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In the sentence, what is the context of "religious persecution"?

The first of her ancestors to come to America was a fur-trader and apothecary named Simon Finch, who fled England to escape RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION and established a successful farm on the banks of the Alabama River.

Public Comments

1. Being persecuted, or oppressed and harassed with ill-treatment, because of his religious beliefs.
2. Mistreatment just because he believes certain things pertaining to God and Church.