The document discusses the history of religion in the New England colonies. It mentions the Great Schism which divided the Catholic and Orthodox churches in 1054. It then discusses the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther in 1517 and the establishment of the Church of England by Henry VIII. It notes that some Protestants did not agree with the new church and came to America on the Mayflower seeking religious freedom, landing at Plymouth Rock and establishing the Mayflower Compact, the first agreement for self-government in America.