Quote: “We must rely on God himself, and our whole dependence must be upon him.”
I think this quote is significant, because it ties together what we have learned in class and both readings from this week. Religion was such a huge part of Europe and the New World during this time period. Henry VIII established his own church after the Pope refused to allow him to divorce Catherine of Aragon. This started a long line of religious prosecutions in England. After Henry died, and his son and daughter took the thrown, the Tudor family flipped back and forth between killing the Catholics and the Protestants. During this time, many people volunteered to leave England to escape this religious persecution. Another main reason for migrating to the New World was influenced by A Discourse Concerning Western Planting that stated that England needed to establish a colony in the Americas to stop the tyranny and spread of Catholicism by the Spanish Empire. Religion was a major reason why English men and women wanted to move to the New World, which is why it played a major role once they settled. For example, in Winthrop’s speech he continuously mentions that God gave him his authority and he governs and “judges” the people by His rules. During her time as a prisoner of the Native American’s, Mary Rowlandson, prays and carries a bible with her wherever she goes. She lets other’s read her bible, such as her son and the lady who was pregnant, and she believes that she survived through God and her prayers to Him. I believe this quote is significant in tying together all we have read and discussed in