Many explorers claimed to be exploring to spread Christianity to the indigenous peoples they encountered in the new mysterious lands. Prince Henry the Navigator said his exploration was motivated by “his great desire to make increase in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ and to bring him all the souls that could be saved” (Spielvogel 412). The Europeans were all sincerely committed to converting the heathen peoples of the world to Christianity. The Spanish conquerors in the New World were required to take priests with them on every expedition. The English and Dutch were just as committed to spreading the Protestant gospel, and actively encouraged missionary enterprise among Native Americans
The Puritans were very strong in faith and hoped that it would carry on through time. They wanted to purify the Church of England, and believed in predestination as well as the idea of having a covenant with God. Another social aspiration made by the Puritans is education. When they first got to America, they set up their towns, all consisting of a schoolhouse. They were also responsible for the first university, Harvard.
Enlightenment in colonial America was responsible for inspiring the revived interests in science, literature and education. It was during that period when a certain religious clergy built a liberal theology established as Rational Christianity. They believed that almighty God salvation was for every mankind but not for a specified group. This message was referred to the whites who were trying to discriminate African slaves in religion. Devoted Christians of the clergy respected and accepted that Gods greatest gift to man was the reason to give people right to follow the highest moral teachings of Jesus.
Essay must be type in 12 point font, Times New Roman and double- spaced. (15 pts) Manifest Destiny I believe that Manifest Destiny was mostly the result of Religious factors. It’s because the Anglo Americans believed on their religion that God bestowed them a right to spread their civilization across the continent. This lead to situations to Indians and Mexicans by showing them aside, redeemed, or exterminate if they recognized them, and they are taking away their land by forcing them to leave. It’s because there is a Picture showing a Lady, who’s representing America and carrying a bible, spreading light to the land of Native Americans because the Anglo Americans believed that their religion can vanished the darkness of the Native Americans’ culture and religion; furthermore, Anglo Americans also believed that the West needed the civilizing power of the hammer, the plow, the ballot box and the pulpit, for they have already transformed the East.
Things got much worse when the colonists struck back, but they attacked the wrong Indians, the Susquehanaugs, which caused a large amount of Indian raids to start. Berkeley tried his best to calm things down between the Indians and the colonists, but Bacon would not have any of it. He wanted total control over the attacks on the Indians. He wanted to be able to do pretty much whatever he wanted without any control from anyone else. When he didn’t get it, he rebelled and took off on his own.
. . did not easily accept the new teachings, which not only threatened their traditional ways of life but also introduced alien concepts such as the existence of hell as a punishment for wrongdoers.”2 Europeans used religion as a way to dictate the Indians and take away old traditions “that had served them well for centuries”.3 Sometimes when Europeans couldn’t get the Indians to convert, steps were taken to punish those continuing to worship traditional beliefs.4 The white men tried very hard, sometimes with violence and sometimes without, to force Native Americans to convert from their traditional beliefs to Christianity. On the other hand, some Indians did convert to Christianity and did well. White man Reverend Eleazar Wheelock converted many Natives who went on to become missionaries helping spread the word back to their tribes as well as others, such as Samson Occom.5 Wheelock also created Moor’s Indian Charity School, where many converted Indians attended.
Europeans were ruled by a king who claimed authority over them via God. Europeans believed that the Indians needed God, and had aspired to convert them to Christianity to save them. True religion, to the Europeans, was thought to promote the progress of civilization. Indians and Europeans views also differed when it came to property ownership. Indians believed they had the right to use land, but that they, nor anyone else owned it.
The City Upon the Hill theme has been used in American history, they relied on religion to guide them, they believed in American exceptionalism, and a democracy. One reason the City Upon the Hill is used in American history is because of religion. “The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us, as His own people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our ways, so that we shall see much more of His wisdom, power, goodness and truth, than formerly we have been acquainted with.” (Doc A) This quote shows they believed that the Lord would protect them and they could rely on the Lord to help them through hardships they might encounter during their settlement. The people believed if their “ hearts shall turn away, so that we will not obey, but shall be seduced, and worship other Gods, our pleasure and profits, and serve them; it
This was known as the Great Puritan Migration. Massachusetts Bay was developed with Puritans ideals and values. After being inspired by a sermon, the colonists were encouraged to be a “City upon a hill.” It was to be the example of what living by God Laws meant. It was the belief of all Puritans that they had a special covenant with God, and that belief was central to their philosophy and way of life in a religious and political sense. Puritans saw themselves as the true church and religious freedom was not tolerated in the colonies.
RELIGION IN AMERICA – MIDTERM REVIEW Cultural misunderstandings in the encounter between Native American religions and Colonial missionaries - Native Americans thought they were themselves guests of the land so how could anyone say you own the land. - When the Europeans came to the New World they wanted to enforce Christianity on the Native Americans. The Church and priests took this as they were converting. But converting means changing your ways and the Native Americans would not change their spiritual lifestyle. The two groups went to war and the Native Americans targeted and killed many priests.