Influence Of Religion In America

Religion, a constant influence throughout history, has shaped the progress of nations. It has continued to affect the development of history and still has incredible influence today. People’s beliefs shaped their ideas in government and variations of those personal beliefs weren’t always viewed in a positive light. This led to much conflict that plagued many regions around the world and affected their advancement. One of the primary motivations for moving to America was the hope of finding religious freedom. Numerous people were fed up with being mistreated in their homelands and being prosecuted for having different beliefs. America offered an escape from the constant judgment they faced. Each country and even regions within those countries practiced different religions, with Spain and Portugal mostly unified with Roman Catholicism and England sharing Protestant beliefs. There were many factions that wanted to practice different beliefs but were unable to for fear of being prosecuted. This crisis is what ignited the desire of America’s forefathers to …show more content…
Different nationalities came with the idea of establishing settlements where their religion would be exclusively practiced without fear of reproach and settlements were established to specifically practice one particular branch of faith and the right to practice other religions was denied in those colonies. Maryland, one such settlement, was founded by Lord Baltimore as Saint Mary's and acted as safe haven for persecuted English Catholics. Other colonies were founded by the Dutch—New York, New Jersey and Delaware—and other colonies were founded by the English, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia. In all cases, despite the fact that these settlements practiced their own faith, religion was a common factor in shaping how these colonies interacted, and was a major reason why people came in the first