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The Puritans
The Puritans were a major group in opposition to the Church of England, in which they believed that the Anglican church could be changed to their satisfaction. The Puritans were important because they changed the ways of the Church of England in their colony, and brought the Anglican church which they purified by eliminating the objectionable aspects of worship in the established church. -
Maryland - The Catholic Experiment
The Maryland Catholic Experiment was when Lord Baltimore was was granted possession of all land lying between the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay, and saw the opportunity to grant religious freedom to the Catholics who remained in Anglican England. This event is important because the land served as a refuge for those under Anglican England, who wanted religious freedom. -
Quakers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey
When Charles II owed his father a huge debt, William Penn was repaid with an enormous tract of land in the New World and saw the opportunity of bringing people of his faith, the Quakers, a new opportunity. With some good advertising, he might be able to establish a religious refuge. This event was important because the Quakers could establish a colony in which they could escape persecution in England, and colonize a place with religious freedom and equality for all. -
Virginia Statutes for Religious Freedom
The Virginia Bill Of Rights in 1776 guaranteed that
the Free Exercise Of Religion, without ending the Episcopal Religious Establishments. separate clauses protecting “Free Exercise” and prohibiting “Establishment” of religion were not included until the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1786. In time, this principle came to be accepted by every state.
