religious

Hieveryone,lastweek,wehavereadaboutthesocialchanges

duringandaftertheAmericanrevolution,andreligiousfreedom

,I’dliketointroducereligiousfreedomin

chcanbedividedintothreeparts,first,

religioushistoryorbackgroundinAmerica;cond,theGreat

Awakening,whichisthepreparationoflaterreligiousfreedom;

andthird,thereligiousfreedomitlfintheAmericanRevolution.

Hereisthefirstpart,thehistoryoftheEpiscopalChurchin

scopalChurchinAmericawasoncecalled

ChurchofEnglandintheAmericancoloniesbeganwiththe

foundingofJamestown,,itgrewslowlyalongthe

eastcoastandgraduallybecametheestablishedchurch,firstin

Virginia,Jamestown

Church,rinstanceof

'

istheoldestchurchinRichmond,Virginia,anditisalsothesite

wherePatrickHenrydeliveredhisspeech"Givemefreedomor

givemedeath".

Justnow,Imentionedaphra,“establishedchurch”.An

establishedchurchmeansachurchthatagovernmentofficially

recognizesasanationalinstitutionandtowhichgovernment

herwords,anestablishedchurchisa

religiousdenominationthatreceivesfinancialandothersupport

fromthegovernment,oftenexcludingsupportforother

heway,theantonymofestablish,

distablishcanbesimilarlyinterpretedas:toparateanofficial

his

explication,Ithinkitisnothardforyounowtounderstandthat

wheretheChurchofEnglandwastablished,parishesalso

receivedexclusivefinancialsupportfromlocaltaxes.

Now,itcomestothecondpartofmyspeech,theGreat

Awakeningwhichhappenedasapreparationforthefollowing

atAwakeningorThefirstAwakening

asitwasalsocalled,wasaChristianrevitalizationmovement

thatsweptProtestantEuropeandBritishAmerica,theAmerican

dlessaboutchurchdoctrineand

Americanslessobedientto

establishedreligiousinstitutionsandmorewillingtofollowtheir

ly,tosomeextent,theGreat

Awakeningresultedfrompowerfulpreachingthatgavelisteners

sisJonathan

edakeyroleintheGreatAwakeningin

AmericabypreachingfornearlytenyearsinNewEngland.

Concerningthereligiousfreedom,theGreatAwakeninglowered

thepositionofAnglicanChurchbycreatingstrongdisnting

denominations.

Finally,wehavereachedthethirdandalsothemostesntial

partofmyintroduction,thedistablishmentofAnglicanChurch

symbolofGreatBritainandmonarchy,AnglicanChurchalmost

droveitlftoextinctionduringtheAmericanRevolution.

Aswehavelearntalready,politicalopinionsinAmericacovered

awidespectrumofviews,includingPatriots,Neutrals,and

heAnglicanclergy,generally,thenorthern

whyweresomanynorthernclergyloyal?Itwasmainlybecau

manyAnglicanclergytooktheirtwoordinationoathsvery

oathsorderedthatclergyshouldprayforthe

king,

ult,Loyalist

clergygenerallystayedbytheiroathsandprayedfortheking,or

ndof1776,Anglicanchurches

inthenorthwereclosingandnorthernAnglicanclergybeganto

CharlesInglis,therectorof

istedinreadingthe

royalprayervenintheprenceofGeorgeWashingtonanda

rast,thePatriotclergyinthe

southwerequicktofindreasonstotransfertheiroathstothe

AmericancauandprayedforthesuccessoftheRevolution.

MostofthePatriotclergyinthesouthwereabletokeeptheir

churchesopenandrvicescontinued.

DuringthewarAnglicansbeganusingtheterms"Episcopal"and

1786Virginia,politicalleaders

establishedanewtraditionofmaintainingawallofparation

betweenchurchandgovernmentaffairstoendgovernment

ngtaxsupportforthe

Anglicanchurchofficially"distablished"thechurchfrom

giniaStatuteof1785madeVirginiathefirst

stateinthemodernworldwithcompletereligiousfreedomand

thecond

esthatnopersoncanbe

compelledtoattendanychurchorsupportitwithhistaxesand

thatanindividualisfreetoworshipashepleaswithno

discrimination.

Virginiawastheonlystatetoizepropertybelongingtothe

htoverchurchlands

demonstratedthestrengthofcertainProtestantgroupsinthe

lsohavetoadmitthat

althoughthedistablishmentofAnglicanChurchinotherstates

wasaccomplishedwithrelativeea,someformsofreligious

arolinaprovidedcompletereligious

freedomin1790,NewYorkin1784,NewHampshirein1817,

long-lastingandfar-reachingbattle,Americafinallymanagedto

moveintogenuineacceptanceofvariousformsofreligion-

includingtheoptiontohavenoreligionatall.

Afternumerousamendmentsandrevisions,mistakesand

attempts,theUStodayisacknowledgedasanationwithabsolute

tmeciteafewwordsofObamatoend

myspeech.