Although religion was certainly a factor in early expeditions to the new world, it did not see a drastic rise in attention until much later. The Mayflower first brought Europeans in 1620 to settle what would later be the thirteen colonies. Although religious freedom was not their sole objective, one could argue it was a major factor in early colonization.
The earliest data represented in document two shows a small quantity of churches within the thirteen colonies around the year 1740; by 1776 this number near triples from 1256 to 3179 (E2). What is far more fascinating is the changes in individual denominations at this time. Congregational churches had 33.7% of the total church population in 1740 and lost 12.7% of that to other denominations
The earliest data represented in document two shows a small quantity of churches within the thirteen colonies around the year 1740; by 1776 this number near triples from 1256 to 3179 (E2). What is far more fascinating is the changes in individual denominations at this time. Congregational churches had 33.7% of the total church population in 1740 and lost 12.7% of that to other denominations