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109-594: Distinguished from other churches by their commitment to believer's baptism , congregational autonomy and the separation of church and state , Baptists have been present in the United States since Roger Williams founded the First Baptist Church in America at Providence, Rhode Island , in 1638. Baptist churches were soon found elsewhere in colonial America . The First Baptist Church of Boston

218-470: A blameless life". (3) Integral to believer's baptism is the candidate's mission to witness to the world even unto martyrdom , echoing Jesus' words that "they would be baptized with His baptism, witnessing to the world when their blood was spilt". Anabaptist denominations, such as the Mennonites , Amish , and Hutterites , use pouring as the mode to administer believer's baptism, whereas Anabaptists of

327-530: A child and "committed to him, reared, kept, cherished, and finally baptized him". In inscriptions from the end from the second century and later in which the date of baptism and death are mentioned, there is a close correlation between the time of baptism and their time of death. For example, Antonia Cyriaceti died and received baptism on the same day, Felite received baptism March 26 and died April 29. Multiple other inscriptions mention people of varying ages, who died as "neophytes" which implies someone whose baptism

436-404: A common language allowed English immigrants to integrate rapidly and gave rise to a unique Anglo-American culture. An estimated 3.5 million English immigrated to the U.S. after 1776. English settlers provided a steady and substantial influx throughout the 19th century. A number of English settlers moved to the United States from Australia in the 1850s (then a British political territory ), when

545-401: A later age. Monica did not baptize Augustine as a child because of the fear of post-baptismal sins, the situation of Basil and Augustine are however different, there are no indications that St. Emmelia , who was the mother of Basil, feared post-baptismal sins like Monica did for Augustine. Augustine argued that the custom infant baptism has been handed down from Jesus and the apostles to

654-485: A meritorious work; it "is a confession that a person has nothing to offer God". While the Churches of Christ do not describe baptism as a "sacrament", their view of it can be described as "sacramental". They see the power of baptism coming from God, who chose to use baptism as a vehicle, rather than from the water or the act itself, and understand baptism to be an integral part of the conversion process, rather than just

763-444: A number of skilled craftsmen remained itinerant, returning to England after a season or two of work. Groups came to practice their religion freely. The depression of 1893 sharply decreased English emigration to the United States, and it stayed low for much of the twentieth century. This decline reversed itself in the decade of World War II when over 100,000 English (18 percent of all European immigrants) came from England. In this group

872-508: A rite for child dedication for those who have a preference for believer's baptism only after their child has made a personal acceptance of Jesus as his/her saviour. Both infant baptism and believer's baptism may be received via pouring, sprinkling, or immersion—with the candidate or the candidate's parents or sponsors choosing the mode of administration. In the Seventh-day Adventist Church , rebaptism by immersion

981-457: A rite for child dedication for those who have a preference for believer's baptism only after their child has made a personal acceptance of Jesus as their savior. Denominations and groups who practice believer's baptism were historically referred to as "Anabaptist" (from Neo-Latin anabaptista , from the Greek ἀναβαπτισμός : ἀνά- , "re-", and βαπτισμός , " baptism "), though this term

1090-406: A symbol of conversion. A recent trend is to emphasize the transformational aspect of baptism. Instead of describing it as just a legal requirement or sign of something that happened in the past, it is seen as "the event that places the believer 'into Christ' where God does the ongoing work of transformation". Because of the belief that baptism is a necessary part of salvation, some Baptists hold that

1199-419: Is "clear and full evidence" that infant baptism was not practiced during his time. He highlighted Justin's statements that one was "persuaded that the things spoken and taught by us are true", before baptism. Dan Taylor argued against the interpretation of the quote used to justify infant baptism, stating that by "discipleship", Justin was not referring to baptism but to teaching. Thomas Schreiner argued that

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1308-461: Is a reason why numbers vary drastically between self-identification and estimates. A leading specialist, Charlotte Erickson, found them to be ethnically "invisible," dismissing the occasional St. George Societies as ephemeral elite clubs that were not in touch with a larger ethnic community. In Canada, by contrast, the English organized far more ethnic activism, as the English competed sharply with

1417-732: Is not required for church membership. However, it is available to those who feel that they have received new information that makes a difference or have experienced a reconversion. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints completely rejects infant baptism. Little children are considered both born without sin and incapable of committing sin . They have no need of baptism until age eight, when they can begin to learn to discern right from wrong, and are thus accountable to God for their own actions. People completely incapable of understanding right from wrong, regardless of age, are also considered as not accountable for their actions, and are not baptized. Many churches that baptize infants, such as

1526-529: Is supportive of believer's baptism. Gavin Ortlund argued that the parallel with circumcision supports believer's baptism, arguing that since circumcision was given to the children of Abraham ( Genesis 17:9 ) and that in the New Testament, only believers are called sons of Abraham ( Galatians 3:7 ), thus supporting believer's baptism. Believer's baptism is administered only to persons who have passed

1635-514: Is the reason why a person is a child of God; baptism is the time at which one is incorporated into Christ and so becomes a child of God" (italics in the source). Baptism is understood as a confessional expression of faith and repentance, rather than a "work" that earns salvation. English Americans English Americans (historically known as Anglo-Americans ) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England . In

