By 1649, however, Catholics controlled the Maryland Assembly. 5Ĭatholicism thrived in Maryland in the 1630s, but by the 1640s, Protestants took control and deported many Catholics. Magistrates, considered “public ministers of God,” were expected to use the state to uphold the church’s agenda. Puritans in New England based laws on the Bible, and only full church members were permitted to vote. Laws were established and expectations set based upon religious ideals. 4 Each religious settlement was founded around the community’s beliefs. 3 However, many did not find the peace they had hoped and prayed for.Īt first, these communities in colonial North America looked very similar to the religious states of the Old World. Roman Catholics founded Maryland in 1634, and twenty years later Jews arrived in New York City. In 1620, a group of Puritans arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts. 2 Wave after wave of religious groups sought sanctuary in North America. 1 Religion in AmericaĪs John Winthrop put it, America became a religious “refuge”. People of persecuted faiths often had to practice in secret or flee. While persecution varied by time and location, it was often merciless. Jews were expelled from a number of countries. In some cases, Protestants killed Catholics and in others, Catholics killed Protestants. Governments were tied to a state-supported religion, and those who did not follow it were persecuted.
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