1607            Virginia settled.  Church of England planted in North America.

1620            Plymouth (MA) settled by Pilgrims

1629-30       Massachusetts Bay Colony founded.  Congregationalism established (Puritans-->Congregationalists)

1634            Maryland founded.  Roman Catholic Church planted in Mid-Atlantic colonies.

1636            Roger Williams expelled from MA.  Founds RI as a haven for religious dissidents.

1654            Jews from Brazil, fleeing persecution, arrive in New York.

1659-62       Quakers hanged in MA, persecuted in VA for not adopting religious uniformity.

1681            William Penn leads Quakers to PA.

1683            German Protestants begin arriving in PA, attracted by religious liberty.

1689            England passes Toleration Act, improving the lot of dissenters in the colonies.

1735-45        (ca.)  Great Awakening marks religious revival on East Coast and invigorates and revitalizes religion in America.

1755            Separate Baptists, a product of the Great Awakening, begin proselytizing in the South

1758            Presbyterian Church reunites after being split during the Great Awakening in New Side and Old Side.

1766            First Methodist meeting in the colonies in NY

1776            American Independence declared.

1780            MA constitution adopted, providing state support of religion.

1784            Methodist Episcopal Church established.

1786            Jefferson's "Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom" passed in VA, prohibiting state support of religion

1787            US Constitution adopted, prohibiting religious tests for public office

1789            Episcopal Church adopts new Prayer Book, becoming independent of Church of England

1789            Bill of Rights passed by Congress

1800            Major revivals in Kentucky spread east and initiate long Evangelical dominance in US religion

1833            MA becomes last state to renounce state support of religion.

1835            de Toqueville, great French commentator on US, observes Americans consider religion "indispensable to the
                   maintenance of republican institutions."