The 's Search For Religious Freedom

One of the main reasons that the settlers came and founded America was for religious freedom. Colonist made the long and dangerous journey for other reasons as well, but a major factor was the search for religious freedom. Coming to America alone did not solve this problem; the journey to religious freedom was just that, a journey. Everyone had a slightly different idea of what this new nation’s ‘religious freedom’ should look like and it took many years to come to a compromise.

In the 1800s a Market Revolution began, changing the way in which America operated and in the midst of all that was a Second Great Awakening, causing people to once again, question their religious beliefs and practices. Paul Johnson and Sean Wilentz tell the story of Robert Matthews, or the Prophet Matthias and his followers. Matthias had an unconventional childhood, he became an orphan at a young age and was raised by church elders. He worked under one of the elders to learn the carpenter’s craft. He easily found work but had trouble keeping it because he was always preaching at his fellow workers about their sinful ways. Matthias was eager to make good but continually fell into misfortunes, “which led him on a prolonged and erratic religious journey” (49). The Kingdom of Matthias gained and lost members, had changes in beliefs, and was full of ever changing marriages. Although looking back on it now, Matthias’s messages and beliefs seem almost laughable, but at they time his followers found his message, ministry, and lifestyle very compelling.

James Delaney said “a major influence on social, moral, and political life at the time was the church.” (Delaney). This quote relates to the time

America has been named the "melting pot" of the world. It houses many different cultures, nationalities, ideas and religions. There are Christians, Jews, Catholics, Buddhists, Mormons, Hindus, Spiritualists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islamic, plus many more. America is unique in that all these religions are represented in a nation that is only 200 years old. And America has upheld, throughout history, that the freedom and equality of religion is extremely important in order for this nation to function as a free nation. The foundations of America were set as a result of England's persecution; more specifically, England's religious persecution. The colonists wanted to create a nation that allowed people to be free. They

The book, The Kingdom of Matthias by, Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz, gives us a look into what life was like in the United States during the first half of the 1800’s. This book contains stories of Elijah Pierson and Robert Matthews and how they eventually came to meet. Both thought they were prophets and could speak directly to God. Pierson later referred to himself as the Prophet Elijah of Tishbe and Matthews later took the name Matthias the Prophet. The book begins with Elijah Pierson’s story and then moves into Robert Matthews story.

This surge of spiritual awakening brought some to question religion, specifically Christianity. In the years before the “Kingdom”, Robert Matthews “began putting it about that he was no Christian at all…He was in actuality, a prophesying Hebrew.”(Johnson, 64). This marked the beginning of his decent into the cult he called ‘The Kingdom of Matthias’. The Second Great Awakening marked a constitutional conversion of American religion. Many early groups put emphasis on the corruption of human beings, believing they could be saved only through the grace of God. These groups formed as instruments of reform, in reaction to urban growth and industrialization. However, it also put emphasis on the human ability to better their positions, thus creating amore optimistic view of humans and the human condition. Robert Matthews, now called Matthias, delivered a number of sermons regarding the path to forgiveness and just how he, being Matthias, would cast judgment upon all. “In short, Matthias would damn the enemies of the Jews – above all, the meek Christian devils and their disobedient women.” (Johnson,

The Kingdom of Matthias, by two authors Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz, takes us back to the 19th century era. This book tells the story of a small but also a powerful religious movement around New York City during the early 19th century. A self-made “Prophet of God”, Robert Matthews, also known as “Matthias”, was one of many leaders to create and ultimately force upon people his religion, in which he served as the Prophet or leader. His Kingdoms were only one of the many that developed during the 1800s and his ideas were similar to those who also rose to power, but he was more successful in getting his messages across to “damaged white men” (118) or people that were already beginning to fall apart within themselves. Johnson and Wilentz not

Sojourner Truth is remembered as an ex-slave who changed her name from Isabella and gave her famous Ain’t I a Woman speech regarding abolition and women’s rights. But before her speech, Truth actively participated in a religious cult and faced a murder charge. Authors Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz provide a descriptive account of the religious cult in their book The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-century America. Their book follows the life of Robert Matthews and the events of his life leading up to the creation of his new religion in New York in the 1830s. Robert Matthews started to refer to himself as the prophet Matthias and recruited wealthy families to join his religion where they lived in isolation. American society in the 1830s encountered rapid change with the emergence of the market revolution and the Second Great Awakening. Impacts from the market revolution, the second great awakening, and personal factors led Matthias to create and influenced his own religion which other Americans eventually denounced.

