Relations between churches and civil government in the selected
English colonies of North America in the 17th century
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adiunkt w Katedrze Historii
Administracji na Wydziale Prawa, Prawa Kanonicznego i Administracji Katolickiego
Uniwersytetu Lubelskiego Jana Pawła II
Дата публикации: 2020-01-24
Studia Politologiczne 2012;23
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This article describes relations between churches and civil government in the
following 17th century English colonies in North America: Plymouth, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland
and Virginia.
It should be marked that in the northern colonies all political communities
created at that times were based on a congregationalism. Political rights depended
on a status of freeman which was granted if an individual belonged to an approved This article describes relations between churches and civil government in the
following 17th century English colonies in North America: Plymouth, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland
and Virginia.
It should be marked that in the northern colonies all political communities
created at that times were based on a congregationalism. Political rights depended
on a status of freeman which was granted if an individual belonged to an approved church. Rhode Island had a special status in this context as this colony was to
be characterised by a freedom of religion from its beginning. Such a freedom was
also proclaimed in the middle colonies. An original shape of this postulate was
assumed in Pennsylvania as documents enacted by this colony did not grant religious
privileges to denominations existed there. Religious sphere was pushed aside
in the southern colonie mainly because of the economic aims of the colonization of
this area. Nonetheless, one can find legal rules embracing orders and prohibitions
formulated in the spirit of the Anglican Church.
On the basis of colonial constitutional rules following patterns of relations
between church and civil government should be indicated: quasi-theocratic with
limited freedom of religion, anglican with limited freedom of religion, limited
separation with formally guaranted freedom of religion, constitutional separation
with formally guaranted freedom of religion and mixed one.
Researches presented here were elaborated according to the following methods:
an analysis of legal sources and analysis of literature, including materials printed
in colonial times.