Religion

__Origins__ After HenryVIII broke with the Catholic Church, Most people in New England practiced a religion similar to Catholicism. But English followers of John Calvin wanted a more Protestant religion. They were known as puritans because they wanted to "purify" the church by abolishing any unnecessary ceremony and ritual. They believed that the English Church was so corrupt that they needed to establish their own. These Separatists were the colonists who established the first English Colony in New England, called Plymouth. __General__ The Puritans were very strict with their laws and rules concerning the church. Like today, they set aside Sunday as a day of worship. They had regulations known as Blue Laws that kept businesses closed on Sundays. Even the slaves had freedom on Sunday. Church seating was assigned by sex, race, and wealth. Some preachers were women or even slaves. The Evangelists discouraged card playing, dancing, and other "worldly" amusements. The Germans, Scots, and Scotch-Irish brought Lutheran, Moravian, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic religions to New England. Africans brought as slaves brought their traditional African Religions and Muslim with them.

The first sermon at Plymouth.