Jeff Scudder
AP US History
Summer Assignment
Essay #5 "Explain the political and religious ramifications of the Enlightenment on the North American Colonies."

	The Enlightenment movement affected many things in the North American Colonies. Most importantly, it split up the political and religious beliefs of many people living in the colonies, causing groups to have varying opinions and years and years later leading to the American Revolution and our independence. This type of englightened thinking began in Europe and through books and other writings, eventually was carried over to North America.
	Enlightened thinking emphasized the way of rational thinking, and went against much religion had to teach. It began through teachings of people like John Locke, who created a philosophy based on reason. In Italy the Enlightenment dawned a whole age called the Age of Reason. Many colleges such as Harvard were created and reformed during this time period of the mid fifteenth century. Because of this new way of thinking, many literate people experienced a decline in their religious devotion. The churches were greatly affected by this. Churches had a decline in membership, and Puritan leaders discouraged religious tolerance. In a desperate move to get members back the Half-Way Covenant was created where certain people who had not experienced conversion could join as half-way members of the church. People also began to question predestination and many other religious ideals. Religious thinking seemed at an all time low, until the Great Awakening. This shut out the enlightenment and religion, and got many more members back into the church. This movement was started by harsh sermons by John Edwards who appealed to people’s emotions through his religious teachings.
	The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening also affected politics. Some laws were even passed to suppress the revival of the church. Politics changed during the enlightenment because people no longer wanted their religion part of their government, and they wanted to let everyone be tolerant of everyone else’s faith and beliefs. Colonies would void laws and attempt to be no longer involved with the Church. The only people unhappy about the enlightenment were the church and it's officials during this time, for the churches in colonies were at an all time low.
	Politics and religion were both greatly divided and ramified due to the changing beliefs that the Enlightenment brought upon the North American colonies. Governments did not want to have any involvement in religion, and people began to stop going to church, forcing the church to try harder to gain more members. People began to believe in science and in technology and many discoveries were made because of this.