1744-880: Is the eternal purpose of God, according to which he graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners". However, many saw the New Hampshire Confession as accepting free will. The free-will Baptists in the Northeast and West accepted the Confession, while the Calvinist (predestination) Baptists in the Southeast rejected the Confession but remained in the Triennial Convention. Believer%27s baptism Believer's baptism or adult baptism (occasionally called credobaptism , from

1853-636: Is used primarily to categorize the denominations and adherents belonging to the Anabaptist branch of Christianity that emerged in the era of the Radical Reformation . The Anabaptists regard their ideas as being based on the teaching of Jesus Christ, who, according to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 28 , invited to make disciples in all nations and to baptize them in the name of the Father, of

1962-475: The de facto official language, the language in which government business is carried out. According to the 1990 census, 94% of the U.S. population speak only English. Adding those who speak English "well" or "very well" brings this figure to 96%. Only 0.8% speak no English at all as compared with 3.6% in 1890. American English differs from British English in a number of ways, the most striking being in terms of pronunciation (for example, American English retains

2071-649: The 1742 Philadelphia Baptist Confession of Faith . This confession was adapted from an earlier English confession, the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689. The Second London Confession was a Reformed Baptist document influenced heavily by the Westminster Confession of Faith . The Philadelphia Confession differed from the Second London Confession only by the addition of two articles. One of

2180-504: The 2020 United States census , English Americans were the largest group in the United States with 46.5 million Americans self-identifying as having some English origins (many combined with another heritage) representing (19.8%) of the White American population. This includes 25,536,410 (12.5%) who were "English alone". Despite them being the largest self-identified ancestral origin in the United States, demographers still regard

2289-500: The American Community Survey enumerated Americans reporting English ancestry at 27.4 million, 9.0% of the U.S. population; in 2015, 24.8 million, 7.8% of the population. A decade thereafter, in 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded 25.2 million Americans reporting full or partial English ancestry, about 7.7% of the U.S. population. Results for the 2020 United States census showed that English Americans were

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2398-621: The American Council of Learned Societies , in time to be adopted as basis for legal immigration quotas in 1929, and later published in the journal of the American Historical Association , reproduced in the table below. Note: as in the original CPG report, the "English" category encompassed England and Wales , grouping together all names classified as either " Anglican " (from England ) or " Cambrian " (from Wales ). Estimated English American population in

2507-578: The Anglo-American oriented Triennial Convention. The Triennial Convention attempted to take no stated position on slavery . This moderate position allowed both abolitionists and slavery supporters to remain in the denomination. The majority of Triennial Baptists in the Northeast opposed slavery, while the growing number of Triennial Baptists in the Southeast supported slavery. In 1843,

2616-666: The Apology of Aristedes indirectly excludes infant baptism, stating that the children of believers were considered part of the Christian community only after conversion. Clement of Alexandria made no clear statements on infant baptism. Proponents of believer's baptism have argued that because Clement of Alexandria connects repentance and baptism, he supported the practice. On the other hand Philip Schaff wrote that some statements that he makes can unclearly imply infant baptism. Eusebius mentioned that an earlier presbyter who took

2725-722: The Bible or early Christian literature that infant baptism was practiced by the apostles. Advocates of believer's baptism argue that the New Testament does not describe instances of infant baptism, and that during the New Testament era, the early church required converts to have conscious, deliberate faith in Jesus Christ. Advocates for believer's baptism use Acts 2 to support their view, where Peter commanded to believe before baptism took place. Credobaptists also argue that Jesus ' baptism as an adult, and not as an infant,

2834-502: The British government was rarely transferred to English settlers who came to America in the first decades of the nineteenth century. Throughout American history, English immigrants and their descendants have been prominent in every level of government and in every aspect of American life. Known informally as "WASPS" (see White Anglo-Saxon Protestants ), their dominance has slipped since 1945, but remains high in many fields. Eight out of

2943-488: The California Gold Rush boomed; these included the so-called " Sydney Ducks " ( see Australian Americans ). In prior eras there were English-centered cultural events such as Morris dance events and Saint George's Day . There had been conflicts between English immigrant groups and Irish immigrant groups. A magazine article from The Republic in 1852 had criticized English immigrants for remaining loyal to

3052-559: The Cappadocian Fathers were not baptized until adulthood, including Basil the Great , Gregory of Naziansus , and Gregory of Nyssa . Schreiner argued that Gregory of Naziansus was generally opposed to infant baptism, preferring children who were old enough to understand the "basic outlines of the faith" to be baptized, except when there was a danger of death for the infant. Schreiner also argued that Cyril of Jerusalem implies

3161-951: The Churches of Christ , among others). Among those denominations that practice immersion, the way that it is practiced depends on the Church; the Schwarzenau Brethren and the River Brethren for example teach "trine immersion, that is, dipping three times forward in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Certain denominations of Methodism, including the Free Methodist Church and Evangelical Wesleyan Church , practice infant baptism for families who desire it for their children, but provide

