Religion in Colonial America: Trends, Regulations, and Beliefs

Puritans and Anglicans, Baptists and Quakers, Catholics and Jews, Native Americans and slaves, rationalists and revivalists: long before 1776, early American settlers struggled to deal with religious difference. To understand how the United States' current balance among national law, local community practice, and individual freedom of belief evolved, it's helpful to understand some of the common experiences around religion in colonial culture.

Learn more in our introductory resource about religion in colonial America.