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John Winthrop's Religious Beliefs

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John Winthrop’s message to his followers was basically the foundation of their colonization in the Massachusetts colony. In his sermon, Winthrop establishes his beliefs and thoughts on how the colonists were going to survive in the unknown land. Winthrop wished to maintain peace among the colonists and continue to follow their true religion beliefs. He also wished to create a thriving community that others could look up to (he called it “city upon a hill”). First and foremost, we have to understand that Winthrop was a Puritan. Puritans claimed that the Church of England was corrupted therefore Charles I and the church wanted them out of Europe. During this time period Europe was facing multiple changes daily. Reformations were taking place and the throne had different rulers with very distinct religious beliefs. Therefore, many people decided to migrate to the new colonies in the “New World” with those who followed the same ideologies. However, many of the travelers had no idea what to expect from the new establishment. Winthrop’s sermon served as a motivational speech to keep the Puritans focused. In Winthrop’s sermon he emphasizes three reasons why poor …show more content…
Based on the reading, I came to the conclusion that John Winthrop was a kind and determined man. In his sermon he states that "we must love one another with a pure heart fervently," showing his purpose to successfully build a long lasting community that sticks together.
(2) of the three reasons explaining why there are rich and poor and not perfect equality among people in the world, which do you think is most persuasive?
I believe the third reason is the most persuasive because Winthrop conveys the idea that colonists should have faith and be reminded that they all share the same values and beliefs that brought them to the Massachusetts Bay in the first place (religion was extremely important to the colonists so I think this is the most

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