Religious Freedom in Colonial America Religion was a very important part of daily life in Colonial America. Sometimes people were not allowed to question what they were taught, and if they did, they were punished accordingly. Before 1700, some colonies enjoyed greater religious freedom than others. While other colonies allowed religious freedom only to a select group, others allowed religious freedom to all different types of religions. Overall there was quite a bit of religious freedom in colonial America. First there is the colony or Rhode Island, which was founded by a man, named Roger Williams in (1636). It did not become an official colony until 1644, when it received a charter from Parliament. Williams welcomed everyone; he guaranteed religious freedom to everyone, even Catholics and Jews. Williams also granted religious freedom to the Quakers, although his views were very different from those of the Quakers. This was truly the most democratic of all the colonies. Williams did not require mandatory attendance at services, nor oaths regarding religious beliefs. Rhode Island was truly the first example of religious tolerance and freedom of opportunity. Second is the colony of Pennsylvania (1681). Pennsylvania was founded by an Englishman named William Penn. Pennsylvania initially guaranteed religious freedom to all residents of the colony. Later, however, London began to give...