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1600's In England, you had to be a man of wealth, power, and own land to be eligible to vote. In the colonies, most men that didn’t belong to their State Church weren't allowed to vote, either. Puritans: you had to be converted into their religion+have a certain amount of property to vote.This only started to change by the end of the 17th century.
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The Pilgrims wanted to settle somewhere where they could practice their chosen religion, because in England, you were restricted to one religion, and one church. The New World would provide a lot more opportunities for religious freedom
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The Puritans were people who wanted freedom of religion, but when they settled in Massachusetts, they persecuted anyone who chose to disagree with the religious choices made.
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Lord Baltimore settled Maryland as a refuge for Catholics that were living in England. In England, Catholics were a minority, which meant that they were heavily persecuted by the other Englanders.
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Roger Williams had the idea of separating the Church from State. This was unheard of in his time, and got him banished from Massachusetts. But he went on to colonize what would soon be Rhode Island.
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Anne Hutchinson had her own ideas about religion. She had questions about the Bible that were strictly forbidden in Massachusetts. Because of this, she was the other person banned from Massachusetts.
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The Quakers were a group of pacifists who believed in equality for everyone. One of these Quakers was William Penn, who used his large patch of land, given to him by King Charles II, colonized it, and named it Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania was a refuge for Quakers and anybody who wanted free religion and equality.
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The First Great Awakening was the revival of religious piety around the 13 colonies. People started preaching, and believing in the actions and words of God more. They valued heart over logic, bible over science. This would be the seed for a new religious awakening.
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Since Timespans don't allow images, I am keeping my image here.
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By 1776, all of the colonies except Rhode Island and Pennsylvania had an established church. Every taxpayer helped support this church, whether they liked it or not. The Virginia Statutes for Religious Freedom guaranteed people that they had free practice of religion without persecution. In time, this principle became accepted amongst everyone.
