Contrary to popular historical thought, colonial America was
not built upon freedom of religion. Not counting the lost colony of Roanoke,
the first settlement in the New World was at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607.
Although this colony went through several periods of near abandonment, the
colony survived enough to consider that year as its date of establishment. This colony was NOT founded on any sort of
religious pretext whatsoever, but was founded purely on England’s desire to
expand its border beyond Europe and to beat its rivals, Spain and France, in
founding new territories. The Virginia settlers were Englishmen and were
supporters of the Anglican Church. That religion, naturally, became the state
religion of the colony. In 1753, the year my novel, Keeping Secrets, opens, colonists were expected to support the
church and the priests with their tithes and money, as well as attend Anglican
services. Fines were levied against those who chose not to do either.
The Pilgrims are oftentimes not only hailed as being the
first colonists to settle the New World, but they are praised for their courage
in leaving England to establish a country for religious freedom. Neither is the
case. The Pilgrims did not land at Plymouth, Massachusetts until 1620, nearly
13 years after the settlement at Jamestown. It was, therefore, the second English settlement in the
colonies, and ironically, while they left England for freedom of religion, they
turned around and held a monopoly on religion much like what they left England
to escape. Anyone who has read of the Salem witch trials, or Roger Williams and
Anne Hutchinson, knows the kind of pressure Puritans could bring to bear on
those who chose to follow a path different from their own. While they believed
in freedom of religion for themselves, they did not believe in it for other
people.
Unlike Virginia and the Plymouth Colony, the colony of Maryland,
granted a charter in 1632, was
founded by Catholics on the idea of religious freedom. Originally a haven for
Catholics, by the early part of the 18th century, it had been
supplanted by Protestant factions, and the Catholic Church was driven
underground. Mass was not allowed in public, and Catholics never regained their
primary standing in any colony.
Dunker Meeting House, Maryland (Friends Meeting Houses were similar in structure) |
In 1681, William Penn founded Penn’s Colony, or Penn’s Wood,
also on the idea of religious freedom. Penn,
himself, was a Friend, however, the Friends were eventually disenfranchised
there as well despite their large numbers. Part of the problem with
Pennsylvania Friends was their western border which endured a constant state of
Indian wars from the mid-18th century to well after the Revolution. “Quaker
pacifism,” in the face of such brutal hostilities, just didn’t make sense to
the vast majority of colonials.
The Baptists and Methodists arrived in the colonies at around
the same time as the Friends. While there were other smaller groups, for
example, the Mennonites and the Moravians, they were smaller and of lesser
consequence than the main religious sects. In the south, especially in Virginia, the
Church of England was the established religion, so fines were levied against
those who refused to participate, including Catholics, Baptists, Methodists,
and the Society of Friends.
It was within this hodgepodge of religious availability that
Keeping Secrets opens. While Mary
McKechnie is a devout Friend, embracing her religion and all it entails, Amon
Cayle is not. The Friends literally controlled every aspect of their members’
lives, and while devout Friends welcomed the structure, many chafed against the
restraint.
For Amon Cayle, the problem is deeper. He doesn’t believe
the Friends, as a religious group, have the authority to tell him how to live. Thus,
he constantly walks a fine line between raising his kids to follow God, staying
in good standing within the Friends so as to honor the promise he made to his
late wife, and his quest for inner peace.
Amon Cayle’s turmoil mirrors so many of the Friends at that time.
Amon laced his fingers together and rested his elbows atop
his knees. The heat from the open window warmed his back. “What happened with
Jackson?”
The boy looked away, but not before Amon caught a glimpse of
shame.
“The note from Andrew says thee picked a fight with him.”
Still nothing. Amon
felt his temper rising. “David, if thou will not speak to me, I will have to
punish you with the information I have. After last year, I will not tolerate
any fighting.”
“He said his Pa was trying to keep me out of the test so he
had a better chance of winning and . . .”
"And what?”
“And that as long as you were a disorderly walker, he just
might win.”
“So you started a fight?”
“No. He started it.”
“Who threw the first punch?”
“I did, but he shoved me into a tree.” David shifted his
right shoulder forward. “Tore the last good shirt I have.”
Amon reached up and pulled the three inch ragged tear apart
to reveal a middling patch of inflamed raw skin. That goodness it wasn't the other shoulder. "Tell Rosie to put something on that later.”
"‘Tis not even my
shirt. Aunt Agathy found an old one at her house and gave it to me.”
“What’s wrong with yours?”
“They are all too small. I gave them to John. With this
torn, I don’t know what I will wear to school tomorrow.”
Amon ran his hand along his jaw. He wasn’t going to punish
the boy for defending himself, and he didn’t doubt David was telling the truth.
His nephew had been caught in too many lies over the years, lies his brother
always believed.
“What am I going to do Pa? I’ve worked my whole life to take
that test.”
“I am seeking restitution at the Friend’s next monthly
meeting. After that, I will again be a member in good standing.”
David’s chin jerked upwards. “I don’t want thee lowering
yourself to apologize to those people for me.”
Amon thought his head would burst. “Do you want to take the
test?”
David nodded.
“Then ‘tis a good thing I go to meeting.”
“But ‘tis not fair. Elizabeth was the one who took off and
married a Baptist behind your back. So why apologize?”
The pressure around Amon’s heart was almost too much to
bear. “Because I made a promise to your mother before you children were born
that I would try to remain faithful to the Friends, and as long as I remain
censured for Elizabeth’s marriage, it puts the rest of you outside their
world.”
From the moment Keeping
Secrets opens, Amon Cayle’s doubt as to the authority of the Friends collides
with his family and his promise to his late wife. Eventually, he is forced to
make decisions.
But will those decisions be in the best interest of his
children?
And what will they have to do with Mary McKechnie?
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