Establishment Of United States' Separation Of Church And State System During 18th Century

The religion is very unique in American society's status. On the one hand, the US is a country which was established completely in the religious foundation. The religion is not dispensable embellishment but is indispensable spiritual prop for America; on the other hand, the US strictly carried out the separation of church and state policy from the founding of the nation. This is the historical choice. The fact proved that the American has obtained a very big success.The separation of church and state has the epoch-making significance in the American history. However, the historical evolution about the separation of church and state has experienced a complex process. This article attempts to discuss the historical evolution of relationship between church and state in North America. This article's breaking limits starts from the Europeans immigrating to the North America to the formulation of the first bill for amendment of American constitution. The article plans to discuss the tradition of caesaropapism in North America as well as the reason and the characteristic on the establishment of separation of church and state system in the definitive time. The article narrates how the US turns a separation of church and state country which is freedom of belief from a caesaropapism colony. The US didn't complete North America own religion life transformation, but the transformation from Europe's theocracy to North America's separation of church and state and freedom religion. This transformation starts from the date of European immigrating to the North America, running through the time of entire colonizes.This article consists of a preface, a main body, and a conclusion.In the preface, the author introduces some basic facts that America is a country characterized as separation of church and state including the reason why the subject is chosen, the design, the academic research on this area and main data sources. In addition, the author indicates research on separation of church and state in North America has an important significance. At last the author points out the deficiencies and creations of the article.The main body is made up of three parts. It mainly tells us North America inherited European caesaropapism and formed religious multiplication, so that caesaropapism couldn't be successful in North America. Finally the principle of separation of church and state is established in Constitution. Among them, the emphasis of the main body is the second part.The first part presents origin of separation of church and state including two aspects, one is original intentions to immigrate to North America; the other one is that people who immigrate to North America established a caesaropapism regime, which is similar to Europe. It also tells us that the relationship between church and state was very sophisticated and contradictive, and the caesaropapism regime was faced with challenges.The second part introduces realistic reason of separation of church and state. As the religious multiplication was forming, any religious sect didn't have enough strength to act as the official church. It concludes four aspects, belief crisis, practice of Puritanism principle in America, development of Enlightenment and Rationalism and consequences of the Great Awakening.The third part talks about the establishment of American separation of church and state. it concludes three aspects to present, the war of independence, diligentness of Fathers as well as the principle of separation of church and state written in Constitution. It shows that the process of separation of church and state is very roughness.In the conclusion, the author has a positive evaluation for the American separation of church and state. It also points out some merits and shortcomings of American separation of church and state. Besides, the author proposes some advice and expectations. At last, the author has made a summary to American separation of church and state's process and pointed out that the separation of church and state needs to be continuing consummation.