3270-477: The Continental United States as of 1790, 82.1% were English, followed by 7.0% Scotch, 5.6% German, 2.5% Dutch, 1.9% Irish, and 0.6% French. The 1909 Century of Population Growth report came under intense scrutiny in the 1920s; its methodology was subject to criticism over fundamental flaws that cast doubt on the accuracy of its conclusions. The catalyst for controversy had been passage of

3379-941: The Continental United States as of the 1790 Census . Another source by Thomas L. Purvis in 1984 estimated that people of English ancestry made up about 47.5% of the total population or 60.9% of the European American or white population (his figures can also be found, and as divided by region, in Colin Bonwick, The American Revolution, 1991 p. 2540-839-1346-2). The study which gives similar results can be found in The American Revolution, Colin Bonwick in percentages for 1790: 47.9 English, 3.5 Welsh, 8.5 Scotch Irish (Ulster), 4.3 Scottish, 4.7 Irish (South), 7.2 German, 2.7 Dutch, 1.7 French, 0.2 Swedish, 19.3 Black, 103.4 British. The difference between

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3488-668: The Dutch colony of New Netherland (including the New Amsterdam settlement), renaming it the Province of New York in 1664. With New Netherland, the English came to control the former New Sweden (in what is now Delaware ), which the Dutch had conquered from Sweden earlier. This became part of Pennsylvania . Many planters, slave traders and slave owners who owned Black slaves were of English ancestry. Cultural similarities and

3597-687: The Immigration Act of 1924 , which imposed numerical quotas on each country of Europe limiting the number of immigrants to be admitted out of a finite total annual pool. The size of each national quota was determined by the National Origins Formula , in part computed by estimating the origins of the colonial stock population descended from White Americans enumerated in the 1790 Census . The undercount of other colonial stocks like German Americans and Irish Americans would thus have contemporary policy consequences. When CPG

3706-742: The Latin word credo meaning "I believe") is the practice of baptizing those who are able to make a conscious profession of faith, as contrasted to the practice of baptizing infants . Credobaptists believe that infants incapable of consciously believing should not be baptized. The mode of believer's baptism depends on the Christian denomination , and is done either by pouring (the normative method in Mennonite , Amish , and Hutterite churches) or by immersion (the normative method practiced by Schwarzenau Brethren , River Brethren , Baptists , and

3815-669: The Mayflower , 41 men signed the " Mayflower Compact " aboard ship on November 11, 1620, while anchored in Provincetown Harbor . Signers included Carver , Alden , Standish , Howland , Bradford , Allerton , and Fuller . This story has become a central theme in the United States cultural identity. A number of English colonies were established under a system of proprietary governors , who were appointed under mercantile charters to English joint stock companies to found and run settlements. England also took control over

3924-467: The Northeast , South and West . The following are the top 20 highest percentages of people of English ancestry, in U.S. communities (total list of the 101 communities, see source): According to the 2020 U.S. census, the 10 states with the largest populations of self-reported English Americans are: English settlement in America began with Jamestown in the Virginia Colony in 1607. With

4033-750: The Pilgrims . Fleeing religious persecution in the East Midlands in England, they first went to Holland , but feared losing their English identity. Because of this, they chose to relocate to the New World , with their voyage being financed by English investors. In September 1620, 102 passengers set sail aboard the Mayflower , eventually settling at Plymouth Colony in November. Of the passengers on

4142-548: The Roman Catholic , Presbyterian , Reformed , Anglican , Methodist , Lutheran , Moravian , Eastern Orthodox , and Oriental Orthodox denominations, previously functioned as national, state-established churches in various European and Latin American countries. Defenders of infant baptism have attempted to trace the practice to the New Testament era, but generally acknowledge that no unambiguous evidence exists that

4251-625: The Schwarzenau Brethren and River Brethren traditions baptize by immersion . The Schwarzenau Brethren , along with the River Brethren , both of which are Anabaptist denominations, teach that the ordinance "be trine immersion, that is, dipping three times forward in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." The three plunges in the forward position, for each person of the Holy Trinity, also represent

4360-807: The Southern Baptist Convention . The Triennial Baptists were concentrated in the Northeast. The abolitionists in the Northeast inherited the Triennial Convention and the Northern Baptist Mission Society was dissolved. After the split, authorization was given to change the name to the American Baptist Missionary Union. William Bullein Johnson joined the Southern Baptists. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries,

4469-467: The United Kingdom such as Scottish , Scotch-Irish (descendants of Ulster Scots from Ulster and Northern Ireland ), Welsh , Cornish , Manx Americans and Channel Islanders . In 1980 , 49.6 million Americans claimed English ancestry. At 26.34%, this was the largest group amongst the 188 million people who reported at least one ancestry. The population was 226 million which would have made

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4578-566: The United Kingdom . In 1927, proposed immigration quotas based on CPG figures were rejected by the President's Committee chaired by the Secretaries of State , Commerce , and Labor , with the President reporting to Congress "the statistical and historical information available raises grave doubts as to the whole value of these computations as the basis for the purposes intended." Among the criticisms of A Century of Population Growth : At

