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This 6 page paper traces the influence religion had on the evolution of American society. Bibliography lists 1 source
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6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVRelAmr.rtf
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number of patterns to follow. However, because religion impacts many other areas, well use it as our guideline. Discussion The impact of religion on the development of America starts before
the Europeans arrived. The Native inhabitants of North America were polytheistic, worshipping many gods (Norton, et al). The most important beliefs and rituals of each group were tied closely to
their means of subsistence; that is, if they were farmers, "their chief festivals centered on planting and harvest"; if they were hunters, their rites reflected that (Norton, et al 8).
The diversity in religious belief mirrors the diversity in the Native population. At the time the Europeans arrived (and even today) they do not tend to see themselves as one
people, and thus did not unite to drive the Europeans off. But it also means that although the Europeans would consider these religions pagan, there is already a religious component
to North American society. When Europeans began to colonize the continent in earnest, some of the most important work was done by the priest of the Society of Jesus (the
Jesuits) who came to North America in the early 1600s (Norton, et al). The Jesuits are famous for their rhetorical abilities and their skill in reasoned argument, and using these
faculties, they "won admirers by their eloquence" (Norton et al 33). The Jesuits drew on science to predict "solar and lunar eclipses. Perhaps most important they amazed the villagers by
communicating with each other over long distances through marks on paper" (Norton et al 33). When the Indians wanted to learn how to read and write, that was "one of
the critical factors making them receptive to the missionaries spiritual message" (Norton et al 33). Over a period of many years, the Jesuits converted thousands of Indians, "some of
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