Compare And Contrast Benjamin Franklin And John Winthrop

Over time there have been many great authors in American Literature. No one author is like the other, and the different time periods have a great influence on how authors write and express themselves in their works. In these authors work, you can see the distinct differences in what they write about. As the time changes, so does culture and social norms change. Things that may have been standard 100 years are seen as out of the ordinary many years later. John Winthrop and Benjamin Franklin were both leading figures in their time periods. Both of these authors have very different backgrounds and views, but they both were very successful during the time they lived. John Winthrop was born January 12, 1588 in Groton, England. Winthrop’s

He discusses in his sermons a lot about how to help the poor and not to be greedy. According to Winthrop, “There are two rules whereby we are to walk one towards another: justice and mercy.” (Winthrop,167) He believed that showing mercy was the ethical thing to do for a rich man or a poor man. Even if someone does not like you, you should always love your enemy and treat people the way you want to be treated. These were like a code of ethics that Winthrop lived by, and he wanted everyone to follow and have the same mindset as him. He studied the word of God and lived by it. Winthrop emphasizes the importance of love, respect, and integrity all throughout his works. Religion was of great importance in the late 1500’s and early 1600’s. Unfortunately, it was in the late 1620’s that the ambiance of religion started to change. According to the text, “The only recourse seemed to be to obtain the king’s permission to emigrate.” (Winthrop,166) Having religious freedom was very important in this time period. One of the main reasons Winthrop delivered his sermons was for the sole purpose to keep the Puritans faith alive as they transitioned to North