Which colonies were founded for religious freedom

It was the conversion of kings and rulers following the Reformation in Europe that had led to countless wars and rebellions. Virginians did not wish to suffer a political leader outside the religious mainstream, and religious tests were a means of keeping such undesirables out of office. Could a Catholic, for example, truly be trusted to uphold the laws of the colony, or would his first allegiance be to the Pope in Rome?

The fight over the abolition of religious tests was contentious in both Virginia and in the larger thirteen colonies. If the ban on religious tests for office was to be truly universal, could that mean a Muslim could one day hold office?

Following along this line of thinking, the Founders were confronted with one final, inevitable question: Could a Muslim become President? The Puritan movement had died out by the time of the Revolution. It is important to remember that Puritans were not so much their own religious sect, but a group of dissenters from the Church of England. The Church of England eventually liberalized many of its customs, bringing many Puritans back into the fold.

Other Puritans became Congregationalists and Unitarians. Knopf, , Despite the name, Penn did not name Pennsylvania after himself. The Union of Utrecht was a political treaty to unify several northern provinces of the Netherlands during their revolution against Spain.

Acknowledging the many Catholics in the provinces and the high number of Jewish refugees from Spain and Portugal, religious toleration was a political necessity. The Union of Utrecht was far from a perfect guarantee of religious freedom, leaving much of the power up to local cities, as evidenced by the persecution of Puritans fleeing England.

Jefferson completed the original version of this manuscript in George Mason, June 12, Thomas Jefferson, January 16, Jul 5th, Religious toleration took different paths in different parts of colonial America.

First, a little overlooked history: the initial encounter between Europeans in the future United States came with the establishment of a Huguenot French Protestant colony in at Fort Caroline near modern Jacksonville, Florida.

More than half a century before the Mayflower set sail, French pilgrims had come to America in search of religious freedom. The Spanish had other ideas. In , they established a forward operating base at St. Augustine and proceeded to wipe out the Fort Caroline colony. In other words, the first encounter between European Christians in America ended in a blood bath. The much-ballyhooed arrival of the Pilgrims and Puritans in New England in the early s was indeed a response to persecution that these religious dissenters had experienced in England.

But the Puritan fathers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony did not countenance tolerance of opposing religious views. The most famous dissidents within the Puritan community, Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, were banished following disagreements over theology and policy. Four Quakers were hanged in Boston between and for persistently returning to the city to stand up for their beliefs.

Throughout the colonial era, Anglo-American antipathy toward Catholics—especially French and Spanish Catholics—was pronounced and often reflected in the sermons of such famous clerics as Cotton Mather and in statutes that discriminated against Catholics in matters of property and voting.

In newly independent America, there was a crazy quilt of state laws regarding religion. In Massachusetts, only Christians were allowed to hold public office, and Catholics were allowed to do so only after renouncing papal authority. In Maryland, Catholics had full civil rights, but Jews did not. Delaware required an oath affirming belief in the Trinity.

Several states, including Massachusetts and South Carolina, had official, state-supported churches. It is also said that country named as Bharat after the name of the brave king Bharata Chakravarti. He has the ability to defeat the whole Indians. Egypt is considered one of the oldest countries in the world and was first settled around BC. The first dynasty was believed to be founded around BC. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search.

Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Social studies Which of the 13 colonies were established for religious reasons? Social studies. Ben Davis December 17, Which of the 13 colonies were established for religious reasons? What colonies offered religious freedom? Which colonies were the most religiously tolerant? What colonies were founded for both religious and economic reasons?