Economics and Religion of Colonies Essay

Early U.S. History

Both religion and economics were strong forces in the colonization of the New World. Pennsylvania was founded, for instance, because the Quakers were undesirables in England and the King owed a debt to William Penn’s father—so he gave the land in the New World to Penn and the Quakers found a new home for themselves (Fantel, 1974). The Puritans in New England had a similar story to tell. However, economics was also a big factor not just in the colonization of the New World but also in the founding of the nation. The colonies were companies—the Virginia Company, for instance—and they were meant to be productive in trade. Tobacco and other cash crops were very important elements of the colonies in the New World, so it was not all about religion—economics also played a big part.

Which was the stronger force? In terms of founding the colonies, religion was probably the stronger force. Catholic missionaries from Spain and France had already been in the North and in the South and Southwest. Protestants from England and Northern Europe made up the middle region. So it was very much a religious issue in terms of which groups would have control of the New World and ultimately it was the Anglo-Saxon Protestants who won that control. Calvinists in New England and Baptists in the South dominated the culture and politics of the colonies.

However, as time went on, revolutionary philosophers of the Enlightenment, including Thomas Paine, who rejected revealed religion (i.e., Christianity) and promoted the doctrines of the Revolution—liberty, fraternity and equality—helped to guide the colonies towards independence. The colonists—particularly in Virginia—were motivated by the allure of economic gain (territories west). Thus, there is no clear answer to the question of which force was stronger, religion or economics, as they both were equally important.

References

Fantel, H. (1974). William Penn: Apostle of Dissent. NY: William Morrow & Co.