Why was religious expression a complicated issue in colonial America? In what ways was religion complex in Britain on the eve of colonization? In what ways did traditional, institutional religion dominate in European society? What did the new world represent to Catholics, Protestants and Jews? Characterize religious African and Native-American religious beliefs.
Who were the Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits? What geographical areas of the New World did each focus their efforts upon? What impact did they have on the Native Peoples? What goals and assumptions shaped Spanish and Portuguese efforts to Christianize Indians? What successes and failures did Spanish missionaries have in Florida, New Mexico, and California, and how did Indians respond to them? What successes and failures did French missionaries have in the Caribbean, Canada, and Louisiana, and how did Indians respond to them? Identify Bartolomé de las Casas, Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Father Junípero Serra.
Upon what ideals were the Puritan colonies founded, how were they put into effect, and what problems did the colonies face? What is Calvinism? What was the connection between these problems and witchcraft trials? What problems did the Church of England face in Virginia and the Catholic Church face in Maryland? Identify John Winthrop, Anne Hutchinson, and the Salem witchcraft trials.
How did European immigration, growth of small religious groups, and persistence of magic and occult beliefs contribute to American religious pluralism? Give examples of each. Identify the Huguenots, George Fox, William Penn and the Quakers.
In what ways did Indians respond to Christian missionary endeavors? Give examples of change and resilience in Indian beliefs and culture. Why did no African religions survive in the British colonies of North America? Why did so few African slaves convert to Christianity before 1750, and why did they convert in greater numbers after 1760? What African practices survived in America?
What were the sources of the remarkable expansion of colonial congregations in the periods 1680 to 1710, and 1740 and 1770? Why were American religious institutions so vigorous? What was the "Great Awakening"? What was the effect of revivalism on American Christianity? Describe the roles of women in colonial churches. Identify the SPG, George Whitefield (pronounced "Whitfield"), and Jonathan Edwards. Identify the "New Lights" vs. the "Old Lights."
What was the "bishop question" and its significance? Identify John Carroll. How were religion and politics, especially "Whiggism," intertwined on the eve of the Revolution? Why was the role of religion in the Revolution so modest? What was millennialism and its consequences? How did the war affect denominations? Describe the growth of religious membership after the war. What were the issues in the debate over religious establishment, how did they play out in Virginia, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, and how did they affect the First Amendment?
Borrowed with permission from Dr. Mark Stoll, Texas Tech University