Religion origin and development in US

  • 1500

    The Catholic faith was brought to North America by the Spanish

    For 300 years missionaries and settlers came to America
    Many of the cities were named by these missionaries and settlers
  • European settlers began establishing colonies along the east coast of North America

    The vast majority of the European settlers were Protestants - most from England
    As the new nation formed, it was the Protestant branch of the Christian faith that had the strongest effect on the development of the religious climate in the US.
  • The Protestant began to form separate churches (denominations),

    They could not agree among themselves on about many beliefs. There was much bitterness among some of the religious groups in the 1600s
    Many of the Protestants, who came to America in the 1600s, were seeking religious freedom
  • The American Constitution was adopted and the 1. amendment guaranteed freedom of religion