What Role Did Religion Play In Colonial Society

Since the beginning of civilization, religion has played a pivotal role in every society. This is especially true in the colonial societies of America during the 17th century. Religion affected every social class and every aspect of their lives. Both the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Pennsylvania display the effect of religion and how it shaped everything from politics to daily life. Religion determined many factors within Puritan Massachusetts and Quaker Pennsylvania, which resulted in two completely different colonies. The Massachusetts bay colony was established by Puritans seeking religious freedom, something they didn't have in England. They established the Puritan church throughout the colony, and it became the center of life. Church attendance was mandatory and attendance would be taken. Additionally, everyone, including non-believers, had to pay state taxes for the Church. The Puritan faith is notorious for being quite restrictive, and this affected all of society. For example; gambling, dancing, and singing were all outlawed. Even people who didn’t follow the Puritan faith were forced to follow these very restrictive laws. Furthermore, politics in Massachusetts emerged directly from the stauch religion. In church, …show more content…
However, throughout the 17th century, the effects of religion did not experience a significant change. In the Bay Colony the Congregational Church unified the four parts of the colony in both religion and government. Also, as more non-Quaker settlers came to Pennsylvania; the role of religion dwindled. Religion began playing a greater role in the 18th century leading up to the Revolution, because it largely dictated if one was a loyalist or a patriot. The liberal cities of Philadelphia and Boston became major areas for the Patriots and were the homes to many turning points of the American