Religion in the American Revolution by Brian Walsh

Jeremy Spear

user_1412688954 — 2015-01-10 21:06:30 UTC

Religion played a major rule during the years leading up to the American Revolution by uniting the colonists together against a common cause. During the early 18th century, movements such as the Great Awakening caused colonists to turn away from religions like Anglicanism and towards other Evangelical-Protestant religions such as Calvinism and Presbyterianism. This united the colonists under a set of beliefs which everyone can agree upon, regardless of social status, and caused an almost universal resentment towards the tax-collecting Anglican Church. With a majority of colonists sharing similar viewpoints, people such as Thomas Paine used religious references to target a larger audience to spread ideas of separation from England, causing masses of colonists to work together towards independence.

Chistina

Ckeith — 2015-01-11 23:22:57 UTC

Chistina

Ckeith — 2015-01-11 23:23:10 UTC

Christina

Ckeith — 2015-01-11 23:23:26 UTC

It may not be significant for certain events, however, the the topic of why the Puritans left Britain, was mainly because they wanted religious freedom. They disagreed with the Church of England's beliefs. For other colonies, religion was not the reason that they wanted independence. Other colonies left their mainland because they wanted to be equal citizens of a government they agreed with and a government that treated them equally.

Meaghan

mward77 — 2015-01-11 23:24:48 UTC

Yes I do believe that religion was a significant factor in the movement towards independence. I believe this because during this time period most people were extremely religious and had similar beliefs. If the revolution was presented in a way the colonists could understand and that made it seem like God would want the colonists to rebel and try to gain their independence, then more colonists were apt to get behind the effort and endorse it.

Chris O'Brien

2015-01-11 23:46:10 UTC

Religion did play a significant role in fighting for independence. By using something like religion that affected each individuals life to explain that fighting for independence and having your own mind set made them want to follow what they believed in. Since religion affected everyone similarly, it allowed people to work together and fight for what they believed in. After everyone was synchronized, strong influential characters such as Thomas Paine made it easier for people to realize that they must fight for what was right.

Mike

TheTrueMLG1217 — 2015-01-12 00:28:23 UTC

Religion was definitely a significant factor in the movement toward independence. Before Thomas Paine used religion to reach the common folk, ordinary people like artisans, laborers, and farmers had little to no interest in revolutionary activities. In the 1760's and 1770's arguments for independence were mired in technical legal and philosophical terms, and they debated the proper responses toward colonial grievances. Ordinary people could not understand these arguments and because of that they had no interest in them. Paine, understanding the importance of the common people in the revolutionary movement, began to use religious terms to get them active in the move toward independence. Without the role that religion played ordinary citizens would never have come to make up the backbone of the revolutionary resistance, and it wouldn't have had the strength that it did.

Chris McCune

2015-01-12 00:32:22 UTC

Religion was an important factor in the American movement for independence. The importance of religion in the movement for independence started with events like the Great Awakening and spread of word like Common Sense. The Great Awakening inspired people to break away from the Church of England and to all come together under one religion. Thomas Paine's pamphelet, Common Sense, was read by and inspired many people in the colonies. It showed colonists to worship God instead of obeying rules made by the King of England. Without religion the colonists would not have realized how unjust and unfair England was to the colonies.

Jon Dudek

imverylazy — 2015-01-12 00:39:03 UTC

Leading up to the American Revolution, religion was used by patriots to recruit members of society who, politically, were not educated and did not know that Parliament was being unfair to the colonists. The first group of people who were enraged by England were educated, high class members of society who knew that the government in Europe was not entirely treating the colonists like true British citizens. They told other educated lawyers and politicians which over time increased the anger towards Parliament. When it was time to start an uprising, the patriots needed more man power, a way to get more people who were not as educated. So what they did was using religion and God as a means to persuade more colonists to join the fight for independence since uneducated colonists were still very religious. This is why religion was such a big part of the time leading up to the Revolution.

Caroline

2015-01-12 00:56:25 UTC

Religion was a major factor in the revolutionary effort because colonists had banded together for a widespread evangelical religious style that gave them a shared language and shared experiences. Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, knew that in order to get a large number of followers for the cause, he needed to target ordinary citizens; something that earlier pamphleteers hadn't thought of. He knew that farmers, artisans, and laborers etc would be best persuaded through the bible. Believing that God wouldn't punish them, colonists started to join in the movement toward independence.

Ally

Allyk15 — 2015-01-12 01:04:17 UTC

Religion was in fact a significant factor in the movement toward independence. After The Great Awakening, religion took on a whole new meaning in the lives of the patriots. Now, people who never payed much attention to religion were able to share in these thoughts, sermons, and pamphlets. Many people who already were viewed religion as important changed their beliefs away from the Anglican Church. People like Thomas Paine wrote pamphlets to aware everyone in the society, no matter their social status, of new thoughts that lead them away from their old lives. Since more people were now aware of the importance of unifying and separating from England, more rebellions began to take place, little by little adding to gain independence for the colonists.

