# John Winthrop



## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 12, 2005)

John Winthrop, Massachusetts Governor and Puritan, was born on January 12, 1588. He studied law in England and then came to New England in 1630. During the voyage he penned the famous address "Modell of Christian Charity" in which he uttered these famous words: "...for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us;..." He served as Governor of Massachusetts and died on March 26, 1649. He was one of the most important Puritan leaders of New England and American history. 

http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap1/winthrop.html

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/winthrop.htm


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## blhowes (Jan 12, 2005)

Nice post. I live just around the corner from Winthrop street, so its interesting to read about the man it was named after. I won't get into politics and how things have changed here in Massachusetts.

It sounds like it'd be interesting to read a biography about him. This part of your chronology was particularly interesting:

1634 Voted out of the governorship. 
1637 Reelected governor. 
1640 Voted out of governorship. 
1642 Reelected governor. 
1645 Stands trial, having been accused for overstepping authority. 
1646 Reelected governor and serves until his death


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 12, 2005)

Yes, like many good men in history, Winthrop had his detractors during his career. (Don't forget Calvin and Farel were kicked out of Geneva before they were invited back for life.) Winthrop was eventually elected to a life term as governor so he must have overcome the objections to his rule. In any case, here is a bit more info on the vicissitudes of his career:



> Forces, however, began to work against Winthrop. For instance, Deputy Governor Dudley, perturbed by Winthrop's gubernatorial policies and fearful of Winthrop's new vision for taking control of the government, provoked the freemen to dissent against him. They eventually voted Winthrop out of office in 1634. John Cotton, in a show of support for the stability of Winthrop's government and in an effort to gain votes for him, delivered an election day sermon on his behalf. Despite Cotton's efforts, Winthrop lost the election because of the ire the freemen felt over certain improprieties on the part of Winthrop. They were primarily annoyed at Winthrop because he persistently tried to subject them to his authority and because they feared his creation of lifetime tenure. In addition, the freemen were annoyed by ostensible acts of nepotism when Winthrop appointed his son a member of the magistrates. With the aid of his son's vote, Winthrop had been able to secure his power.
> 
> Along with assuring his status as Governor, Winthrop gained recognition for his entrepreneurial skills, as his Papers suggest, when he began trading various commodities during the first four years of the settlement. He sold iron, flannel, figs, rags, canvas, shoes, boots, lead, currants, raisins, corn, cattle, and stockings to the new mass of emigrants and to the London Port Company. Winthrop's son-in-law James Downing and brother Emmanuel were part of this London operation. The freemen and the citizens provided Winthrop with a market to sell English goods while England was furnished with furs delivered by the Massachusetts Bay Company. Despite being voted out of office for two years,
> 1634-35, Winthrop's business was conducted without interruption. And before the end of 1637 he was reelected to the governorship. Shortly thereafter, he was voted a life term as magistrate of Massachusetts, a position which he rotated with Endicott and Dudley.



Source: http://lonestar.texas.net/~mseifert/winthrop.html


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## Ivan (Jan 12, 2005)

> _Originally posted by blhowes_
> 
> 1634 Voted out of the governorship.
> 1637 Reelected governor.
> ...



Boy, and Richard Nixon thought he had it tough!


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## cupotea (Jan 21, 2005)

If I remember correctly, Cotton Mather wrote a biography of him in Magnalia Christi Americana. There are about 60 biographies in the book, hence it's hard to remember who in particular Mather included. I think he included all of the governors of Massachusetts up to and including Phips (1692-5).


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 21, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Cottonball_
> If I remember correctly, Cotton Mather wrote a biography of him in Magnalia Christi Americana. There are about 60 biographies in the book, hence it's hard to remember who in particular Mather included. I think he included all of the governors of Massachusetts up to and including Phips (1692-5).



An excellent book!


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Mar 26, 2005)

Today is the anniversay of John Winthrop's death.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 12, 2006)

John Winthrop was born on January 12, 1588.


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## Plimoth Thom (Jan 12, 2006)

> _Originally posted by blhowes_
> Nice post. I live just around the corner from Winthrop street, so its interesting to read about the man it was named after. I won't get into politics and how things have changed here in Massachusetts.
> 
> It sounds like it'd be interesting to read a biography about him. This part of your chronology was particularly interesting:
> ...



In the early days of the Bay colony the governors did not have established terms. Winthrop was not elected governor every election because the freemen feared anyone gaining a tyrannical rule. So although many people viewed Winthrop as the best man for the job, they would vote for someone else to avoid establishing a tyranny. Toward the end of his career he had proven himself as a moderate and faithful leader and people were more comfortable keeping him in office.

For an excellent biography, check out "John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father" by Francis J. Bremer.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Mar 26, 2006)

> _Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot_
> Today is the anniversay of John Winthrop's death.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Jan 11, 2007)




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