The first and foremost merit of Protestant Reformation is that it dispensed with one, unique, and unquestionable authority, embodied in the Roman Catholic Church. It opened the path to pluralism - a multitude of opinions that seek to be freely expressed, without censure and fear of punishment. It dismantled the dogma of one truth and one truth only - whether it be about God, Trinity, priests, an attitude towards worldly riches or anything else. Even though it was not secular, its focus on living in this world rather than in anticipation of heaven or hell, opened new perspectives for the development of secularism too.
Britain had expected the Southern colonies to remain loyal, in part because of their reliance on slavery. Many in the Southern colonies feared that a rebellion against the mother country would also trigger a slave uprising against the planters.
