As time passed, the colonists evolved from the British and eventually formed their own identities. Through fundamental differences in religion, government, and cultural influence, the American colonists differentiated themselves from the citizens of Britain. In the early 1700s, religious life in colonial America and England followed vastly different paths, reflecting …show more content…
In contrast, colonial America arose as a place of religious diversity and tolerance. Here, settlers from various religious backgrounds, including Puritans, Quakers, Baptists, Catholics, and others, established communities where they could practice their faiths without fear. “As the seventeenth and eighteenth century passed on, however, the Protestant wing of Christianity constantly gave birth to new movements, such as the Baptists, Methodists, Quakers, Unitarians, and many more, sometimes referred to as ‘Dissenters’” (“Religion in Colonial America''). This environment of religious diversity created a sense of tolerance and acceptance, in contrast to England’s religious uniformity. As a result, colonial America became a melting pot of religious beliefs and differed greatly from the mother country of England which strictly supported the Church of England. In summary, change in the religious aspect of life catalyzed the evolution of the colonists from the British, leading to a revolution of the colonists long before the Revolutionary War. Moreover, the governmental systems of colonial America and England greatly differed concerning governance, representation, and