The First Blast Essay

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First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women The pamphlet attacking female Catholic monarchs, The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, otherwise known as The First Blast, was written and published anonymously in 1558 by John Knox, who had a major influence on the Scottish reformation. The document was very controversial as it was misogynistic and stated that women cannot have power over men by the word of God, using (Bloody) Mary of England and Mary, Queen of Scots as the major examples of why women should not lead a country. John Knox was born in 1514 in East Lothian, Scotland. Not much is known of his childhood other than that he was the son of a farmer. He studied at the University…show more content…
The Catholic queens were restricting the reformation and John Knox wished to prove that by the Word of God these women should not be queens, so that the progress of the reformation could continue. The document was published anonymously because of how controversial it was, and he promised to reveal who he was in the Second or Third Blast which were never published, but his identity was not kept hidden for long. The First Blast was propaganda and although it was not hugely successful, because even the Protestants were unsure of the level of sexism, it inspired many across the continent as it referenced the Bible and not statements made by the Catholic church. The First Blast was primarily directed at the Catholic queens but he also wanted to inspire readers to follow the scripture. “But after her fall and rebellion committed against God, there was put upon her a new necessity, and she was made subject to man by the irrevocable sentence of God, pronounced in these words: "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. With sorrow shalt thou bear thy children, and thy will shall be subject to thy man; and he shall bear dominion over thee." (The First
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