Religious freedom was one of the main causes for the colonization of America. England persecuted anyone who did not follow the mandated religion of the Church of England. The American colonies became a symbol of religious freedom where streams of people came to take part in the freedom the colonies represented.

The importance of religion had been evident since the beginning of American colonization. Reverend Robert Hunt was a clergyman of the Church of England. He served as the Chaplain of the initial group of men who settled Jamestown. Reverend Hunt carried over his duties from the Church of England. He provided services for the Anglican Church of Virginia, thus extending the Church of England in the American colonies.

Reverend Robert Hunt was considered a peacemaker by his fellow colonists. He was known to solve the quarrels among the men of Jamestown. His fellow colonists described him as honest and courageous.

As the American colonies expanded, so did the settlement of more people seeking religious freedom. The various religious groups who were being persecuted in England made their way to America in search of a place to worship freely.

The Puritans were a religious group who settled in Massachusetts. Some of the most notable Puritans included Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Thomas Hooker and Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Anne Hutchinson. Hooker, a Puritan lecturer, helped found Hartford, Connecticut. His ideas about expanding voting rights to people earned him the title of "Father of American Democracy."

Hutchinson, an American colonist, impacted the religious landscape of early America. She was a woman who was outspoken about her criticism of religion. This was bold because women were not allowed to speak so freely during this time; Hutchinson was banished from Massachusetts as a result.

The Pilgrims, a sect of the Puritans, was one of the most influential groups symbolizing the importance of religious freedom in America.

Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. William Penn, a member of the Quakers, was the founder of the colony of Pennsylvania. The colony was founded with the purpose of creating a society filled with peace, equality, and tolerance.

Other colonists founded colonies that gave people of other faiths the freedom to worship. George Calvert founded Maryland so that those of the Catholic faith were able to worship freely, and Roger Williams helped found Rhode Island, a colony that was extremely tolerant of other religions.

Roger Williams had been a Puritan minister who was seeking a pure, religious community. He grew discouraged by the intolerance he initially found in the Puritan communities in the colonies. Although he was a Puritan, some of his beliefs set him apart from other Puritans. Williams believed that each person should choose his or her own religion. Roger Williams became one of the founders of Rhode Island, a colony that practiced the tolerance of other religions.