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These people are or were Anglicans.

Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising the Church of England and churches which are historically tied to it or hold similar beliefs, worship practices and church structures.

While Anglicans do trace their church's history to the foundation of Christianity in England the second and third centuries, from the late 6th century to the 16th century, the Church of England was joined to the Catholic Church. In 1531, the English Parliament declared King Henry VIII as head of the Church of England, an act that was more political than theological in origin as Henry wanted to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. While the Church of England was essentially still Catholic in its theology and practices under Henry, the English Reformation during the reign of his successor, Edward VI, saw the Church grow more Protestant in its theology. While the Church was once again rejoined to Rome under the reign of Mary I, her successor Elizabeth I once again broke with Rome and restored a Protestant Church of England.

Following the American Revolution, Anglican congregations in the United States and British North America (which would later form the basis for the modern country of Canada) were each reconstituted into autonomous churches with their own bishops and self-governing structures; which, through the expansion of the British Empire and the activity of Christian missions, was adopted as the model for many newly formed churches in Africa, Australia and the regions of the Pacific.

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