4687-492: The Zwickau prophets opposed infant baptism. Additionally, Andreas Karlstad opposed infant baptism but did not demand rebaptism of once baptized infants. In the early 16th century, the Anabaptist movement began demanding that baptismal candidates be able to make a freely chosen profession of faith , thus rejecting the baptism of infants. This, and other doctrinal differences, led both Catholics and Protestants to persecute

4796-494: The age of accountability or reason , which is based upon a reading of the New Testament that only believers should be baptized. The believer's full understanding is verified by leaders when a believer makes a profession of faith before baptism. In practice, this age generally corresponds to the beginning of adolescence , around 12 years in Anabaptist churches and 9 to 12 years in Baptist churches. This understanding of

4905-570: The "three days of Christ's burial." Immersion baptism is done falling forward by the Schwarzenau Brethren because "the Bible says Jesus bowed his head (letting it fall forward) and died. Baptism represents a dying of the old, sinful self." Believer's baptism is also practiced by Baptists , as well as many Pentecostals . Many Methodist denominations, such as the Free Methodist Church and Evangelical Wesleyan Church , practice infant baptism for families who desire it for their children, but provide

5014-409: The 1990 census, they retain such a pervasive representation at every level of national and state government that, on any list of American senators, Supreme Court judges, governors, or legislators, they would constitute a plurality if not an outright majority. In 2011, Lucy Tobin of The Guardian wrote that, as of that year, it was not common to see English cultural heritage expression nor events in

5123-435: The 19th century. Some states, like California , have amended their constitutions to make English the only official language, but in practice, this only means that official government documents must at least be in English, and does not mean that they should be exclusively available only in English. For example, the standard California Class C driver's license examination is available in 32 different languages. "In for

5232-685: The 2.5 million population of the 13 colonies. Some 80.7% of the total United States population was of European origin. Using the first model above, in 1900, an estimated 28,375,000 or 37.8% of the population of the United States was wholly or partly of English ancestry from colonial roots. The estimate was based on the Census Bureaus Estimate that approximately thirty five million white Americans were descended from colonial forebears. In 1980, 23,748,772 Americans claimed only English ancestry and another 25,849,263 claimed English along with another ethnic ancestry. 13.3 million or 5.9% of

5341-809: The American Baptist Education Society, the American Baptist Home Mission Society , the American Baptist Missionary Union , and the American Baptist Publication Society into a new Northern Baptist Convention . Governor of New York , Charles Evans Hughes (April 11, 1862 – August 27, 1948, served since 1907) (Republican) was elected the first Northern Baptist Convention president, but he continued his job as Governor. 29th President of

5450-528: The Anabaptists, executing them by fire, sword, or drowning. Major Anabaptist theologians included: Balthasar Hubmaier , Jakob Hutter , Melchior Hofmann , John of Leiden and Menno Simons . Ulrich Zwingli once met Balthasar Hubmaier and agreed that infant baptism should be discontinued, however Zwingli would later become a persecutor of those who denied infant baptism. However Hubmaier would allow infant baptism in extreme situations. Historians trace

5559-724: The Baptist General Tract Society (later renamed the American Baptist Publication Society ) in 1824 and the Home Mission Society in 1832. The various societies held their own conventions during sessions of the Triennial Convention. By 1840, Baptists were in every state and territory as well as missions around the world. Alongside the Methodists , Baptists had grown to be one of the two largest denominations in

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5668-495: The British Crown. During the last years of the 1860s, annual English immigration grew to over 60,000 and continued to rise to over 75,000 per year in 1872, before experiencing a decline. The final and most sustained wave of immigration began in 1879 and lasted until the depression of 1893. During this period English annual immigration averaged more than 82,000, with peaks in 1882 and 1888 and did not drop significantly until

5777-608: The Christian religion throughout the world. In 1810, the Congregationalists established the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions . Two years later, the Congregationalist Board sent Adoniram Judson, Jr. (1788–1850), Ann Hasseltine Judson (1789–1826), and Luther Rice to India. Upon arrival, however, the three missionaries repudiated infant baptism and became Baptists under

5886-418: The Churches of Christ endorse the doctrine of baptismal regeneration . However, members of the Churches of Christ reject this, arguing that since faith and repentance are necessary, and that the cleansing of sins is by the blood of Christ through the grace of God, baptism is not an inherently redeeming ritual. One author from the Churches of Christ describes the relationship between faith and baptism: " Faith

5995-450: The Colonial period, typically ranging between 17 and 29%. English immigrants in the 19th century, as with other groups, sought economic prosperity. They began migrating in large numbers, without state support, in the 1840s and continued into the 1890s. English American elites, known as "WASPs" ( White Anglo-Saxon Protestants ), have dominated American society, culture, and politics for most of American history. The majority of presidents of

6104-459: The Eastern Republican establishment helped undermine the WASP dominance. Goldwater himself had solid WASP credentials through his mother, of a prominent old Yankee family, but was instead mistakenly seen as part of the Jewish community (which he had never associated with). By the 1980s, the liberal Rockefeller Republican wing of the party was marginalized, overwhelmed by the dominance of the Southern and Western conservative Republicans. Asking "Is

