North America was colonized as both a grab for power by the Major European Nations; such as England, France, and Spain, as well as for reasons of religious freedoms. The Colonization for reasons of religion did not happen until after the 1620’s in what is referred to as the New England Bay Area, in colonies such as Plymouth (James Horn). Of course, religious demographics such as the Puritans or others looking for religious freedoms were not the only people who came to the “New World”, and of the 200,000 settlers coming to the colonies between 1630 and 1670, many ended up in the West Indies or the Chesapeake Bay area to work at the tobacco plantations and colonies.
The Puritans were not the only religious settlers, as there was New Amsterdam, a Jewish Dutch settlement founded in 1654 in what is today known as Manhattan. The Religious freedom and tolerance experienced by the Jewish settlers was astonishing to many of them as the social environment of the colonies was nowhere near as aggressive and anti-Semitic as Europe at that time. Of course, there were still limitations put on the Jewish people, as it was established that voting for public office could not be done by anyone except a; white, male, adult, who practiced protestant faith (Eli Farber). Other religious settlers included: Roman Catholics in Maryland, the Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the Lutherans in New York and Maryland (Marian Horvat. Genealoger).
A less known part of the Colonization due to religious reasons was the unfortunate practice of slavery, which through-out history has been done, but was condoned within both the Old and New Testament. This seeming acceptance of slavery through a Holy Book is derived purely through interpretation as, both Pro-slavery movements and abolitionists used the New Testament to back up their stances (University of Richmond). Similarly attacks on Native American settlements were justified with both reasons of manifest destiny and for purposes of conversion, such as what was later seen in the South-West with Missions (Shane Larsen).
The claim that America was colonized for purposes of religious freedom, while not wrong, does not tell the whole story. It is obvious through both the clear religious separations within the settlements and the behaviors towards different religions that, the Puritans who came to the ‘New World’ did not create colonies for religious freedom for all, but purely for the freedom to practice their specific branch of Christianity. Perhaps this is the true basis for the discrimination Non-Christian face in today’s America.
The Puritans were not the only religious settlers, as there was New Amsterdam, a Jewish Dutch settlement founded in 1654 in what is today known as Manhattan. The Religious freedom and tolerance experienced by the Jewish settlers was astonishing to many of them as the social environment of the colonies was nowhere near as aggressive and anti-Semitic as Europe at that time. Of course, there were still limitations put on the Jewish people, as it was established that voting for public office could not be done by anyone except a; white, male, adult, who practiced protestant faith (Eli Farber). Other religious settlers included: Roman Catholics in Maryland, the Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the Lutherans in New York and Maryland (Marian Horvat. Genealoger).
A less known part of the Colonization due to religious reasons was the unfortunate practice of slavery, which through-out history has been done, but was condoned within both the Old and New Testament. This seeming acceptance of slavery through a Holy Book is derived purely through interpretation as, both Pro-slavery movements and abolitionists used the New Testament to back up their stances (University of Richmond). Similarly attacks on Native American settlements were justified with both reasons of manifest destiny and for purposes of conversion, such as what was later seen in the South-West with Missions (Shane Larsen).
The claim that America was colonized for purposes of religious freedom, while not wrong, does not tell the whole story. It is obvious through both the clear religious separations within the settlements and the behaviors towards different religions that, the Puritans who came to the ‘New World’ did not create colonies for religious freedom for all, but purely for the freedom to practice their specific branch of Christianity. Perhaps this is the true basis for the discrimination Non-Christian face in today’s America.
CITATIONS
Farber, Eli. "Early America's Jewish Settlers." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. November 14, 2011. Accessed April 11, 2017. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/religion-and-eighteenth-century-revivalism/essays/early-america%E2%80%99s-jewish-settlers.
"Genealoger." Lutheran Genealogy -- Lutheran History and Culture. Accessed April 11, 2017. https://www.genealoger.com/lutheran/luth_history_and_culture.htm.
Horn, James. "Early Settlements." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. March 19, 2012. Accessed April 11, 2017. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/early-settlements/essays/early-settlements.
Horvat, Marian. "The Catholic Church in Colonial America." The Catholic Church in Colonial America. January 25, 2006. Accessed April 11, 2017. http://www.traditioninaction.org/History/B_001_Colonies.html.
Larsen, Shane. "MANIFEST DESTINY and Other Crimes Against The Native American Nations..." California Indian Education. Accessed April 11, 2017. http://www.californiaindianeducation.org/student_works/manifest_destiny_crimes/
University of Richmond. "Christianity as a Justification for Slavery." History Engine: Tools for Collaborative Education and Research | Episodes. Accessed April 11, 2017. https://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/3535.
"Genealoger." Lutheran Genealogy -- Lutheran History and Culture. Accessed April 11, 2017. https://www.genealoger.com/lutheran/luth_history_and_culture.htm.
Horn, James. "Early Settlements." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. March 19, 2012. Accessed April 11, 2017. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/early-settlements/essays/early-settlements.
Horvat, Marian. "The Catholic Church in Colonial America." The Catholic Church in Colonial America. January 25, 2006. Accessed April 11, 2017. http://www.traditioninaction.org/History/B_001_Colonies.html.
Larsen, Shane. "MANIFEST DESTINY and Other Crimes Against The Native American Nations..." California Indian Education. Accessed April 11, 2017. http://www.californiaindianeducation.org/student_works/manifest_destiny_crimes/
University of Richmond. "Christianity as a Justification for Slavery." History Engine: Tools for Collaborative Education and Research | Episodes. Accessed April 11, 2017. https://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/3535.