Problem
History: Questions for "God in America"
"A New Adam"
A. What did Europeans "bring with them" to the New World?
B. What would have to happen with what they brought with them to the New World?
C. Finish this sentence: "The conquistadors came for gold and silver; the missionaries came ___________."
D. Finish this sentence (loosely-not word for word): "For more than a thousand years the Pueblo Indians had led a spiritual life that had flourished among the hills and valleys of the Rio Grande" Our whole world around us is:
E. How did the Pueblo Indians feel about Catholicism:
F. How did the Spanish respond to this?
G. How did the Pueblo Indians respond to this?
H. Why did the Puritans leave England-what did they want to do in the New World?
I. What did the Puritans believe would happen if they were pure and righteous? What would happen if they were not?
J. What was the "contradiction" within the Puritan attempt to create a perfect society?
K. What did Anne Hutchinson say and do?
L. How did John Winthrop feel about this and what did he do?
M. How did Hutchinson respond at her trial?
N. Who was Reverend George Whitfield and what was his message?
O. After the Puritans evolved into the "Congregationalist" Church they became the official church of most of New England. How did they feel about other denominations (faiths)?
P. How were Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware different?
Q. What was the official religion of Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia?
R. How did Whitfield respond when he was rejected by the official church in the South?
S. Some ministers like Charles Chauncey argued that God was not a God of disorder and condemned Whitfield, but others like James Davenport went further than Whitfield and ordered burning of Chauncey's books; but more difficult to ignore prominent thinkers like Jonathan Edwards and Gilbert Tennant preached necessity of "rebirth experience"; ministers challenged and fired; regular services and alternative services; if God speaks to me the state has no business telling me which faith; PEOPLE HAVE THE EXPEINCE OF LIBERTY, freedom from sin, TO WORSHIP AS THEY SEE FIT; soon preachers like Baptist Isaac Bachus and Congregational minister Jonathan Mahew led calls to an end to established religion; coincided with calls for liberty and no taxation...; revolutionary fervor led to impetus...innocent and virutuous; surely God of nations will look favorably on our cause;
CAUTION: They go way too far with religion as cause of the Revolution.
"A New Eden"
A. What was Jeremiah More arrested for?
Everyone was Anglican; official church; paid for by taxes;
B. Why was Virginia's elite concerned with increasing number of converts to the Baptist faith and other faiths?
C. Who did the Baptist petitioners turn to and what did he do?
D. What did Jefferson do with the Gospels? What did he do in terms of religion in Virginia?
E. When the Constitution was created it did not include statements on religion. Where was this issue addressed?
*No guarantee that religion would have a central place in America; first time in modern history; fear; on frontier forces would be played out.
F. Who was James Finley and what happened to him?
Note: similarity w/Am Indian view spirituality
Protestants felt that Catholicism threatened progress and feared Catholic immigrants, Am open and vulnerable, oppressed Irish in 1840s accounted 50% immigrants Irish; ¼ NYC Irish, Phili pop doubled; Boston tripled; riots NYC and Boston;
G. What did John Hughes do? Why did Catholics take their children out of public schools in New York?
Challenged Ams. belief in freedom of religion; as child witnessed persecution Catholics in Ireland; emigrated to Am; saw how Am not living up to promises; public schools anti-Catholic; create moral citizens-Protestant citizens; NYC Public School Society thought it was anti-intellectual and anti-Am.
Hughes argued for freedom of religion; petitioned NYC City Council; demanded public hearing; public debate; Hughes lost vote 15:1-no pubic moneys to Catholics; answered by building hundreds of parochial schools and demanded end public funds religious instruction in public schools, 1841 election Bishop Hughes telling Catholics how to vote-frightened Am Protestants-outraged with "priestly meddling w/politics" could threaten Am-tyranny religion/Pope; all but three candidates elected; riots when NY voted to end public funding religious instruction in public schools, "As hard as America found it to grant freedom to those it distrusted, religious liberty had become the founding principle that would help shape Am's identity."