What role did religion play in the establishment of English colonies in North America?

Religion played a major role in the establishment of the English colonies in North America. It may not have been the first priority when it came to colonizing the Americas, but over time it became the pinnacle of American society. All from Massachusetts Bay immersing their government around worshiping God, Rhode Island’s complete religious tolerance, and the establishment of Plymouth. Although colonists were bound together by a common language and a common alliance to Mother England, they established different patterns of living whether it was different economies, different values, and different religious costumes. It seems that the English needed to recommit themselves to the faith of their fathers, and “recommitting” themselves in an entirely new location, seemed like the best option.
The high most significant reasons for the English colonization would have to be economic, political, and religion. Many colonies were created on the basis of supporting their “mother country” such as Jamestown and the Carolinas. But they flourished because of religion. Puritans and Pilgrims were two groups of people that started the “religious boom” during the late seventeenth century. Both of these groups of people influenced both William Bradford and John Winthrop to lead their colonies to sheer greatness. “We shall be as a city upon a hill” is essentially where each colony started out, as an idea that had to be fleshed out by a soul hungry for recognition of their religion. The establishment of Plymouth was started when a congregation of Separatists fleeing “royal wrath” departed for Holland in 1608. With the colony established and the Mayflower Compact signed and in action, the colonists were ready for their first winter. Only 44 of the 102 settlers survived the winter, but the Pilgrims believed that God made his children prosperous. Thus showing that sometimes without religion one can lose hope, and how important it was when establishing the thirteen colonies.
In 1636 Roger Williams, after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his religious views, settled at the tip of Narragansett Bay. He called the site Providence/Rhode Island and declared it a place of religious freedom. Hope, the sign of the colony, is what Rhode Island thought only God could provide. On the other had while New Hampshire were attacking the various Indian Tribes “threatening” their land, Rhode Island was there to make peace and allow religious tolerance throughout their Rouge Island. Many religious groups (such as the Quakers and Puritans) formed the first 13 colonies on the basis of their religious beliefs. Although the plan was to escape persecution, there was actually some amount of persecution happening in the colonies. One example of this persecution would be with the Puritans. The Puritans wanted everyone to worship in the Puritan way. In order to ensure that Puritanism ted the colonies, objectors were fined, banished, whipped, and even imprisoned for not conforming to the way of the Puritans. Eventually this persecution was ended and other religions began to appear.
Before the Commonwealth was settled, the area was home to the Delaware and other Native American tribes. In 1681, Charles II granted a land charter to William Penn, to repay a large debt owed to William's father, Admiral Penn.
Penn established a government with two innovations that were much copied in the New World: the county commission, and freedom of religious conviction. Others during the time refer to Pennsylvania as an “Anarchist Experiment.” William Penn didn’t think so, to him anything but religious toleration was a crime against God. His colony was best known for the sheltering of Quakers, who were wildly subjected during the “building phases” of colonial America. Quakers have been a significant part of the movements to abolish slavery, acknowledge the equal rights of women, and end warfare. They have also promoted education and the humane treatment of prisoners and the mentally ill, through the founding or reforming of various institutions.
The final role religion played in Colonial America was that of a nearly complete separation from church and state, the first Great Awaking. The Great Awakening was a watershed event in the life of the American people. Before it was over, it had swept the colonies of the Eastern seaboard, transforming the social and religious life of land. Although the name is slightly misleading--the Great Awakening was not one continuous revival, rather it was several revivals in a variety of locations--it says a great deal about the state of religion in the colonies. For the simple reality is that one cannot be awakened unless you have fallen asleep. The revival began with Jonathan Edwards, a well-educated theologian and Congregationalist minister that emphasized the importance and power of immediate, personal religious experience. His sermons were powerful and attracted a large congregation. "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," is his most famous sermon. The Methodist preacher George Whitefield, visiting from England, continued the movement, traveling across the colonies and preaching in a more dramatic and emotional style, accepting everyone into his audiences.
Overall religion was the building block for all of Colonial America. It became a nt part of the lives of the colonists and continued to grow over the years. Events such as the Salem Witchcraft Trials of the 1690's and the Great Awakening of the 1730's only increased the influence of religion in America. America had become a sanctuary for those who wanted religious freedom and became a haven to the many people that had the chance to develop their lives.