RELIGION IN AMERICA

RELIGION IN AMERICA Timeline of American Religion 1607 – Virginia is settled, planting the Church of England in North America 1620 – Pilgrims arrive in America and settle Plymouth 1629-39 – Massachusetts Bay Colony is founded, brining Congregationalism to North America 1634 – Maryland is founded and the Roman Catholic Church is established in America 1636 – Roger Williams is expelled from Massachusetts and decides to found Rhode Island, a haven for religious dissidents 1637 – Anne Hutchinson claims anyone can receive direct revelations from God; she is brought before the General Court in Boston, persecuted, and eventually banished to Rhode Island 1650 – Anne Bradstreet, a Puritan, publishes her first poems and becomes the first published poet in America 1654 – Jews flee religious persecution in Brazil and travel to New York City 1659-62 – Quakers are hanged in Massachusetts and persecuted in Virginia due to the belief in enforced religious uniformity 1681 – William Penn, leader of the Quakers, receives a charter for Pennsylvania – the largest tract of land ever given to an individual by the Crown of England; Penn establishes a tolerant religious community 1683 – German Protestant sects begin arriving in Pennsylvania, hoping to find religious freedom Timeline  1689 – English Parliament passes the Toleration Act, improving the conditions of dissenters in the colonies  1692 – Witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts  1735-45 – Religion is revived by the Great Awakening  1755 – The South is converted by Baptists  1758 – The Presbyterian Church, which was previously split by the Great Awakening into New Side and Old Side, is brought back together  1766 – The Methodists hold their first meeting in the American colonies  1776 – Americans declare their independence Timeline  1780 – Massachusetts adopts its constitution, which provides state support of religion  1784 – The Methodist Episcopal Church is established  1786 – The Virginia Assembly passes “Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom”, which prohibits state support of religion provided in the Massachusetts constitution  1787 – The Americans adopt their Constitution and outlaw religious tests for public service Timeline  1788-89 – Protestant Episcopal Church is established and, and the Church cuts its ties with the Church of England  1789 – Congress passes the Bill of rights and bans the congressional “establishment” of religion and English Roots of American Colonial Religion      In 1530, English King Henry VIII launched the Protestant Reformation 1570s-1580s Protestant English troops crushed Irish Catholic resistance, many English found distaste for „inferior‟ religion and those who practiced it Colonization largely influenced by competition with Catholic Spain 1588 the „Protestant wind‟ destroys the Spanish Armada Some American colonies founded because of Protestant persecution   Maryland in 1634 for Catholics- lots of religious toleration Separatist Puritan Colony founded New England in 1620   Many Separatists believed that the Church of England should not be affiliated so closely with the Crown The English Protestants were divided   Nationalized Church of England Establishment of two separate entities    Elizabeth branded the Separatists as extremists Set off to new world contemptuous and Devout Calvinistic influence-predestination American Puritanism Pre-1700s     Strong emphasis on education  Harvard founded in 1636 to train ministers  High literacy rate Very intolerant belief system  Anne Hutchinson persecuted and banished in 1638  Roger Williams also expelled in 1638 Separation of Church and State  Nationalized religion was what the Puritans tried to escape Religion in politics  In early stages only church members could vote  Some Quakers were killed including a Mary Dryers Salem Witchcraft Trials occurred around 1692  Resulted in the burnings of 20 people and 2 dogs  Initiated by accusations by group of village girls  Weakened Puritan credibility and ultimately some religious leaders apologized Religious Prevalence in Colonial America -Most people did not consider themselves religious during the colonial period- only about 1/5 -Most colonists arrived for nonreligious reasons -Church membership never surpassed 20% during the colonial period -Approximately 80% of Americans, slaves excluded, were WASPS (white anglo-saxon protestants) -Other forms of Christianity were opposed by the Protestants Puritanism -Beginning in England -The problem the Puritans had with the Church of England was that it was too ritualistic and too strictly structured -Also too closely connected with the English government, which risked corruption -Puritans formed their own denominations (Congregationalists, Presbyterians, and Baptists) after they were separated from the Church of England -Traveled to America to set up new churches -America‟s first major religious group -Anglicans supported Puritan beliefs -By 1776, 70% of American church members shared religious views 3 basic beliefs 1) Sovereignty of God 2) Humans are inherently sinful in nature 3) Conversion experiences (signs that one had been chosen for salvation) Predestination  A fundamental Puritan doctrine  God knows who is going to be saved and who is going to be damned, because God is omniscient and omnipotent (all-knowing and all-powerful)  Those who live virtuous lives, are more successful on earth, and are more pious are more likely to be among the Elect- those who will be saved  On the flip side, heathens, heretics, and criminals are considered more likely to be doomed The First Great Awakening God was portrayed as a “benign creator” in the beginning of the 18th century Dramatic changes occurred in American religion from the 1730s-40s Jonathon Edwards – preached that God was outraged by human sin and that salvation could only be reached by penitence- all others would be damned George Whitefield – traveled across America, and preached to thousands in barns, fields, and tents. Said God was all-powerful and would only save those who professed their belief in the Savior, but also that common people could understand religion without religious official leadership Impact –Religion became emotionally based •Official clergy lost power •Created division within churches, between those who supported it and those who did not •Increased diversity, which therefore led for increased calling for separation of church and state Influence on politics –Increased unity because the colonists had now been through a common experience •Changed the popular view on authority (questioning of the clergy led to questioning of other authorities) Religion in the 1800-1900  Alexis de Tocqueville - “no country in the world where the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America.”  Differed from colonial day religion  French Revolutionary impacted and softened the past orthodoxy  Many Founding Fathers, such as Jefferson and Franklin embraced liberal doctrines of Deism that Thomas Paine promotes in his Age of Reason.  