Religion in 17th British North America

324 Words2 Pages
Religion affected everything in seventeenth century British North America. It affected political power, social status, and also had economical influences. Religion possessed a huge significance in seventeenth century, especially in British North America. Religion had a large role in people’s lives in England and nothing changed when the British came to the new world. It was in fact the main reason for many people coming to the new world. Many people came to the new world just for religious freedom. An example of these people is the Puritans who practised Puritanism, a religious reform movement that arose in the church of England. Puritans were not the only ones to use their newfound religious freedom to their advantage. Lord Baltimore of England founded the colony of Maryland. He was Catholic, although he drew up a charter allowing the establishment of churches of all religion. By the third quarter of the seventeenth century, Maryland had established a strong economic and social structure; they were agrarian societies with expansive farmlands along the region's rivers. Lord Baltimore was not the only one to use the power of religion. In 1611, William Penn, a wealthy Quaker and friend of King Charles II of England, received a large tract of land west of the Delaware River. Penn encouraged other European religious dissenters to emigrate by promising them religious freedom. German farmers, mostly from the Rhine region, settled in the countryside of Pennsylvania, establishing prosperous farms and the industries of weaving, shoemaking, and cabinetmaking. German farmers, mostly from the Rhine region, settled in the countryside of Pennsylvania, establishing prosperous farms and the industries of weaving, shoemaking, and cabinetmaking. In all we can see what a huge impact religion had on life in British North America. It really impacted almost everything in that time
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