6213-437: The English ancestry group 22% of the total. Scotch-Irish Americans are for the most part descendants of Lowland Scots and Northern English (specifically County Durham , Cumberland , Northumberland and Yorkshire ) settlers who migrated to Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century. Additionally, African Americans tend to have a significant degree of English and Lowland Scots ancestry tracing back to

6322-424: The English cultural pattern as predominant for the American version. According to studies and estimates, the ethnic populations in the British American Colonies from 1700 onwards were: (* Georgia not included) The ancestries of the population in 1790 (the first national population census) has been estimated by various sources, first in 1909, then again in 1932, 1980 and 1984 by sampling distinctive surnames in

6431-420: The English showed a considerable decrease from the previous census. Responses for "American" slightly decreased both numerically and as a percentage from 5.9% to 5.2% in 1990 with most being from the South . In the 2000 census, 24.5 million or 8.7% of Americans reported English ancestry, a decline of some eight million people. At the national level, the response rate for the ancestry question fell to 80.1% of

6540-725: The English were 83.5%, 6.7% Scottish, 1.6% Irish, 2.0% Dutch, 0.5% French, 5.6% German and 0.1% all others of the white population for the 12 enumerated states. "Hebrews" (Jews) were less than one-tenth of 1 percent. When the Scotch and Irish are added, British origins would be more than 90% of the European ancestry. The same 1909 data for each state (of the total European population only) of English ancestry were Connecticut 96.2%, Rhode Island 96.0%, Vermont 95.4%, Massachusetts 95.0%, New Hampshire 94.1%, Maine 93.1%, Virginia 85.0%, Maryland 84.0%, North Carolina 83.1%, South Carolina 82.4%, New York 78.2% and Pennsylvania 59.0%. CPG estimated that, of all European Americans in

6649-472: The New Hampshire (Triennial) Baptist Convention. The Confession was traditional. The controversy of the day was free will versus predestination . While the New Hampshire Confession is shorter than the 1742 Philadelphia Confession, it affirms the Philadelphia Confession. The New Hampshire Confession states that "[Humans] by voluntary [free will] transgression fell from the holy and happy state [they were created]" and that "We believe that Election [predestination]

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6758-634: The Son and of the Holy Spirit. According to some theologians, it is natural to follow the order thus suggested, either to baptize someone who has become a disciple before, which is not possible with a baby or a child. They contend that in the New Testament , references to the baptized relate only to believers who have experienced a new birth. The Didache has been a matter of discussion among Protestants on what it teaches about baptism. The Didache has been argued to have assumed believer's baptism, as it assumes discipleship before baptism and does not mention infant baptism. Against this, Philip Schaff argued that

6867-455: The Spirit, the water, and the blood—these three witnesses on earth." According to Anabaptist theology : (1) In believer's baptism, the Holy Spirit witnesses the candidate entering into a covenant with God. (2) God, in believer's baptism, "grants a baptized believer the water of baptism as a sign of His covenant with them—that such a one indicates and publicly confesses that he wants to live in true obedience towards God and fellow believers with

6976-422: The Triennial Convention took no official position on Evolution . This moderate position accepted the Bible and science and allowed both Fundamentalists and liberals to remain in the denomination, but it also contradicted the New Hampshire Confession and the Bible. The liberals in the urban Northeast accepted the position, while the Fundamentalists in the rural Northeast rejected the position but remained in

7085-429: The Triennial Convention. The Triennial Baptists supported Progressivism and the Social Gospel , but not the more radical ideas of Walter Rauschenbusch (1861–1918) and other Christian Socialists . In 1888, the Triennial Convention founded the American Baptist Education Society to organize support for affiliated schools, colleges, and seminaries. On May 17, 1907 in Washington, D.C., the Triennial Convention organized

7194-410: The United States, Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923, served March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923) (Republican) was a Baptist by upbringing, faith, and self-identification, but he was a member of the Masonic Lodge . The Northern Baptist Convention was renamed the American Baptist Convention in 1950, and the American Baptist Churches, USA in 1972. The Triennial Convention accepted

7303-480: The United States, as well as the majority of sitting U.S. congressmen and congresswomen, were born into families of English ancestry. The majority of the Founding Fathers of the United States were also of English ancestry. Ivy League universities such as Harvard University , Yale University , and Princeton University were established by and have been mostly composed of WASPs. Americans of English heritage are often seen, and identify, as simply "American" due to

7412-543: The United States. As early colonists of the United States, settlers from England and their descendants often held positions of power and made and enforced laws, often because many had been involved in government back in England. In the original Thirteen Colonies , most laws contained elements found in the English common law system. The majority of the Founding Fathers of the United States were of English extraction. A minority were of high social status and can be classified as White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP). Many of

7521-568: The United States. Nevertheless, there were Baptists who opposed efforts to establish missions boards and denominational agencies as unbiblical. These Baptists became known as "anti-mission" or Primitive Baptists , while those who supported organized missionary work became known as Missionary Baptists . As early as 1838, African-American Baptists began organizing their own associations and conventions. Immigrants, such as Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and German Americans, also formed their own Baptist denominations along ethnic lines rather than affiliate with

