The Colonies by 1763: a New Society? Essay Example

The Colonies by 1763: A New Society? Between the settlement at Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the most important change that occurred in the colonies was the emergence of a society quite different from that in England. Changes in religion, economics, politics and social structure illustrate this Americanization of the transplanted Europeans. By 1763, although some colonies still maintained established churches, other colonies had accomplished a virtual revolution for religious toleration and separation of church and state. In England, the King, the head of state, is also the head of the Anglican Church, the Church of England. In the early colonial years, the Puritans had control of church and state in the northeast, mainly Massachusetts. The leaders were strict and church and state were inseparable. But during the 1730’s to the 1740’s, the Great Awakening arose and led to a decline in Puritan tradition. The Great Awakening was lead by Johnathan Edwards and George Whitefield and brought about an increase in religious freedom and many new churches. The Great Awakening also led to an increase of separation of church and state. The Great Awakening was only possible because the youth didn’t view religion as seriously as their predecessors. Also, the church’s power in government was weakened so they couldn’t enforce religious duties upon anyone. The Colonies had differed themselves from England religiously by being more tolerant. In a similar economic revolution, the colonies outgrew their mercantile relationship with the mother country and developed an expanding capitalist system. The colonies originally were a tool for England to collect resources and to expand its resources. This was because England believed in mercantilism. Mercantilism is the belief that there is a set amount of wealth in the world. The colonies began to trade with other nations and colonies without England’s permission because the distance between the