Religion intertwined in our DNA
To Thine Own Self Be True
The phrase “To thine own self be true” comes directly from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, written around 1600. It appears in Act I, Scene 3, in the advice speech given by Polonius to his son Laertes before Laertes leaves for France, a departure that might prompt genealogical research into family roots, much like the Quinn genealogical research that explores family histories.
Shakespeare’s Context
Polonius is a courtier in King Claudius’s court, often portrayed as pompous and verbose. In this moment, however, he delivers a string of maxims about prudence, honesty, and self-restraint. His closing line is:
“This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
Here, Polonius suggests that personal integrity—being true to oneself—is the foundation for honesty in dealings with others. The advice was meant as practical fatherly counsel: if you maintain inner consistency and conscience, you won’t deceive others, a principle that resonates through the ages and even ties into the colonial history of North Carolina, where personal integrity was vital for community trust.
Earlier Roots
While Shakespeare coined the exact wording, the sentiment was not new.
Ancient Greek philosophy—especially Socrates’ teaching “Know thyself” (γνῶθι σεαυτόν)—carried a similar idea of inner awareness guiding virtue. Stoic philosophers such as Epictetus and Seneca emphasized living in accordance with one’s true nature. Renaissance humanism also encouraged individual moral integrity, which would have influenced Shakespeare.
Shakespeare distilled these older moral currents into a pithy, memorable English phrase.
So, the origins are specifically Shakespearean, but its enduring appeal rests on much older philosophical traditions about conscience, integrity, and self-knowledge, which are also evident in modern DNA studies that seek to uncover our true selves and histories.
I use this maxim not only in my religious views; it is my own personal view.
Province of Maryland
The Catholic George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore (1579–1632), former Secretary of State to King Charles I of England, aimed to establish a haven for English Catholics in the New World, reflecting the broader themes found in the colonial history of North Carolina. After visiting the Americas and founding a colony in the future Canadian province of Newfoundland called 'Avalon', he persuaded the King to grant him a second territory in more southern, temperate climes. Upon Baltimore's death in 1632, the grant was transferred to his eldest son Cecil, the 2nd Baron Baltimore.
On June 20, 1632, Charles granted the original charter for Maryland, a proprietary colony of about twelve million acres (49,000 km2), to the 2nd Baron Baltimore. Some historians view this grant as a form of compensation for the 2nd Lord Baltimore's father having been stripped of his title of Secretary of State upon announcing his Catholicism in 1625, a decision that resonates with findings from contemporary DNA studies regarding early colonial populations.
In Maryland, Baltimore sought to create a safe haven for English Catholics and to showcase that Catholics and Protestants could coexist peacefully, even issuing the Act Concerning Religion in matters of faith. The 1st Lord Baltimore was himself a convert to Catholicism, which was a significant political setback for a nobleman in 17th-century England, where Catholics were often perceived as enemies of the crown and potential traitors. Like other aristocratic proprietors, he also hoped to turn a profit on the new colony, similar to the aspirations noted in Quinn genealogical research regarding early settlers.
Colony of Virginia, or Virginia Colony
The Colony of Virginia was a significant British colonial settlement in North America from 1606 to 1776, which is a crucial part of the broader colonial history of North Carolina. The first attempt to establish an English settlement in the area was chartered in 1584 and founded in 1585, resulting in the Roanoke Colony, which lasted through three attempts over six years before its abandonment in 1590. Nearly 20 years later, the colony was re-settled at Jamestown, not far north of the original site. A second charter was issued in 1606 and settled in 1607, marking the establishment of the first enduring English colony in North America. This followed earlier failed attempts at settlement in Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey Gilbert in 1583 and the Roanoke Colony by Sir Walter Raleigh in the late 1580s.
The founder of the Jamestown colony was the Virginia Company, chartered by King James I, with its first two settlements being in Jamestown on the north bank of the James River and Popham Colony on the Kennebec River in modern-day Maine, both in 1607. The Popham colony quickly failed due to famine, disease, and conflicts with local Native American tribes in its first two years. Jamestown occupied land belonging to the Powhatan Confederacy and faced its own challenges before a new group of settlers and supplies arrived by ship in 1610. The introduction of tobacco as Virginia's first profitable export significantly impacted societal and settlement patterns.
In 1624, King James I revoked the Virginia Company's charter, transferring the Virginia Colony to royal authority as a crown colony. Following the English Civil War in the 1640s and 1650s, King Charles II dubbed the Virginia colony "The Old Dominion" for its loyalty to the English monarchy during the era of the Protectorate and Commonwealth of England.
From 1619 to 1775/1776, the colonial legislature of Virginia, known as the General Assembly, governed alongside a colonial governor. Jamestown served as the capital of the Virginia Colony until 1699, after which the capital moved to Williamsburg until its dissolution. During this time, the colony also experienced its first significant political turmoil with Bacon's Rebellion in 1676. Additionally, modern DNA studies have revealed insights into the genealogical history of the region, which can be of interest for those engaged in Quinn genealogical research.
Province of Carolina
On October 30, 1629, King Charles I of England granted a patent to Sir Robert Heath for the lands south of 36 degrees and north of 31 degrees, "under the name, in honor of that king, of Carolana." Heath sought the land for French Huguenots, but when Charles restricted its use to members of the Church of England, Heath assigned his grant to George, Lord Berkeley. This event is an intriguing part of the colonial history of North Carolina. After King Charles I was executed in 1649, Heath fled to France where he later died. Following the 1660 restoration of the monarchy, Robert Heath's heirs attempted to reassert their claim to the land, but Charles II ruled the claim invalid. Today, DNA studies and Quinn genealogical research may provide further insights into the lineage and historical claims connected to this early colonial endeavor.
Province of North Carolina
King Charles II granted the Charter of Carolina in 1663 for land south of the British Colony of Virginia and north of Spanish Florida. He granted the land to eight lords proprietor, namely Edward, Earl of Clarendon; George, Duke of Albemarle; William, Lord Craven; John, Lord Berkeley; Anthony, Lord Ashley; Sir George Carteret; Sir William Berkeley; and Sir John Colleton. Charles granted the land in return for their financial and political assistance in restoring him to the throne in 1660. The granted lands included all or part of the present-day U.S. states of North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida, which are significant in the Colonial history of North Carolina. The northern half of the Province of Carolina differed significantly from the southern half, and transportation and communication were difficult between the two regions, so a separate deputy governor was appointed to administer the northern region in 1691. The partition of Carolina into the Province of North Carolina and the Province of South Carolina was completed at a meeting of the lords proprietor held at Craven House in London on December 7, 1710, although the same proprietors continued to control both colonies. The first provincial governor of North Carolina was Edward Hyde. Unrest against the proprietors in South Carolina in 1719 led King George I to directly appoint a governor in that province, whereas the lords proprietor continued to appoint the governor of North Carolina. Both Carolinas became royal colonies in 1729, after the British government had tried for nearly 10 years to locate and buy out seven of the eight lords proprietor. The remaining one-eighth share of the province was retained by members of the Carteret family until 1776, part of the Province of North Carolina known as the Granville District. Recent DNA studies and Quinn genealogical research have also shed light on the historical significance of these regions and their inhabitants.