ROLE OF RELIGION 1600-1800

1. ROLE OF RELIGION1600-1800

2. OVERVIEW • 1ST Amendment: • “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” • Religion’s role in government today? • What do you think?

3. NATIVE AMERICANS • Religious diversity in N. America before European conquerors • Spain • Forced natives to convert to Catholicism • France • Also Catholic, but not as aggressive • RESULT: • The destruction of spiritual lives in Native Americans

4. AFRICAN AMERICANS • Most effective way of enduring slave conditions • Were forced to convert by their white masters • Blended African spiritual expression with the Christian religion • Effect: • Creation of rich tradition of religious expression that continues to enrich all of America

5. RELIGION IN THE COLONIES • Religion was most powerful force for colonization • Also major source of conflict within colonies • Church of England was the “established” church. • Meant the official church • Taxes must be paid to that church • Dissenters set up colonies elsewhere • Rhode Island, Pennsylvania

6. RELIGIOUS ZEALOTS IN MASSACHUSETTS • Had been oppressed by church of England • 1630: Puritans set up a colony in Mass • Left England to “purify” the church and set up a “godly society” • Led by John Calvin • Believed God had already chosen the select few who would be saved • What about the rest of the people?

7. RELIGIOUS ZEALOTS IN MASSACHUSETTS • Those “saved” called themselves “visible saints” • Sought to protect their society from being poisoned by the damned • What adjective can be used to describe them? • Patriarchal society-women not allowed in government • Invented the “town hall meeting” • Still used today

8. RELIGIOUS ZEALOTS IN MASSACHUSETTS • those who disagreed were banished • Roger Williams • Flees to Rhode Island • Complete freedom of worship • Separation of church and state • Salem Witch Trials 1692 • Less children were claiming the vision • Puritans needed a scapegoat • 2 girls claimed they could ID witches • 20 women were tried and executed as witches

9. QUAKERS IN PENNSYLVANIA • Believed God existed as an “inner light” • Made everyone equal in God’s eyes • No minister needed • No taxes to be paid to established church • Negotiated with Native Americans for land (unlike Puritans) • Refused to serve in military • Complete freedom of worship

10. FIRST GREAT AWAKENING • Movement to revitalize religion in colonies • Called Congregationalists • Led by Jonathan Edwards • Call to be “born again” • Claimed people could reach salvation without the help of clergy most important idea from the First Great Awakening • Called for unity (first time in colonies) • Led to foundings of Princeton and Brown universities

11. ENLIGHTENMENTRELIGION VS REASON • First Great Awakening during Enlightenment in Europe • Enlightenment: entire universe worked according to natural laws • Movement away from superstition and toward reason • John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau • Enlightenment thinkers were Deists

12. ENLIGHTENMENTRELIGION VS REASON • Enlightenment thinkers were Deists • God created world, but was not actively present in it • Mankind’s duty to discover those natural laws • Our Founding Fathers (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton) were Deists • Distrusted organized religion

13. RELIGION AND THE CONSTITUTION • Because of their distrust, Jefferson called for the “separation of church and state” • Remember 1st Amendment (no need to write this down again): • Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof” • First part of it is called the Establishment Clause • 2nd part called the Free Exercise Clause