Religion has always played a vital role in the beliefs of the American people. The role religion played in early American life can be seen in every part of colonial society, from how people lived together to how they made their laws. Striving towards a "perfect" lifestyle in society often revolves around religion, particularly Christianity. Religion in early America was more than just going to church - it shaped how the Pilgrims built their towns, treated their neighbors, and even wrote their rules. The same can be said about the early settlers of America, the Pilgrims, who left behind everything they knew in England. Perhaps the reason Christianity has such an imperative role in America today is due to the religious zeal and enthusiasm of the early Americans. Throughout their trials in Europe, they always had the goal in mind of being able to worship freely without persecution, and now was their chance. With this mentality, it is easy to see why they would expect or believe that God was playing an active role in their newly found society. Even when they met Native Americans or faced hard winters, they saw God's hand in everything that happened to them.
Religion in early America wasn't just about one way of worship. Even though most colonies started with strong Christian beliefs, each area developed its own religious character. The Puritans in Massachusetts wanted strict religious rules, while places like Rhode Island let people worship how they wanted. Pennsylvania became home to many different groups like the Quakers, who believed in peace and treating everyone fairly. Many colonies also had Jews, Catholics, and other Christian groups living together, though sometimes they didn't get along well. Some colonies even made laws about which religions were allowed and which weren't. Maryland, for example, started as a safe place for Catholics but later allowed Protestants too. What's interesting is how these different religious groups learned to live near each other, even when they disagreed about their beliefs. By looking at the writings from this time, we can see how each group tried to keep their own religious practices while dealing with their neighbors who believed different things. This mix of religious ideas helped shape how America would later think about religious freedom.
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There are many authors who contributed to the writings during this time period, one being Williams Bradford. In his journal, Of Plymouth Plantation, he describes their travels and landing at Cape Cod. The reader sees the look at their religion in this quote, “Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element” (Levine 76). Bradford is praising God for delivering them across the ocean and into this new land. He believes that the reason for their safe travels is because God had a hand in their journey. He most likely believes this because the people have been faithful in their worship and obligation to Him and, therefore, are now being rewarded.
Another example of this is after they land, they are looking for food and stumble across two Indian houses where they find beans and corn. “And here is to be noted a special providence of God, and a great mercy to this poor people, that here they got a seed to plant their corn the next year, or else they might have starved, for they had none nor any likelihood to get any till the season had been past, as the sequel did manifest” (Levine 79). They are again giving God the credit for giving them the seeds they needed to survive the winter instead of discerning that it may have been a coincidence to have found the seeds. The final way he depicted God as contributing to their journey is through Squanto. Squanto is mostly identified as the Pilgrim’s interpreter, navigator, and educator of farming. In Bradford’s journal, he praised Squanto for his service and compassion for his people, but not without crediting God. “…but Squanto continued with them and was their interpreter and was a special instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectation” (Levine 85). While it does seem as though God is watching out for the Pilgrims, it also seems like Bradford did not believe that the Indians could be good in and of themselves. Instead, it was God who softened their hearts towards the Pilgrims, and that is why they were unharmed.
John Winthrop was also a vital part of the establishment of this new community. He was a Puritan who wanted to reform the church from within rather than starting over completely. In his sermon, A Model of Christian Charity, he uses many biblical references to set up new standards and explain how the Pilgrims should treat one another. He addresses a few questions in his sermon, the first being, “What rule must we observe in forgiving?” (Levine 97). Here, he references the year of Jubilee found in Deuteronomy 15:2, saying that if the debtor does not have the funds to repay the creditor, then he (the loaner) must forgive the debt unless you are bound by the law. To most, this seems like an extreme practice of taking the Bible literally, but Winthrop wants this society to be as “Christian” as possible. He then focuses on the love between Christians and says that they should love each other as Christ loves them. “This love is a divine, spiritual nature free, active, strong, courageous, permanent… this makes us nearer to resemble the virtues of our Heavenly Father” (Levine 101). He believes that if this community mimics the virtues and characteristics of Christ when dealing with others in the community, their newly formed civilization will be set up for success. Winthrop closes his argument with the most well-known phrase in this sermon, desiring the community to be a “city on a hill” (Levine 103). If the people keep biblical guidelines in their everyday lives and follow Christ’s ways, then he believes God will live among them, and they will be able to defeat any enemies that rise up against them.
Roger Williams is known for his interactions with the Indians and perhaps is the most encouraging display of God working among the Pilgrims and natives. He wrote his book A Key into the Language of America as a way to explain the Native Americans and give insight into these mysterious people. He explains how they are similar to the Jews in their words, anointing of their heads, giving dowries for wives, and separating the women during monthly sickness. They are like the Greeks in naming the stars and also believe in a man who performed miracles among them and walked on water (Levine 108). When he discovers that these people are practicing similar faiths to their own, he is encouraged but also wants to refine their beliefs. He says, “For one candle will light ten thousand, and it may please God to bless a little leaven to season the mighty lump of those peoples and territories” (Levine 107). Williams also credits God for giving him the ability to communicate with the Indians and providing him the opportunity to witness them. Williams simply cares about what God has set before him and hopes that through his writings, the people will do the same.
As the colonies grew, their strong religious beliefs helped shape how they thought about freedom and standing up to England. Many preachers started talking about how God wanted people to be free, not just in their worship but in how they lived. They would give sermons comparing the colonists to the ancient Israelites who escaped from Egypt, saying that God would help Americans break free from England just like He helped the Israelites. Religion in early America became a way for people to understand why they needed to fight for independence. Church leaders would tell their people that resisting England's unfair rules wasn't just about taxes - it was about following God's plan for America. They believed that God wanted them to create a new country where people could worship freely. When the Revolution started, many soldiers carried Bibles with them and prayed before battles. Even George Washington talked about how God was helping the American army win important fights. Religious faith gave people the courage to fight, even when things looked really hard. It's pretty amazing to see how the same religious ideas that brought the first settlers to America also helped create a whole new country.
Religion in early America fundamentally shaped the foundation of our nation and continues to influence American society today. Looking at Bradford, Winthrop, and Williams's writings, I can see that their belief in God helped them make choices about everything in their new life. For example, Bradford shows in his journal how God helped them live through hard times at Plymouth, and Winthrop wanted to make their community a special place that followed God's rules. Williams' work with Native Americans demonstrated how religion served as a bridge between cultures. Each of these colonial writers credited divine intervention for their accomplishments, showing what role religion played in early American life - it was not just a system of beliefs but the very framework through which they interpreted their experiences and built their communities. The Pilgrims came to America because they wanted to worship God without anyone stopping them. They worked hard to build a community where they could practice their faith freely. Even today, we can see how their strong beliefs helped make America what it is.
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