Dissent is a feeling or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or institution. It is older than the United States, serving as a privilege and obligation to its citizens. The history of the United States is an ideal example of how dissent ultimately changes society by offering new ideas and perspective. Important issues that dissenters advocated such as taxation, slavery, women’s rights, civil rights, and anti-war sentiments define America. In order for a society to be successful, it must encourage dissent and protect the rights of its dissenters.
Dissenters fought to create change and gain rights they believed were denied to them and others. Religious dissent forced European groups such as the Quakers and Puritans, who were persecuted for their beliefs, to seek life in the colonies. During the Pre-Revolutionary Age, Christianity affected all aspects of an individual’s life. Christianity was the basis of decision making in politics and society. Governments often ruled over their subjects, with the notion that they had approval from God and would therefore be granted his mercy for slaughtering innocent individuals, whether it was through crusades or witch hunts. At the time of the seventeenth century, kings and queens final decisions ruled which branch of Christianity to follow; with the constant upheaval in rulers, and exile towards Protestants during the Catholic era and Calvinists during the Church of England era, radical religious ideals began to form resulting in a revolution. During this time period, certain individuals went against what the government and church said were true of God, and formed their own opinions of what God truly wanted. These radical actions, which went against the church and government, resulted in the earliest ideas of separation of state, anti-slavery, and gender equality. Anne Hutchinson, the Germantown