"America owes most of its social prejudices to the exaggerated religious opinions of the different sects which were so instrumental in establishing the colonies"

The quote by James F. Cooper talks to the historical roots of social predispositions in America, highlighting the deep impact of spiritual factions in forming early colonial life and, by extension, American culture and social norms. Cooper suggests that the instilled social bias prevalent in America can mainly be traced back to the puritanical and stiff beliefs held by the different religious sects that played critical roles in the facility and development of the early nests.

In the 17th century, numerous European inhabitants immigrated to America looking for religious liberty, yet paradoxically, they frequently carried with them stringent, exclusionary beliefs. These inhabitants, escaping persecution, established communities emphasizing their spiritual teachings, which often equated into social policies and cultural standards that marginalized those who did not adhere. The Puritans, for instance, sought to build a "city upon a hill", a neighborhood rooted in stringent spiritual adherence that frequently caused social exemption or persecution of dissenters or those seen as morally 'deviant.'.

Cooper intimates that these fundamental religious attitudes were not isolated; rather, they spread out throughout numerous colonies, each with its sectarian leanings, creating a patchwork of predispositions and prejudices embedded within the material of colonial and, later, American society. In time, these religiously inspired social mindsets concerning race, gender, class, and morality evolved and persisted, forming and frequently impeding progress toward a more inclusive, egalitarian society.

By explaining the "exaggerated spiritual viewpoints", Cooper seems to review the inflexibility and dogmatic nature of these beliefs, recommending that such extremism sowed seeds of division and discrimination that outlasted their colonial origins. Therefore, comprehending this historical context enables a deeper understanding of how established societal prejudices have actually been influenced by the sectarian motivations of early colonists, affecting America's social landscape well beyond the colonial period.