Ashley Reder

The first amendment states “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” As being the opening to one of the most influential documents in the United States, it is only inevitable that religion had a major impact on the development of American government. Religions including Puritan, Roman Catholicism, and Christianity all played a role in how America is functioning today.
Puritans were English Protestants. They believed in the idea of uniformity in religion. Their main goal was to reform the Church of England and its Catholic ways. Leaders in England were advocates for the church and wanted the Puritans to practice religion their way. Puritans were persecuted and threatened, as well as removed from any political office. When they fled to America, Puritans began to execute and persecute people who reformed against th...