It’s no surprise that 1.6% were Catholics. Actually it’s amazing there were that many.
I went to the link posted by sparky1776 and had a real education:
http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1964/1/1964_1_26.shtml
I had no idea that England was tracking down people here in the colonies. I now have a new appreciation for the concept of religious freedom after going to that link.
Every once in a while I learn something here that is exceptional. Thanks Sparky.
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It’s no surprise that 1.6% were Catholics. Actually it’s amazing there were that many."
Then I found information indicating the possibility of about 0.6%. ...close enough.
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I went to the link posted by sparky1776 and had a real education:"
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http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/ah/1964/1/1964_1_26.shtml"
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I had no idea that England was tracking down people here in the colonies. I now have a new appreciation for the concept of religious freedom after going to that link."
I very much agree that early rejection of religious uniformity was most important, and that we have a great Constitution.
I first learned about religion in early America from Mrs. Wilson (my American History instructor at the University) and later found that my first known American ancestor with my surname landed in America in 1669. It was also one of the surnames given to the English after 1066 (Norman Invasion). It's possible that he was neither Catholic nor Protestant (even though having been with Huguenots), but he joined the Dutch Reformed Church sometime after arriving.
That said, I'm not emotionally involved in the matter. But the various reasons settlers had for coming to America are very interesting. So are recent trends in religion, business and politics.