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Religious Toleration In The Middle Colonies

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In 1682, Pennsylvania, the twelfth British colony, was formed. This colony, like the eleven others already founded, was instituted with a comparable style of government and its own questionable religious prejudices. Throughout the colonies, levels of religious understanding fluctuated, apart from a few exemptions. For example, the Middle Colonies had a great deal of open-mindedness when it came to religion, whereas New England had a scarce amount, if any toleration for religious independence at all. Prior to 1700 the Middle Colonies had an extraordinary level of religious toleration. The population in the Middle Colonies was largely made up of Quakers, which were not supported by taxes and insisted on loyalty to the church. In some aspects the “secondary” religions had limited rights; such as Catholics and Jews, who could not elect or run for office positions based on London’s insistence. Later on, however when the Duke of York took the status of governor, he concentrated chiefly on financial growth and dropped focus on religious constraints allowing for other religions to gain power. …show more content…

In the South the colonies’ well-known church was the Anglican Church. This church was tax-supported, and commonly oppressed Catholics. Other religions and groups of Protestants were allowed. Generally people didn’t travel to the Southern colonies for religious reasons, being that there were no Puritans in the south. Religious restrictions in the south were sparse and weak, if any at all. In Catholic Maryland, religious freedom was guaranteed through the “Act of Toleration”. This act, however, ordered the death penalty to be given to those who denied holiness of Jesus. This act also better defended the Catholics from persecution. In North Carolina, colonists were not taxed to back the church, because they did not agree with the institution of the Church of

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