Erasing Religious Boundaries in a Frontier South Carolina Parish

Summary

Although founded as a religiously tolerant colony, early colonial South Carolina was deeply divided between Anglicans who fought to establish the Church of England and dissenters who opposed it. In 1706, the Church of England did become the official established religion of the colony, yet tensions continued. However, these religious differences were less important in the colony’s southern frontier parishes where white settlers had other concerns, namely from neighboring Native American populations.

This paper examines the role of the Anglican Church as a unifying force in the developing colony, focusing on the southern frontier parish of St. Paul’s, known for its large dissenting population. As seen at the parish church and parsonage, colonial Anglican churches provided places for white settlers, both Anglican and dissenter, to worship together and socialize. Ultimately, the various religious boundaries created by white settlers became more fluid, helping to forge a new South Carolina identity.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017   •
• Advancing Frontiers in the 21st century: Reconsidering Colonial Encounters in the Atlantic World

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 244