The dominant religion of the New England colonies was Puritan. Puritan's came to the Americas in search of land where they could practice their religion free from persecution, however they did not believe in religious toleration for others. Puritans desired to make the Church of England more "pure" following the reformation. The New England colonies were the least religiously tolerant of all three regions, with the most stringent colony being Massachusetts Bay. The Puritan church controlled all aspects of life, and life was centered around the church. Governor, John Winthrop, exiled anyone who went against the beliefs of the Puritan Church.
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The dominant religion in the Mid-Atlantic colonies were the Quakers, who believed in the inner light of all people. The Quakers were religiously tolerant and played a role in the vast tolerance of a variety of religions in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Founded by William Penn, Quakers flocked to the region to escape religious persecution in England. Although only speculation, the man depicted on the Quaker Oats packaging is believed to resemble William Penn, as tribute to his importance to the development of the colony. Oats, a key grain grown in the Mid-Atlantic region was grown for food and trade. |
The Southern colonies were not founded for religious reasons, although Lord Baltimore did advocate for religious toleration of Catholics by passing the Act of Toleration in the Maryland colony. Religion was not a major factor in the Southern colonies due to the wide spread plantations. Most of what was needed to survive could be produced or developed on the plantations in the South, and the large numbers of navigable rivers led to the development of few cities. Colonists did not often travel to practice religion due to the distance between plantations and towns. Religion played little role in the cultural development of the South.
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