7630-543: The WASP leader a dying breed?" journalist Nina Strochlic in 2012 pointed to eleven WASP top politicians—typically scions of upper class English families. She ended with Republicans George H. W. Bush elected in 1988, his son George W. Bush elected in 2000 and 2004, and John McCain, who was nominated but defeated in 2008. English is the most commonly spoken language in the U.S., where it is estimated that two thirds of all native speakers of English live. The American English dialect developed from English colonization . It serves as

7739-419: The abolitionists in the Northeast founded the Northern Baptist Mission Society in opposition to slavery. In 1844, the Home Mission Society refused to ordain James E. Reeve of Georgia as a missionary because he was put forward as a slaveholder. They refused to decide on the basis of slavery. In May 1845, in Augusta , Georgia, the slavery supporters in the Southeast broke with the Triennial Convention and founded

7848-521: The age of 30. Sebastian Frank wrote that "The Picards in Bohemia are divided into two, or some say three parties, the large, the small, the very small, who hold in all things with the Anabaptists". In the early church, instances of baptisms following conversion to Christianity are recorded. Advocates of believers' baptism argue that this implies infants would not be baptized since they could not profess faith for themselves. Beginning with Augustine,

7957-544: The age of responsibility is analogous to the Jewish tradition of Bar Mitzvah at the age of 12 or 13, at which point Jewish children become responsible for their actions and "one to whom the commandments apply". In churches practicing believer's baptism, the age of accountability may have been set higher or lower depending on their traditional practices and their understanding of the psychological development of children. In areas where those who practice believer's baptism are

8066-653: The ancient times" was performed on those who had already matured. During the medieval age, infant baptism was opposed by the Arnoldists , Waldensians , and Peter of Bruys . The Waldensians also practiced baptism by full immersion. Reinerius mentioned that the Waldensians believed that the "ablution which is given to infants profits nothing". The Paulicians strongly opposed infant baptism; they only gave baptism to adults after instruction, confession, and repentance. The Bogomils and Cathars also rejected

8175-411: The argument being that if Polycarp was a servant of Christ for 86 years, he would have been a servant of Christ from infancy, suggesting infant baptism. However, against the argument, Schoedel William argued that the quote is ambiguous as regards to baptism, and that Polycarp meant by paraphrasing: "I have always served Jesus and I am not going to cease even at the age of 86." Infant baptism in this time

8284-525: The baptism of infants. However, they did not believe anyone should be baptized in water at all, and instead believed baptism to be of a spiritual character. Though infant baptism was practiced in the Bohemian reformation , a few also practiced believer's baptism. This includes Petr Chelčický who preferred to baptize those of older age, however without proposing re-baptism and the radical Taborite Pierre Kanis , who believed baptism should be withheld until

8393-561: The baptized should be old enough to understand and ready to obey certain commands. Additionally, Basil of Caesarea defined baptism as an expression of faith, stating: "baptism is established by faith, and each is carried out by the same names. For as we believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so also we are baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The confession that brings salvation comes first and there follows baptism which seals our assent." Jerome , Rufinus of Aquileia , Ambrose and John Chrysostom received baptism at

8502-724: The census and assigning them a country of origin. There is debate over the accuracy between the studies with individual scholars and the Federal Government using different techniques and conclusion for the ethnic composition. A study published in 1909 titled A Century of Population Growth. From the First to the Twelfth census of the United States: 1790–1900 by the Government Census Bureau estimated

8611-429: The church solidified the practice of infant baptism and there is little mention of competing practices until the 1500s. Augustine held the view that baptism was a requirement for the washing away of sins. He was faced with the issue of whether an unconscious or unwilling individual on their deathbed should be baptized; he felt it was better to err on the side of caution and baptize such a person. Michael Servetus and

8720-594: The church. During the Pelagian controversy, both Caelestius and Augustine affirmed the validity of infant baptism, but the Pelagians denied that infants have sin in them. The practice of infant baptism was additionally affirmed by the council of Carthage, stating that infant baptism cleanses original sin. John Chrysostom and Prosper of Aquitane likewise affirmed infant baptism. Walafrid Strabo , despite being in support of infant baptism, said that baptism "in

8829-528: The earliest "Baptist" church to 1609 in Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic , with English Separatist John Smyth as its pastor. In 1641, the Baptist movements began adopting baptism by immersion. Some of them may have insisted on credobaptism by affusion a few decades earlier. Advocates of believer's baptism contend that non-Biblical records are not authoritative, and that no evidence exists from

8938-446: The financial panic of 1893. The building of America's transcontinental railroads, the settlement of the great plains, and industrialization attracted skilled and professional emigrants from England. Also, cheaper steamship fares enabled unskilled urban workers to come to America, and unskilled and semiskilled laborers, miners, and building trades workers made up the majority of these new English immigrants. While most settled in America,

