The primary reason was not for religious freedom but for economic endeavors.

Maryland

The majority of Catholics came to America after the New World was settled by, mainly, Protestants. Waves of Irish, Italian, and other immigrants came to America, bringing with them their Catholic heritage.

The Half-way Covenant brought people partially into church membership on the basis of agreement to a doctrinal confession, not on the basis of a conversion experience.

Slavery and Women’s Rights

The women’s rights movement in America, known primarily because of the events in the 1970’s, actually originated in the 19th century during the Temperance Movement.

1. The Great Awakening was the origin of Fundamentalism.
2. The Great Awakening provided the context of the American Revolution.
3. The Great Awakening gave rise to emotional revivalism.

It’s not always clear when true revival ends and where emotional, ecstatic excess begins.

Generally speaking, early Americans were less tolerant of church denominations, such as the Church of England, with a greater amount of hierarchy in their church polity, tolerating at most the Presbyterian model of church government.

The Methodists

Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke

The Methodists

This view combined Finney’s revivalistic Arminianism with his alternative views of the work of Christ.