Religion of the American Colonies
 
Colony Founded Founder Religion Government Original Purpose
Roanoke the “Lost Colony” 1585


Sir Walter Raleigh

 
 		 Establish English colony in New World
Virginia 1607


John Smith

 Anglican/Church of England Royal Trade and profits
Plymouth 1620


William Bradford

 Puritan Corporate Religious freedom for Separatists
New York 1626


Peter Minuit

 Anglican/Church of England Proprietary, then royal Trade and profits
Massachusetts Bay 1630


John Winthrop

 Puritan Corporate Religious freedom for Puritans
New Hampshire 1630


John Mason

 Puritan Corporate, then royal Escape for those constricted by religious and economic rules
Maryland 1634


George Calvert

 None (Anglican after 1692) Proprietary Religious freedom for Catholics
Connecticut 1636


Thomas Hooker

 Puritan Corporate Religious and economic freedom
Rhode Island 1636


Roger Williams

 None Corporate Religious freedom
Delaware 1638


Peter Minuit
None - religious freedom and tolerance
 		 Proprietary Trade and profits.
North Carolina 1653 Group of proprietors
Anglican/Church of England
Proprietary
 		 Trade and profits
New Jersey 1660


Lord Berkley

 None Proprietary Trade and profits
South Carolina 1670 Group of proprietors
Anglican/Church of England
Proprietary
 		 Trade and profits
Pennsylvania 1682


William Penn

 None - religious freedom
Proprietary		 Religious freedom for Quakers; trade and profits
Georgia 1733


James Oglethorpe

 None Royal Debtor colony. 

Source: http://faculty.polytechnic.org/gfeldmeth/colchart.html
Supplemental Resource: http://undergod.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=69
Return to the Top    Return to Additional Resources