By the Eighteenth century, most colonial regions had their identities in terms of economic
distinction. For example, the Northern Colonies grew grain and raised cattle while the
Chesapeake colonies and North Carolina were heavily dependent on tobacco. An established
church is one officially supported by the government while a non established church is the exact
opposite. Two established churches that stood out in 1755 were the Anglican and the
Congregational. Aside from learning religious aspects of life from these established churches,
they also learned a new sense of learning and government. Through the teachings and beliefs of
these two churches, came a new way of life.
As the population in Colonial America began to increase, the number of threats that existed
in a daily settler’s life did as well. New diseases and threats such as small pox would kill
thousands every day. Other epidemics such as diphtheria also played a huge factor in forcing
colonists to submit themselves to the Church. Death was common around certain regions making
people become more aware of their mortality thus turning towards the Church for spiritual aid as
well as comfort. The most honored professions would be involved in Christian ministries. The
mere fact that this was so goes to show the massive influence and power the Church had. In 1755
the clergy had less influence than it had in the early days yet they still held a position of high
prestige. Many physicians were untrained and viewed with little respect. Colonists shared the
belief that religion could save from disease and illness. People would wind up turning toward the
Church for help during their time of need. In terms of occupation, the top and considered to be
most valuable position were that in the field of religion.
Two established Churches that drew attention to themselves in 1775 were the Anglican and
the Congregational. A large amount of the population did not belong to either one, leaving the
minorities of the colonies that had an established religion to be the only ones. The Church of
England, with Anglican members, soon became the official leading Church in North and South
Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and part of New york. The college of William and Mary
was founded in 1693 to train a better class of clerics. The influential Congregational, that grew
out of the Puritan Church, was established in all of the New England Colonies with the exception
of Rhode Island. Presbyterianism was closely associated with Congregationalism but was never
made official. Ministers of gospel would turn from the bible to the sinful world that was
captivated more and more with political issues.
In all of the colonial churches, religion became less enthusiastic. The Puritan churches, in
particular, sagged under the weight of two burdens. These two burdens being their elaborate
theological doctrines and their compromising efforts to liberalize membership requirements.
Churchgoers began to complain. All of this spontaneous mass movement of American people
became known as the Great Awakening. Looking back, it tended to break down sectional
boundaries and contributed to the still growing sense that Americans had of themselves as single
people.
During this time period, in order to improve discipline within the Church, colleges and
schools were implemented heavily into society to train and improve the roles within the church.
Puritan New England, largely for religious reasons, was more education centered than any other
section. 74 percent of colonists began practicing religion. The majority went to schools in hopes
to gain knowledge concerning their specific fates. Education flourished in densely populated
areas like New England. Secondary and Primary schools popped up and all shared a goal of
teaching children about their respective religions. Churches generally were in favor of the
education mainly due to the fact that it would improve the performance of workers in churchrelated professions. having an ill-educated staff would eventually lead to the downfall of a
church.
With the beginning of the 18th century, priorities amongst the state became to alter,
adhering to certain factors that were necessary at the time. As economy evolved with the
introduction of crops such as tobacco, the state began to focus on different matters. These
matters included land management and trade whereas in the past, it had been focused on more
society based problems such as education. The clergy now had more room to deal with education
and daily activities. The church and state gradually began to grow apart, which created the
separation of church and state.
Through the teachings and beliefs of these two churches, came a new way of life. The
Church gradually gained importance in the lives of citizens by placing its values into common
activities such as education and politics. Whether it be the Anglican Church that taught its
followers discipline, or Puritanism which emphasized dogmatic principles in education, both
religions played larger roles in society than they had in the passed.