" (Winthrop 336) and whose hopes are rooted in his spiritual salvation and that of his peers, rather than temporal riches for the crown with a side benefit of "saving "the natives.".
Our study of religion among early Americans also showed a greater diversity than one might think when considering that era. While Winthrop and Thomas Morton might be seen as representing a singular religious and cultural view that people associate with early America, early Americans such as Roger Williams and Sarah Knight might be thought of as atypical for their time but their ideas and the fact that they existed at all (with each leaving a mark that resonates to this day) shows again that Americans weren't monolithic in thought or in their approach to life. Where Roger Williams was willing to reject the narrow strictures of his religious community to found one that reflected his view that all beliefs should be respected and tolerated, Sarah Knight's journals show a woman who was not bound by ideas that placed women in a specific mold in the 17th Century. She faced challenges (such as losing her husband at a young age) with skill and determination that would rival anyone living today. .
Our study of Paine, Franklin, and Jefferson, as well as the Albany Congress and the later gatherings that led to America declaring its independence shows that they were also diverse in thought and opinion as to how the people and colonies should interact. Franklin's speech at the Constitutional Convention seems indicative of the great variety of thought in his time, "I confess that I do not entirely approve of this Constitution at present; but, Sir, I am not sure I will ever approve it; for, having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information to change my opinions even on important subjects which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise."(Franklin 860) These are not the words of someone who thinks he's got it all figured out while closing off any possibility of further enlightenment.