The Colonial Period

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The Colonial period is abundant in its source of influential people who help shape present society through questioning past beliefs. Martin Luther leads the Protestant Reformation. John Calvin expands on the idea of predestination. The Puritans live strictly by the word of the Bible, and the Quakers inspire many people to join them in their friendly lifestyle. All of these people contribute to our society today and brave the face of adversity.

Martin Luther, born in 1483, comes from a poor upbringing. Religious as a boy, Martin Luther earns his wages by singing hymns. He later enters the Augustinian monastery and becomes a monk. However, he fails to acquire the solace from this lifestyle as his fellow monks do (Project Gutenberg Literary Archive, Foundation 2). Martin Luther is eventually requested from a friend to read the Bible. In the Bible, he finds spiritual relief, and his ideals are reformed completely. He believes now that heaven is granted to those who have faith and not by their own works (Cowie 26).

In 1517, Martin Luther constructs a list called the Ninety-five Theses and hammers it to the door of the castle church of Wittenberg. Many people in this time period resent the authority of the church, therefore; the Protestant Reformation broke out in Germany. Even though Martin Luther has not intent to create uproar, he still stands by his belief that the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church are wrong (Cowie 28-29).

As the course of history plays out, society typically strives to learn from past mistakes. The colonists in America many years later realize how influential a statement of disagreement such as Martin Luther’s Ninety Five Theses can be. The colonists strive for independence in religious belie...

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"John Calvin - Calvin College." Calvin College - Minds In The Making. Web. 24 Aug. 2011. .

"Pilgrims and Puritans: Background." American Studies @ The University of Virginia. Web. 26 Aug. 2011. .

Project Gutenberg Literary Archive, Foundation. “Martin Luther: The Protestant Reformation.” Beacon Lights of History, Vol. 6 (2006): 67-78. History Reference Center. EBSCO. Web. 20 Aug. 2011.

"Puritanism, Puritans." Public Services - Social, Religious, Scientific, Products, Environment. Web. 24 Aug. 2011. .

"Religion in Colonial America." Academic American History. Web. 25 Aug. 2011. .

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