Emily D

user_1412688865 — 2015-01-12 01:44:46 UTC

Emily

user_1412688865 — 2015-01-12 01:45:17 UTC

Religion was a significant factor in

Ashley Brower

Abrower13 — 2015-01-12 01:53:33 UTC

I believe that religion was an important and significant factor in the American Revolution. A prior movement that centered around religious independence, The Great Awakening, gave the colonists their first taste at any type of freedom. After The Great Awakening, the colonists longed for more independence and freedom from their authorities which later lead to the American Revolution. I don't think that religion was the biggest factor, the colonial frustration with British taxation without representation was a whole lot more of a factor, however I think that religion had at least a small influence on the American longing for independence.

Brandon Fontaine

2015-01-12 02:04:12 UTC

Sean

user_1412688969 — 2015-01-12 02:04:26 UTC

Yes, religion was a significant factor is the movement toward independence because it gave the colonists a sense of unity. Before the Great Awaking, the colonists saw themselves as being part of individual states rather than a whole community. When the Great Awaking started, it began to give the colonists a common language that they could all relate to. Some of the wealthier colonists such as merchants were heavily affected by the taxes that Parliament imposed on the colonies. The taxes angered the wealthy but was not widely hated by the lower class colonists. Even though these taxes were unfair, without enough support there was no way that the colonists could successfully rebel. Writers like Thomas Paine came up with the idea to connect religion with the movement for independence by stating "that authority flowed from God, the only rightful king, through the people to their popularly-chosen spokesperson in church and state." Paine's argument showed many colonists that the taxation without representation happening in Britain was against their beliefs. The amount of support because of religios beliefs fueled the revolutionary cause.

Brandon Fontaine

2015-01-12 02:05:05 UTC

Religion was very important in the American revolution, matter of a fact it was one of the basis' of the revolution. Not only did colonists want to rebel for the freedoms drawn up by the new constitution, but they wanted increased religious freedom, to be able to worship as the choose which was something the English had stone-walled in the past. Also this can be seen after the revolution was over when looking back upon it because most views of the most of the constitutional views were of Judeon-Christian origin, as well as the fact the constitution protects the right to pray and the right to religious freedom.

Natalie Hall

2015-01-12 02:26:10 UTC

Religion was a significant factor in the movement toward independence. It was used as a means to motivate a greater number of colonists to adopt the ideals that led toward the revolution. When influential colonists, such as Thomas Paine, incorporated religious references in speeches or writing, many common colonists were able to understand and connect with what he was saying. Religious undertones in revolutionary rhetoric allowed ordinary lower class colonists to be able to rationalize the case against the crown without a scholarly education that higher class citizens attained. The speakers used religion to unite a greater number of people toward resentment toward England. Religion seemed to be a part, but not too large of the factor in the movement toward independence, though it definitely had a role.

Emily D

user_1412688865 — 2015-01-12 03:21:03 UTC

Emily D- 4th try

user_1412688865 — 2015-01-12 03:21:41 UTC

Emily D

user_1412688865 — 2015-01-12 03:23:06 UTC

Emily D

user_1412688865 — 2015-01-12 03:23:31 UTC

Religion was a significant factor in the step towards independence. The separation of colonists due to different beliefs and languages made the idea of independence nonexistent. After the Great Awakening, a revival of common religion among the colonists was widespread. The thought of independence became real but was not strong enough to act upon until Thomas Paine's "Common Sense." His pamphlet reached out to commoners in America who could understand his religious references. United through religion, the majority of colonists were strong enough to take action and rebel for their independence.

Tom Fernald

tomfernald — 2015-01-12 12:37:23 UTC

Religion played a major role during the time leading up to the American revolution. Religion united the colonist together more than anything. Religious movements such as the Great Awakening led to colonist separating from religions. The movement provided one common cause that all colonist could be connected by. Many colonist would begin to share their similar viewpoints to spread the ideas of seperation throughout the colonies.

Jimmy

jlysko — 2015-01-12 12:43:51 UTC

Religion was not a major factor in the American Revolution. Although the Patriot leaders used religious terminology to appeal their cause to the other classes, religion itself was not a major factor. The basis for the revolution was mostly political, with leaders fighting for their rights as stated in the manga carta. They needed to spread their cause to all lower classes, so they used religious terminology. It was no doubt a great help to the cause, but the movement would have carried on without religion. The leaders would have found a different way to communicate their message to everyone either way. In short, religion was a key to the movements success, but not a cause of the movement itself.

Bianca Forcucci

user_1412688976 — 2015-01-12 14:24:05 UTC

I think that religion played a big part in leading up to the American revolution because many new religious ideas came about during the time when the Great awakening and Englishtment encouraged people to challenge authority and think about ideas of Liberty freedom and equality. This caused many people to want to have their own independence and to therefore then go against the government of the British and fight out against the unfair taxes begging opposed on them.

Emily O'Neill

Eoneill20 — 2015-01-12 14:58:08 UTC

I think religion was a very significant factor in the movement towards American revolution because it allowed a completely new group of people to be more involved. Many of the people who helped fight for independence were uneducated people. These people would not have been so strongly in favor of the revolution if it had not been for the involvement of religion in the arguments for independence. The religious arguments created a new way for the lower class, uneducated people to become a part of the revolutionary movement. Since religion was a language everyone could understand and relate to, it made a huge difference in the number of people who could take part in the fight for independence.