9047-400: The first ten American presidents and more than that proportion of the 46 presidents, as well as the majority of sitting congressmen and congresswomen, are descended from English ancestors. The descendants of English expatriates are so numerous and so well integrated in American life that it is impossible to identify all of them. While they are the third-largest ethnic nationality self-reported in

9156-635: The influence of British missionary William Carey (1761–1834), a founder of Britain's Baptist Missionary Society . Carey and the three American missionaries mobilized Baptists in America to support the Judsons' planned mission trip to Burma . Their efforts led to the creation in 1814 of the General Missionary Convention of the Baptist Denomination in the United States of America for Foreign Missions. The Convention

9265-478: The largest group in the United States where 25,536,410 (12.5%) identified as "English alone" with a further 21 million choosing English combined with another ethnic origin. The total is 46,550,968 Americans self-identifying as being of English origin representing (19.8%) of the White American alone or in any combination population. In the 1980 United States census , English ancestry was reported to be at around 49.6 million. This number had dramatically declined by

9374-574: The many historic cultural ties between England and the U.S. and their influence on the country's population. Relative to ethnic groups of other European origins, this may be due to the early establishment of English settlements; as well as to non-English groups having emigrated in order to establish significant communities. Since 1776, English Americans have been less likely to proclaim their heritage, unlike other British Americans , Latino Americans , African Americans , Italian Americans , Irish Americans , Native Americans or other ethnic groups. This

9483-432: The new articles allowed the singing of hymns as well as the traditional Psalms . The other made laying on of hands at baptism optional. The Philadelphia Confession affirmed the following: The Triennial Convention accepted the 1833 New Hampshire Baptist Confession of Faith . The Confession was drafted by Rev. John Newton Brown , D.D. (1803–1868), of New Hampshire and other Triennial Baptist ministers, and adopted by

9592-450: The number of English Americans as an undercount. As most English Americans are the descendants of settlers who first arrived during the colonial period which began over 400 years ago, many Americans are either unaware of this heritage or choose to elect a more recent known ancestral group even if English is their primary ancestry. The term is distinct from British Americans , which includes not only English Americans but also others from

9701-582: The permission of James I , three ships (the Susan Constant , The Discovery , and The God Speed ) sailed from England and landed at Cape Henry in April, under the captainship of Christopher Newport , who had been hired by the London Company to lead expeditions to what is now America. The second successful colony was Plymouth Colony , founded in 1620 by people who later became known as

9810-632: The physical or cultural majority, the ritual may function as a rite of passage by which the child is granted the status of an adult. Evangelical denominations adhering to the doctrine of the believers' Church practice believer's baptism, after the new birth and a profession of faith . Believer's baptism is one of several distinctive doctrines associated closely with Anabaptist (literally, rebaptizer ) denominations, inclusive of Mennonites , Amish , Hutterites , Bruderhof , Schwarzenau Brethren , River Brethren , and Apostolic Christians . For Anabaptists, "believer's baptism consists of three parts,

9919-665: The postponement of baptism in the case of little children, arguing that it is better to wait until one is ready to live what he professes in baptism rather than to repudiate the profession by wickedness. He however also advises to postpone the baptism of the unmarried, and mentions that the baptism of infants existed during his time, having sponsors speaking on their behalf. Philip Schaff among many others have argued that Justin Martyr affirmed infant baptism, Justin stating that some in his day have been disciples of Jesus since childhood, while Dan Taylor instead claimed that Justin Martyr

10028-483: The practice existed prior to the 2nd century. During the Reformation , the relationship of the church to the state was a contentious issue, and infant baptism was seen as a way to ensure that society remained religiously homogeneous. As a result, groups that rejected infant baptism were seen as subversive and were often persecuted. Among the Churches of Christ , baptism is seen as a passive act of faith rather than

10137-465: The previously mentioned 2000 census, where 24.5 million people reported English ancestry. One main reason for this is because once the American ancestry category was introduced for self-reporting ancestry, many people who previously reported having English origins reported as having "American" ancestry instead. English Americans are found in large numbers throughout the United States, particularly in

10246-550: The prewar WASP elite were Loyalists who left the new nation. While WASPs have been major players in every major American political party, an exceptionally strong association has existed between WASPs and the Republican Party , before the 1980s. A few top Democrats qualified, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt. Northeastern Republican leaders such as Leverett Saltonstall of Massachusetts, Prescott Bush of Connecticut and especially Nelson Rockefeller of New York exemplified

10355-484: The pro-business liberal Republicanism of their social stratum, espousing internationalist views on foreign policy, supporting social programs, and holding liberal views on issues like racial integration . A famous confrontation was the 1952 Senate election in Massachusetts where John F. Kennedy , a Catholic of Irish descent, defeated WASP Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. However the challenge by Barry Goldwater in 1964 to

10464-1114: The pronunciation of the letter "R" after vowels, unlike standard British English, though it still can be heard in several regional dialects in England) and spelling (one example is the "u" in words such as color , favor (US) vs colour , favour (UK)). Less obvious differences are present in grammar and vocabulary. The differences are rarely a barrier to effective communication between American English and British English speakers, but there are certainly enough differences to cause occasional misunderstandings, usually surrounding slang or dialect differences. Conversely, some lexical items often thought to be Americanisms actually have their origin in England, either falling out of use there or being restricted to specific dialects in England. Such items include all out ("entirely"), cattail ("bullrush"), crib ("child's bed"), daddy long legs ("cranefly"), homecoming ("return"), rumpus ("tumult"), which are recorded in Northern and Midland English dialects as late as

