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D |
uring the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the
denominations that had dominated religious life in colonial America--the
Congregationalists, Episcopalians, and Presbyterians--grew slowly. Other groups
grew at a staggering pace. Baptists
expanded from 400 congregations in 1780 to over 12,000 in 1860; Methodists from
50 to 20,000; Roman Catholics from 50 to 2,500. The African Methodist Episcopal
church grew from 5 congregations in 1816 to more than 100 by 1850.
Many new religions and sects arose--among them,
the Disciples of Christ, the Mormons, and the Shakers. In the increasingly fluid
environment of early 19th-century America, sects competed fiercely for
members. Charismatic preachers praised
peopels' ability to speed their own salvations.