Colonial Diversity Essays - Thirteen Colonies, Middle Colonies

Differences in the colonies of the early settling years of America were vast and diverse. There were three main sections of the land back then: New England, Middle colonies, and the Chesapeake area. The religious differences of these groups of colonies helped to shape our nation the way it was to become. New England colonies were settled mainly by Separatist, those colonies include largely: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. These colonies, except Rhode Island were mainly conservative Congregationalist types; they tended to be very driven about who they were going to allow to live among them. Coming from England the colonies were eager to exhibit their own brand of religion and were not above oppressing people who did not view God as they did. ?As early as 1635 the first of a long succession of heresy trials imposing banishment as the most common penalty was held.? The exception to this rule was Rhode Island; they were a safe haven for the banished and the cast out. The middle colonies that will be discussed consisted of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Originally called New Netherlands they were inhabited primarily by the Dutch Reformed church. In 1664 the English took over and control was given to the Duke of York who gave the land to two of his friends one being William Penn who used this land to found Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania being the largest colony and settled primarily by Quakers, though it did have some diversity, constituted much of the middle colonies inhabitants. Quakers were generally kind acceptable people who did not persecute based on religious preference like the New England colonies. William Penn promoted the concept of religious tolerance that permitted people to live in a social community without the scare of persecution. Virginia and the colonies surrounding the Chesapeake area were very similar. Baptist were the new up and coming religion in the south, together with the Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Quakers, Lutherans, and Moravians made up a great part of the southern colonies. The bulk of the colonies did eventually adopt a particular Religion however tended to loosely enforce its affiliation, or at least, did not persecute because of it. Maryland was the one particular colony that had an issue with people of other faiths. It was the intent of Lord Baltimore the Second to imbue his colony with religious tolerance and he was successful for the better half of two decades; the switch of power in England to James II and the allegiance by the Roman Catholics to Charles II created a rift in the colony and began more subjugation of the Catholics. Though they were oppressed they remained a large and influential part of Maryland society. The early English settlements of the new world were very peculiar. It is interesting to note that though the primary purpose for many settlers to travel this far from their homes was to escape religious persecution, some of them immediately set up societies and persecuted each other based of religious differences. William Penn and others who strived to have religious tolerance and live in a mutually beneficial society are responsible for the way our country is today.