Religion Among Early American Immigrants
For the first American immigrants, religion wasn't just an attribute, it was a way of life. It defined what kind of lives they lead and how they were viewed by others in their new community. In some cases, religion determined where people could live. It became a regular financial expense similar to paying taxes. Often, one's rights as an American citizen hinged on which faith he proclaimed, as did their political views. In essence, the immigrant experience was dramatically affected by religious attitudes in the country at the time of their coming. In the early years of Virginian immigration, the vast majority of the settlers held Protestant beliefs, though the varieties differed. After becoming a royal colony, Virginia became an example for England of "ideal Anglican conformity." Sermons were administered every Sunday, communion given three times a year, responsibility was adopted to shape the behavior of the children, and to influence the people to lead what they considered to be pure lives. Church was not just a pastime, it was an expected ritual. Any parishioners absent from church on Sundays or holidays were forced to pay a shilling in addition to the tithes they owed already. People such as Sir William Berkeley f
As Catholics began coming to America in larger numbers, they found themselves met with staunch American Protestant prejudice. For a time, Catholics were banned from high government offices or even voting. This debate remained a heated and unsolved one for much of the 19th century. Unlike the economic concerns of today, Americans in the 18th century and particularly the 19th century were afraid of immigrant influence on politics, as indicated earlier. For the first time, people began to have a negative association with immigration. Americans believed Protestantism was a symbol of democracy and Catholicism in the political arena served only as a threat to this. Quakers experienced similar prejudice to the Puritans upon their arrival. One Quaker woman was demanded conformity or a whipping would ensue. In some cases, Catholics were denied the right to own land. For German immigrants in the mid-19th century, the establishment of church congregations often determined the resiliency of their settlements. Just as it had first determined the political power of immigrants, religion had now become a political force. During the week, prayer services were held twice a day, and Sunday saw all settlers attending two grand services. ocused their wills on their spiritual wealth more than their material. In 17th century Massachusetts, Puritans and their descendants had tight control over the area. "In a world that was haunted by death, religion became urgently important to the Virginians-more urgent then their worldly business.
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