Revolutionary War Religion

Joseph Gordon
Hardin
United States History to 1876
October 10, 2015
Religion in American Government After the Revolution
The point of the Revolutionary War was to bring about a change to the way America handled itself; exercising its budding rights as a country to make its own ways and laws. Religion in the Revolutionary War was used in such a way to comfort the colonists, make them feel as if war was okay since it was for such an important yet basic right. Priest and church officials alike played a new role, one of encouragement and power to urge the soldiers and the townspeople that the war was approved by God, that it was a necessary evil. Most of the Christians agreed with Jonathan Mayhew, a Boston pastor, that it was their duty to refuse

This newfound freedom in the Protestant sector of Religion inspired the Methodists to create a legacy and reform their ways to keep up with the newly evolved America. Presbyterians eventually got involved in the evolution of the churches as well, making sure their blatant dis-agreeance to slavery was well understood. As a result of the war, Thomas Jefferson made a pass at enforcing a bill to eradicate England’s monopoly on American Religion. The bill was originally written in 1779, but was turned down due to its wild and uncommon nature. The bill was to allow townspeople to choose which church and church like entity their money would support instead of all the money from taxes going to England and English churches that the Americans no longer wished to be part of. James Madison spoke out declaring his opinion that church and law should never become one. Later, in 1786, Madison revisited the law written by Jefferson and passed it on to the American Government. The subject of Religion was very explosive, causing arguments and turmoil whenever it was brought up during the Revolutionary War, however it was still present in the American militia because George Washington realized his troops’ need for guidance and reassurance. As more and more people moved to America after the Revolutionary War, the need for religions for all denominations and beliefs increased as well. Because not all countries have the same beliefs and choice of God, the American Government saw fit to change as well, owing to the creation of the Liberal political group. While Puritanism was still widely followed, many Liberal Americans chose to pursue another religion called Deism made after European Enlightenment. Other Americans decided that with a new America they deserved a new ideaology and abandoned the thought of associating with just one church and changed