The Kingdom of Matthias: A Story of Sex and Salvation in 19th-Century America, is a historical narrative written by Paul E. Johnson and Sean Wilentz. The work documents the rise and fall of Robert Matthews, who later called himself Matthias, and the cult he headed, which he called a “kingdom.” The authors give a detailed description of the events leading up to the kingdom, and the greater political and religious framework that produced the cult, as well as the cast of characters that sparked Matthews’ journey from downtrodden Anti-Burgher to self-professed prophet and contributed to his initial successes and eventual downfall. The book relays the story of the Kingdom of Matthias in a way that suggests the cult was indicative of the society from which it came. That is to say, Matthias’ cult was a result of a changing American society, one marked by the rise of industrialization and the Market Revolution.

In Give Me Liberty, Foner states that pious leaders “Seized the opportunities offered by the market revolution to spread their message” (360). To showcase their cause to other individuals, leaders would deliberately “resonate…the spread of market values” (360) with spiritual belief. Therefore, with the help of the market revolution and exertion of religious ideals the rate of reformation grew exponentially. Spiritual leaders would impose strict beliefs onto their followers which ultimately results in innovations and endless productivity. In contrast; however, “evangelical preachers can hardly be described as cheerleaders for a market society” (360). Though they benefited immensely from the Market Revolution, leaders believed this era to be consisted of “selfishness– an extreme form of individualism encouraged by the scramble for wealth” (360). The revivalists critiqued those who participated in the market revolution as materialistic individuals who cared only for monetary value. Despite using its innovations for their own gain, spiritual leaders did not share the same values as corporate leaders and higher ranking business officials. The revival of religion along with the growing popularity of the market society had inspired change in America despite the different perspective they each acquired. Hence,

1-5. there was a great cry of the people. . . against their brethren--Such a crisis in the condition of the Jews in Jerusalem--fatigued with hard labor and harassed by the machinations of restless enemies, the majority of them poor, and the bright visions which hope had painted of pure happiness on their return to the land of their fathers being unrealized--must have been very trying to their faith and patience. But, in addition to these vexatious oppressions, many began to sink under a new and more grievous evil. The poor made loud complaints against the rich for taking advantage of their necessities, and grinding them by usurious exactions. Many of them had, in consequence of these oppressions, been driven to such extremities that they had to mortgage their lands and houses to enable them to pay the

The critics of the followers of the “Kingdom of Matthias” reflect a variety of ideologies that characterized the societal changes of the 19th century Northern region of the United States. The Kingdom of Matthias was a spiritual cult founded and primarily administered by Robert Mathews, an American religious figure and former businessman whose spiritual activities inspired his followers to refer to him as Matthias the Prophet. The Kingdom of Matthias received a great deal of publicity and national media attention in the US during its time, and has thereafter become an issue of historical consideration whose analysis reflects interesting characteristics of the changing American society of the 19th century. The critics of the Kingdom of Matthias

It was a time where slavery and racism were at an all time high in America when Richard Allen bought his freedom from his master in 1786. He had been born into slavery in 1760 and was sold with his family to a new master at a very young age. This in itself was fortunate since many slave families were separated when they were sold. Allen would go on to become the founder of the first national black church in the United States and become one of the most influential black leaders and activists in America. He fought for religious rights, education for black children, rights for blacks, and against slavery. He was a founder for the Free African Society and was also a participating member of the Underground Railroad to help runaway slaves. Richard Allen dedicated his life trying to better the quality of life for those is his community as well as all blacks in the United States, both the free and the enslaved.

Although Christianity was well known throughout the affluent classes, Jesus’s philosophies touched the hearts of the plebeians. The self-proclaimed Messiah often spoke of money and riches not being needed in the afterlife, and that God measures you not on how much money you have but on your values you showed throughout your life. This touched the working class’s heart as it informed them that there is hope for a better life that everyone can achieve but not a lot deserve. Therefore, this was the main reason why Christianity was spread as quickly as it could.

The United States of America was founded with a credo of religious freedom. They hoped to change the vicious cycle of religious persecution and intolerance that had been swirling through Europe for centuries. Over the last two hundred years this legacy has been shredded and stained. Our religious freedoms have been taken away by people who have twisted what our country was founded to protect.