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These events progressed towards religious freedom in this order from the common people in the colonies become dissents and realizing that everyone should have the right to worship whomever they want. -
The Puritans
The Puritans were very strict when it came to their religion and did not allow any conflicting ideas to interfere with their beliefs. They did not leave any space for freedom of religion. Therefore the Puritans are the farthest away from religious freedom. -
Religious Requirements for Voting
In this event, the colonists, specifically men, were not allowed to vote unless they were big property owners, converted "visible" saints or belongings of the established state church at that time. This religious control only loosened in the late 17th century. This did not allow much freedom for religion or government. -
The Pilgrims
The Pilgrims began the idea of being a dissent and leaving common rule to believe in their own faiths. They left England and began a new colony in the new world just to practice their religion freely. This was an important event for the goal of religious freedom because it was one of the first few events of people uprising from the religious rule. -
Maryland- The Catholic Experiment
The Catholic Experiment, Maryland, was established to give religious freedom to Catholics and as a profit. This was another act of people dissenting for their own religious rights. This was important because it demonstrated how other people caught on to the idea of religious freedom after the previous event. -
Quakers in Pennsylvannia and New Jersey
The Quakers had already had a grudge against England and didn't pay taxes or participate in wars. They were heavily looked down on in England because they had different beliefs. The colonies Pennsylvannia and New Jersey had helped many of those Quakers which is quite an important event for religiious freedom. -
Dissent in Massachusetts Bay
Anne Hutchinson and Rodger Williams left Massachusetts because their ideas of god strayed from the common belief. Roger Williams had started Rhode Island for Religious freedom, having faced such adversity at his previous colony, he knew how the colonist would feel without that freedom. Anne Hutchinson later joined the colony. This was very important because these dissents started a new colony from scratch to grant many colonist religious freedom. -
Virginia Statues for Religious Freedom
This is the most important event in gaining total religious freedom because this event was of an official document being signed that granted religious freedom for Virginia. Virginia then had official complete religious freedom due to the Virginia Bill of Rights.
