what religion were the pilgrims
The Pilgrims were mostly Puritan Separatists — Protestant Christians who broke from the Church of England and later founded the Plymouth Colony for religious freedom.
What that means
- They were part of the wider Protestant tradition, not Catholicism.
- Their beliefs were strongly influenced by Calvinism and Reformed theology.
- They wanted to worship according to what they saw as the Bible’s teaching, without interference from the English state church.
In simple terms
If you want the shortest answer: the Pilgrims were English Protestant Christians, specifically Separatist Puritans.
Why people mix them up
People often group the Pilgrims and Puritans together, but the Pilgrims were the smaller, more separatist group that left England earlier. Their religion shaped both their migration and the way they organized their community in Massachusetts.
TL;DR: The Pilgrims were Protestant Christians, mainly Separatist Puritans with Calvinist/Reformed beliefs.