What Religion Was Anthony Johnson? Exploring His Faith

Anthony Johnson was a Roman Catholic. He arrived in Virginia in 1621 aboard the James, after working for a merchant at the Virginia Company.

While there’s no record of Johnson’s religious beliefs before arriving in Virginia, we know he was received into the Roman Catholic Church upon his arrival. This was likely due to the dominant religious landscape of the colony at the time. Virginia was founded by the Church of England, and the early colonists were primarily Protestants. However, the colony also attracted immigrants from other European countries, including Catholics from countries like Portugal and Spain.

Johnson’s Catholic faith would have been a part of his identity in a society that was often hostile to Catholics. The colony’s laws often discriminated against Catholics, and there were even attempts to ban them from living in Virginia. Despite these challenges, Catholics like Anthony Johnson persisted and played a significant role in the colony’s development.