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John Winthrop, 1588-1649
His contemporaries thought he was the most powerful individual in Massachusetts, and historians agree on John Winthrop's profound importance in early New England. He was the founder and first governor (reelected eleven times) of a colony established by reformed Protestants, or Puritans, so that they could practice their religion free from the interference of the English church. This did not make Winthrop and the Puritans believers in religious freedom, a concept most regarded as incompatible with political and social stability. In his use of the biblical phrase a "City upon a Hill," Winthrop did not proclaim the colony a model, but warned that failure would allow others "to speak evil" of God. He was not a modern "democrat," but transformed the colony from a mercantile corporation to a commonwealth, and believed that leaders ultimately owed their position to the voters.
Unidentified artist, not dated |