9781422274163

In England and elsewhere, those who wished to follow a religion other than the ruler’s were often persecuted for their beliefs. In Roman Catholic France, Protestants known as Huguenots were often tormented or attacked. Many of them ended up moving to Protestant countries, or settling in French colonies in North America where they were less likely to face persecution. In Protestant England, meanwhile, anyone who wanted to follow a religion other than the Church of England was treated with hostility. This included people who wished to retain the Roman Catholic faith that their families had held for centuries, or those who subscribed to other Protestant denominations, such as the Religious Society of Friends (also known as Quakers). RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN COLONIAL AMERICA Many of the British colonies in North America were established by people who wanted greater freedom to observe religious beliefs other than those of the mainstream Anglican Church. Among the first to arrive for this purpose were known as the Puritans. They wanted to “purify” the Church of England by eliminating certain Roman Catholic practices and influences. A group of Puritans known as the Pilgrims traveled to America on the small ship Mayflower in 1620, establishing the Plymoth colony in present-day Massachusetts. Ten years later, in 1630, more than 700 Puritans traveled to North American to establish the Massachusetts

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Contemporary Issues: Religious Freedom