Summary and Conclusions

There were many other religious groups and factions evident in the colonies that generally were isolated geographically or were struggling so much within their own ranks that they were virtually silent in the arena of political and governmental issues. Many smaller religious groups had no desire to get involved in the war, and or may not have seen themselves as subject to any authority higher than their own local village or town. They simply worked to survive and hopefully build a better life than their forefathers had experienced.

With the final surrender of the British Army by General Cornwallis in late 1781, the United States now had a recognizable foundation that it could build its government, culture and society on. The original values of the right to assemble, bear arms and experience religious freedom were not forgotten by the founding fathers as they composed the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Because of that, many of the previously mentioned religious groups blossomed forth to become what they are today in the moral and religious fabric of our nation.

Several of them grew together as churches merged to create larger more effective organizations. Some of the religious groups experienced splits and fractures over new interpretations of both scripture and theology. The Anglican Church had remained in tact even though English ties were politically severed. There were also new sects and religions birthed in the United States because of the religious tolerance that was experienced in the dynamic definitions of the separation of church and state. Religion in the colonies had not only been a key component to the successful victory of the Revolutionary War, but also in the freedoms and liberties we now experience in these United States of America today.        

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This course was written and compiled by Professor Joel L. Getts. Joel earned a Masters of Arts in Theology and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from St. Luke Evangelical School of Biblical Studies in Hephzebah, Georgia. He has studied extensively at Trinity Theological Seminary and the Thomas Bilney Theological Seminary where he earned a Doctorate in Theological Studies. He also graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortury Science. He is a certified Life Coach from the Light university in Forest Virginia.