Deism- Reliance on reason and not on revelation or relied on science rather than the Bible, yet believed in a Supreme Being who created the universe  Desim was later called “Atheism” or aligned itself with Atheist views Religion in the 1800-1900 cont  Deism helped to create a Unitarian faith, which held that God existed in only one person  Unitarians-proclaimed that their belief was in free will and possibility of salvation through good works (Ralph Waldo Emerson-Leading thinker)  Unitariasm contrasted from the Calvinism doctrines of the 1700's, differing on subjects such as predestination and human depravity  First Unitarian church was founded in 1796 but the faith became more widely accepted in the 1800's GREAT AWAKENING PART DEUX     Growing liberalism starting in the early 1800's Revivals on Southern Frontier Second Great Awakening introduced new sects Second Great Awakening- “camp meetings occurred” where thousands would become “saved”  Revivals stimulated church membership and a variety of humanitarian reforms  Evangelicilism became emphasized during the time of the Second Great Awakening Important Sects and People  Two other sects that were born were Methodists and Baptists  Peter Cartwright (1785-1872) was a prominent preacher  Charles Grandison Finney was a prominent revival preacher. Known as the “greatest preacher” of the Second Great Awakening  Finney led massive revivals in 1830-1831 in Rochester, New York  Encouraged women to pray aloud in public and denounced both alcohol and slavery  Both these sects stressed personal conversion and explored a democratic control of church affairs  William Miller – Millerites and Adventists: interpreted the Bible to mean that Christ would return on Earth Oct. 22, 1844 Idealism in the Second Great Awakening  Emotionalism in religion began again  Religion began to influence other ideals such as freedom from cruelty of war, discrimination, intoxicated drinking, and slavery  There were increased plantation missions held for slaves  Methodists and Presbyterians divide on the issue of slavery in 1830's-1840's  Idealistic religion on a utopian socialism, moral reform, and other ideas came to Christianity Divisiveness Caused by the Second Great Awakening  Second Great Awakening widened lines between class and region  Episcoplaians, Presbyterians, congregationalists, and Unitarian --> Wealthy classes and better-educated  Big Boundary between Northern Protestants, Methodists, and Baptists; and Southern Protestants, Methodists, and Baptists.  This split between North and Southern Faith and ideals in religion was considered the first sign of splitting. Later followed by a split in politics and the Union.  Protestants encouraged increase in educational learning and also importance of education in every household  1830- Joseph Smith, a visionary, reported an encounter with an angel  This led to the religion of Mormons  Deciphered the Book of Mormon from golden plates claimed to be received by Joseph Smith  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was founded through J. Smith's claim  Had leaders that were dedicated to free enterprise  Voted as a unit and produced their own militia  Polygamy was a problem for Joseph Smith  Brigham Young was an “eloquent” (Bailey) preacher with only 11 days of schooling  Movement to Utah- use of irrigation system in desert of Utah Second Great Awakening and Abolition  Second Great Awakening later affected the Abolitionist Movement  Theodore Dwight Weld, abolitionist leader, was evangelized by Charles Finney  “Second Great Awakening now inflamed the hearts of many abolitionists against the sin of slavery.” (Bailey).  Supporting abolitionist movement, Protestant beliefs displayed a variety of humitarian reform  Church Attendance decreased later in the later 1800's compared to the ¾ of 23 million Americans living in the country  Overview: Religion in the 1800's was greatly influence by the Second Great Awakening, and became more liberal and divided in North and South and Class Status One Nation “Under God”?  At first was a dream for a Judeo-Christian society  Gradually began to change with the influx of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Buddhists which climaxed in the early 1950s.  America grew to embrace more secular government, and more tolerant people. Religion and Education  1925 the Scopes Monkey Trial brought the issue of evolution in schools to the foreground  Although the law banning evolutions teaching was upheld, it paved the way for years of conflict. Religion and Education Cont.  The Warren court beginning in 1953 greatly restrained religious influences in schools.  1962 Engel V. Vitale overturned a law requiring prayer in schools  1963 School District of Abington Township V. Schempp overturned a law requiring Bible readings in school. Kennedy and Catholicism  In the election of 1960 Kennedy‟s became a key issue  The First Roman Catholic to be nominated since Al Smith in 1928, people feared Rome‟s influence in American policy.  Led southern Democrats to avoid polls while in the North, Catholics voted in record numbers to elect him to office. Possible Free Response Essay Questions  Compare and contrast the first and second Great Awakening  Compare the role religion played in the woman‟s movement with the role it played in the civil rights movement.  Assess the validity of this statement: Puritanism was a definitive departure from its Protestant English roots Bibliography Bailey, Thomas and David M. Kennedy. The American Pageant. Lincoln: D.C.. Heath and Company, 1994. Bickner, Carrie. “Slavery and Religion in America.” . Updated 1998. Butler, Jon. Religion in Colonial America. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2000. Conser, Walter Jr. and Sumner B. Twiss. Religious Diversity and American Religious History. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1997. Davis, Kenneth C. Don’t Know Much About History: Everything you need to know about American history but never learned. New York: Harper-Collins Publishers, Inc., 2003. Fuller, Robert C. Religious Revolutionaries: The Rebels who Reshaped American Religion. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 1952. Newman, John and John M. Schmalbach. United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination. New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc., 2004. Noll, Mark A. Religion and American Politics. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1990. Bibliography cont‟d Scott, Donald. “Evangelicilism, Revivalism, and the Second Great Awakening”. . Updated 2000. Sweet, William Warren. Religion in Colonial America. New York: Cooper Square Publishing, Inc., 1965. Wacker, Grant. Religion in Nineteenth Century America. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2000. Wiegand, Steve. U.S. History for Dummies. New York: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 2001. Houghton Mifflin Company. “Second Great Awakening.” . Updated 2001.