Emperor Constantine converted the Roman Empire to Christianity. Shortly after this conversion, the Church and government began persecuting pagans, or as Christians called them, heretics. In Spain, the inquisition lasted longer than any other inquisition. Pagans were brutally tortured and, in most cases, killed. People did not enjoy religious freedom anywhere in the Roman Empire. Even after the fall of the Roman Empire, many places that were part of the Empire remained Christian. For example, the Church of England still exists today. In the early 1600s, the Puritans escaped religious persecution and moved to America, but over time they persecuted the natives for their religious views. By the first century AD, the Roman Empire comprised most of the known world. At first, Christians in the Roman Empire were persecuted. In 64 AD, Emperor Nero began the persecution of Christians. This lasted until Emperor Constantine became Emperor of Britain and Gaul. Then, in 324 AD, he became emperor of the entire Roman Empire. Emperor Constantine was the first Christian emperor of the Roman Empire. Constantine did great things for the Roman Empire. He did not discriminate against anyone. As a result, many Christians were placed in high positions. Between the years 390 and 395 CE, Christianity was established as the sole religion of the Roman Empire. Emperor Theodosius imposed some laws stating that the practice of pagan religions was illegal. He ordered that all non-Christian books be burned and all non-Christian temples destroyed. He also created obligatory worship on certain days like Christmas and Easter. There were many inquisitions in the Roman Empire, but the Spanish Inquisition was the most notorious. Rome had more... middle of paper ... that they loved. The Puritans believed in one God, the Native Americans believed in many spirits. They didn't have just one god. The Puritans believed that anyone who did not worship their God was practicing idolatry and therefore their lives were full of sin. The Puritans and Native Americans belonged to cultures that had no hope of integration. The Puritans had a very strict lifestyle and believed that the Devil was as real as God. If you didn't follow the rules set by the Church, you were considered a witch. Many people were accused of witchcraft and punished. Only about 25 people were killed, but many were imprisoned. Salem's witch trails were reminiscent of women accused of witchcraft during the Inquisition. Many people have been wrongly accused because they did not have the same opinions about the leaders, the Church.