How Did Religion Influence English Colonization

When it comes to English colonization of the New World, one major driving factor that played a key role was that of religion. Religious persecution in England was a huge motivating factor that was brought upon by divisions in religious beliefs. Some of these divisions include the Church of England splitting off from Catholicism and the Protestant Reformation. Another factor was the deal made between the King of England and William Penn to settle a debt. When considering all the dangers and uncertainties of a three month journey across the Atlantic you must wonder why the Puritans would make such an unforgiving journey, but if you put yourself in their shoes it would be an easy choice to make. They would rather take a chance in a new world the be persecuted and killed in the old world that they left behind. For this reason the role of religion in English colonization of North America cannot be understated. Without the hunger for religious freedom in the hearts of those early colonist, America as we know it may not have come to exist. …show more content…
The Protestant Reformation happened because Martin Luther expressed his doubts about the luxuries and corruption in the Catholic Church. He did this by hammering up his 95 theses for everyone to see. During this period of time the Puritans sought to cleanse the Catholic Church and the Church of England, which was established by King Henry VIII so that he could devoice his wives. These two major events set the stage for the persecution that would take place in England over the following years. These injustices will provide much of the driving force behind the early colonization of North