American Colonies

English settlers coming to America imagined a perfect place where they would have a say in their government. Before they could live in such a society, they would have to gradually break Britain’s hold on them. The American settlers had to end a monarchy and start their own form of government. They also had to find a way to gain some decision-making power. The colonists wanted to create a society unlike that of England.
Although by 1763 some colonies had established churches, most had created a system of religious tolerance and separation of church and state. In the mid-1600s, England was still dominated by the Christian religion, while the colonies were mostly Puritan. Taxation in support of the Puritan church was the only barrier preventing complete separation of church and state in New England. Unlike the churches in England, New England’s churches had no political power. Seaport towns, such as Gloucester, became more religious with time, demonstrating religious tol...