Omaha daily bee., 1900-12-24
LATHROP SCHOOL WINS MEDAL
Priss offered by Daughters OF Revolution
Awarded to Miss Vera @, Fink.
TO MEMBERSHIP IN SOCIETY
"Rciieiop of the Colonies at the Time
of the Revolution" Is the
subject of Her
Essay.

II
| Essay.
The gold medal offered annually by the
! Daughters OF the American Revolution was
awarded last Friday to Miss Vera c. Fink,
| pupil of Lathrop school. Miss Fina Is
herself eligible to membership in the So
ctcty, one of her forbears having served
during the revolutionary war Her essay
Is remarkable piece Of composition for
| one of her years, and is in full as fol-
| lovs:
While studying the religion of the col.
ones at the time Of the revolution let
US glance back to the people who settled
We find that the thirteen original COZ
| onles were for the most rart the result
| or movements among the English. Scotch.
lrlsh welsh, HuguenotS, Walloons and
Germans. who were dissat atisfied, either with
the government under which they lived, or
me prevailing religion which was forced
In a majority of cases the colonists were
separatists from the recognized church OF
the country from which they came. or the
country in which they were born, m any
or them being what we night call double
| colonistS and having sought freedom In
some other country before finding a haven
In the new world
Holland, on account of its republican
dom had been the first refuge Of the
Pilgrims, Walloons and many Huguenots
The Pilgrim Fathers settled Plymouth In
setts.. the rest of New England and par:
Of MARYLAND were settled by ,purltans
settled by English Catholics who were
driven from their native land by persecu-
ton. The English also settled in vir-
ginia. but these were OF different class
cavaliers, from whom many of our noted
Virsinians trace their descent. among thesa
Quakers settled principally in Pennsvl-
vania, though We find they settled in Other
ing people. who were natives OF Belgium,
settled in New York on Manhattan island
Many of the Huguenots, who were French
p,rotestants,, also settled in, New. York.
became the home OF people from at least
SStcS sSe of the tn,sn best 6nS EGrOpern races VIZ
class. called scotch-Irish.
Before the wear 1172 only small numbel.
of Celtic Irish or people, from the south
ern part of the Emerald Isle, had come
At the beginning of the revolution there
were not quite 100000 people in the thir-
teen colonies. or these nearly 10000 had
scotch irish some Of these settled in New
England twice as many south and the
greater part in the middle colonies,
or the Germans, who helped settle tre
colonies, many were from the Rhine pal
atinate, and had been driven by religious
eenth century to England and from there
they came to America. These largely set
tIed IN Pennsylvania. forming the class
others from different parts of the Father
land came over and settled in Virginia.
religious freedom at home, they came. not
like many others, but for enterprise and TO
better their worldly condition.
political churches were the spiritual fore
Some Of these, called Anabapists, In Swift
zerland. were driven to the Netherlands,
e f their the Ss an
found a home in the Caroiinas. New York,
Pennsylvania and other, colonies, Many
and the Welsh In Connecticut.
The colonies, at the time of the revolu-
gard gard to to- i religious beliefs. nearly t all " sects
being represented who settled here. Bu.,
though many of these had come to the
church and state were still united In
assachusetts, New Hampshire. Rhode
Delaware the British government had been
hlnderer by charter, and the Overwhelming
ns to G ss Ss GsuraH FO% Of
such obstseie. The Episcopal church was
Nsw YorS New ersey and NSss caro On
lima. In MARYLAND 1t was unwillingly en-
Tempt. s Only in Virginia Virginia and !s South y caro-
lima had 1t ever possessed any real hold
The clergy Of the Episcopal church Of
South Carolina were men OF learning and
high character, elected by their own, con-
gregation, and were thoroughly indepen-
dent. In Virginia 1t was different Many
OF the clergy were appointed by the Bririsl
government and ordained by the bishop II
London Though dissolute and discarded
from churches in England, they were CON
sdsred good enough, f., he new world. :.
necessary to pass laws prohibiting these
elergymen from drunkenness and riotors
these among those who were natives of
Virginia, whose appointment depended
American churches there were no bishops
Washington and Madison. together with
many other Virginian statesmen. belonged
IT, shs chroh Thf N benEstTnn nG Shnr
SO in Massa chusetts. New Hampshire and
Connecticut Puritan Congregationalism was
the established religion. The church was
once chosen, kept his place for life on con-
dition that he properly behaved. Lave
against heresy were In force n these
IRf,eS'S RE, were '''o'e TO imprisonment '''
Anyone who should dare to speculate
the philosophy Of the plan of salvation,
or to express doubt as to the plenary
inspiration OF every word between the two
and Imprisonment The tithing man ar
rested Sabbath-breakers and shut them
uD in the town cage In the market place
ing on Sunday and took people. to the
meeting house whether they would or not.
In Rhode. Island all Protestants entoyei
ware ware We're the only colonies in Which sil
Christian sects stood socially and politically
on an equal footing Religious tests were re-
Sred ednes Of civil II the f Ter
tied in America, especially in the middle
and southern colonies. we find many Pres