10573-637: The silence of the Didache about infant baptism "cannot be fairly used as an argument against it". Similar to Tertullian later, the Shepherd of Hermas implies for the practice of delaying baptism for the practical reason of the fear of post-baptismal sins, as Hermas says those who fall have only one chance of penance. Polycarp stated, "I have served him eighty-six years and in no way has he dealt unjustly with me". Proponents of infant baptism argue that this quote shows Polycarp being baptized as an infant ,

10682-596: The time of the first census in 1790, English was the majority ancestry in all U.S. states, ranging from a high of 96.2% in Connecticut to a low of 58.0% in New Jersey. Concluding that CPG "had not been accepted by scholars as better than a first approximation of the truth", the Census Bureau commissioned a study to produce new scientific estimates of the colonial American population, in collaboration with

10791-506: The total U.S. population chose to identify as "American" (counted under "not specified") as also seen in censuses that followed. Below shows the persons who reported at least one specific ancestry are as follows. In 1990, the national level response rate for the question was high with 90.4% of the total United States population choosing at least one specific ancestry and 9.6% ignored the question completely. Of those who chose English, 66.9% of people chose it as their first response. Totals for

10900-498: The total U.S. population, while 19.9% were unclassified or ignored the question completely. It was the fourth largest ancestral group. Some Cornish Americans may not identify as English American or British American, even though Cornwall had been part of England since long before their ancestors arrived in North America. Responses were: In 2010, the official census did not include a question on origins or ancestry. However,

11009-585: The two estimates are found by comparing the ratios of the groups (adding and subtracting) to accommodate and adding the Welsh. The category 'Irish' in the Bonwick study represents immigrants from Ireland outside the province of Ulster, the overwhelming majority of whom were Protestant and not ethnically Irish, though from Ireland. They were not Irish Catholics. By the time the American War for Independence started in 1776, Catholics were 1.6%, or 40,000 persons of

11118-558: The well-organized French and Irish elements. In the United States, the Scottish immigrants were much better organized than the English in the 19th century, as were their descendants in the late 20th century. The original 17th century settlers were overwhelmingly English. From the time of the first permanent English presence in the New World until the 1900s, these migrants and their descendants outnumbered all others firmly establishing

11227-408: Was a large contingent of war brides who came between 1945 and 1948. In these years four women emigrated from England for every man. In the 1950s, English immigration increased to over 150,000 and rose to 170,000 in the 1960s. While differences developed, it is not surprising that English immigrants had little difficulty in assimilating to American life. The American resentment against the policies of

11336-565: Was a recent event, such as a Greek inscription that mentioned Achillia, who died in their 5th year as a neophyte. The policy of the Montanists discouraged baptism of infants. Additionally, some have argued that the schismatic Novatians did not generally baptize infants, though the stance of the Novatians is disputed and by this point infant baptism had become clear among many orthodox writers. Thomas Schreiner pointed out that many of

11445-533: Was affirmed by Hippolytus of Rome and Cyprian , who announced the decision of the African synod to require the baptism of infants. The practice is also clearly practiced in the churches of Egypt very early, as seen from the writings of Origen , who claimed it as apostolic tradition. However, according to Schreiner, Origen's need to make an apology for infant baptism implies it was not a universal belief. Tertullian (c. 198–203), in his treatise on baptism, advises

11554-526: Was consistent with Baptist belief in the autonomy of local congregations. Associations could determine their own standards for fellowship and offer advice to churches, but local congregations governed themselves and ordained their own ministers. The first permanent Baptist association in America was the Philadelphia Association, established in 1707. The Second Great Awakening inspired the establishment of foreign missions agencies to spread

11663-561: Was founded in 1665, and Pennepack Baptist Church in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , was organized in 1688. The founding of First Baptist Church of Charleston, South Carolina in the late 1690s marked the spread of Baptists to the South. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Baptists began forming regional associations and societies to foster cooperation in missionary, benevolent, and educational work. The voluntary nature of these associations

11772-546: Was produced in 1909, the concept of independent Ireland did not even exist. CPG made no attempt to further classify its estimated 1.9% Irish population to distinguish Celtic Irish Catholics of Gaelic Ireland , who in 1922 formed the independent Irish Free State , from the Scotch-Irish descendants of Ulster Scots and Anglo-Irish of the Plantation of Ulster , which became Northern Ireland and remained part of

11881-542: Was tasked with collecting funds from Baptist groups and individuals to support foreign missions. The Convention was called "Triennial" because the national convention met every three years. Members of the denomination were called American Baptists or Triennial Baptists. At its first meeting, the American Baptist Missionary Union for foreign missions was created, and the denomination sent missionaries to China, Africa, and South America. Additional state or regional Baptist conventions were formed along with other societies, such as

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