Religion
Jessica Ferry American Religious History
February 25, 2013 Religions Role on the American Revolution
Religions Role on the American Revolution
Religion was not a major cause of the American Revolution but it did make an immense impact. The revolutionary struggle subtly interacted with religion, but then quickly changed traditional European relations between the government and religion and made America an inspiration of religious freedom for people everywhere.
The Revolutionary war broke out on April 19, 1775, initiated with the first shots at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. Then in July of 1776, America declared its Independence. The Declaration of Independence emphasized politics as the root of the Revolution. It also referred to religion in general terms. For example: “Nature’s God” and “Divine Providence”, which the Stanford Encyclopedia defines as “under God's sovereign guidance and control.”However, the Declaration of Independence never goes as far as addressing Christ in the text from the Bible to support independence.
Many people, mostly pilgrims, migrated to America for religious freedom. Their hope was to escape the religious persecution they faced in their own countries. They wanted to escape the supremacy of their religion in the political structures that were in effect in Europe. There, (Over in Europe worked, it just sounds repetitive because you used Europe at the end of the last sentence) the lives of citizens were being dominated by religion and government. The people who traveled from England did not want to establish a church like the Church of England. They simply wanted the option to practice any religion they chose, freely. Religious diversity had become a common dominant aspect of the Thirteen Colonies. The colonies were a combination of religiously diverse communities and, as a result, the population of America began to increase considerably.
As a result of such an overbearing ruling in
February 25, 2013 Religions Role on the American Revolution
Religions Role on the American Revolution
Religion was not a major cause of the American Revolution but it did make an immense impact. The revolutionary struggle subtly interacted with religion, but then quickly changed traditional European relations between the government and religion and made America an inspiration of religious freedom for people everywhere.
The Revolutionary war broke out on April 19, 1775, initiated with the first shots at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. Then in July of 1776, America declared its Independence. The Declaration of Independence emphasized politics as the root of the Revolution. It also referred to religion in general terms. For example: “Nature’s God” and “Divine Providence”, which the Stanford Encyclopedia defines as “under God's sovereign guidance and control.”However, the Declaration of Independence never goes as far as addressing Christ in the text from the Bible to support independence.
Many people, mostly pilgrims, migrated to America for religious freedom. Their hope was to escape the religious persecution they faced in their own countries. They wanted to escape the supremacy of their religion in the political structures that were in effect in Europe. There, (Over in Europe worked, it just sounds repetitive because you used Europe at the end of the last sentence) the lives of citizens were being dominated by religion and government. The people who traveled from England did not want to establish a church like the Church of England. They simply wanted the option to practice any religion they chose, freely. Religious diversity had become a common dominant aspect of the Thirteen Colonies. The colonies were a combination of religiously diverse communities and, as a result, the population of America began to increase considerably.
As a result of such an overbearing ruling in