PAL:John Winthrop (1588-1649)

PAL: Perspectives in American Literature - A Research and Reference Guide - An Ongoing Project

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Chapter 1: John Winthrop (1588-1649)

Outside Link: | The Winthrop Society | The Winthrop Fleet of 1630 |

(painted in the 1640s. American Antiquarian Society; reproduced from Alistair Cooke, Alistair Cooke's America. NY: Knopf, 1973, 80; downloaded, 10/24/96, from the Society of Early Americanist home page)

One of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Winthrop arrived in 1630 aboard the flagship Arbella. As governor of the Colony, he established the center of government at Boston. Winthrop began writing his Journal in 1630 and continued it till his death. On board the Arbella, he prepared and delivered his famous sermon "A Model of Christian Charity." In this speech, without using those words, Winthrop introduces the concept of Manifest Destiny:

"For wee must consider that wee shall be as a citty upon a hill. The eies of all people are uppon us."

| Top | A Brief Chronology

1588 John Winthrop is born.
1602 Admitted to Trinity College.
1605 Leaves Cambridge; marries Mary Forth.
1613 Studies law at Gray's Inn in London.
1615 Mary Forth dies in June; Winthrop marries Tomasine Clopton.
1616 Tomasine Clopton dies.
1618 Winthrop marries Margaret Tyndall.
1630 Sails for New England; writes first journal entry of Bay Colony; delivers his lay-sermon, "Modell of Christian Charity," aboard the Arbella.
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.
1647 Margaret Tyndall dies.
1648 Winthrop marries Martha Rainsborough Coytmore.
1649 Winthrop dies in Boston on 26 March.

Primary Works (John Winthrop's journal and other works have been published several times):

Antinomians and Familists condemned by the synod of elders in New England: with the proceedings of the magistrates against them, and their apology for the same. 1644.
Republished as A Short Story of the rise, reign, and ruin of the Antinomians, Familists, and libertines. 1644.
A Declaration of Former Passages and Proceedings of Betwixt the English and the Narrowgansets, with Their Confederates, Wherein the Grounds and Justice of the Ensuing Warre are Opened and Cleared. 1645.
A Journal of the Transactions and Occurrences in the Settlement of Massachusetts and the Other New-England Colonies, from the Year 1630 to 1644. 1790.
Reedited as The History of New England from 1630to 1649, two volumes. Volume 1, 1825. Volume 2, 1826.
Winthrop Papers, 5 volumes. 1929-1947.

| Top | Selected Bibliography 1980-Present

Carpenter, Geoffrey P. A Secondary Annotated Bibliography of John Winthrop, 1588-1649. NY: AMS, 1999.

Elliott, Emory. ed. American Colonial Writers 1606-1734. Detroit: Gale, 1984.

Schweninger, Lee. John Winthrop. Boston: Twayne, 1990. F 67 .W79 S39

Wilson, Clyde N. ed. American Historians, 1607-1865. Detroit: Gale, 1984.

Two Important New England Settlements
The Plymouth Colony Flagship Mayflower arrives - 1620 Leader - William Bradford Settlers known as Pilgrims and Separatists "The Mayflower Compact" provides for social, religious, and economic freedom, while still maintaining ties to Great Britain.	The Massachusetts Bay Colony Flagship Arbella arrives - 1630 Leader - John Winthrop Settlers are mostly Puritans or Congregational Puritans "The Arbella Covenant" clearly establishes a religious and theocratic settlement, free of ties to Great Britain.

| Top | From The Arbella Covenant or "A Modell of Christian Charity" (1630)

E-Text

God Almighty in His most holy and wise providence, hath so disposed of the condition of mankind as in all times some must be rich, some poor; some high and eminent in power and dignity, others mean and in subjection. First, to hold conformity with rest of His works, ... Secondly, that He might have the more occasion to manifest the work of His spirit, ... Thirdly, that every man might have need of other, ... All men thus (by divine providence) ranked into two sorts, rich and poor, under the first are comprehended all such as are able to live comfortably by their own means duly improved, and all others are poor, according to the former distribution. There are two rules whereby we are to walk, one toward another; justice and mercy. ... There is likewise a double law by which we are regulated in our conversation, one towards another; in both the former respects, the law of nature and the law of grace, or the moral law of the Gospel. (1) For the persons, we are a company professing ourselves fellow members of Christ; (2) the care of the public must oversway all private respects by which not only conscience but mere civil policy doth bind us; (3) the end is to improve our lives to do more service to the Lord, the comfort and increase of the body of Christ whereof we are members; (4) for the means whereby this must be effected, they are twofold: a conformity with the work and the end we aim at. ... Thus stands the cause between God and us: we are entered into covenant with Him for this work; we have taken out a commission, the Lord hath given us leave to draw our own articles, ... if we shall neglect the observation of these articles ... the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us. ... Therefore, let us choose life, that we, and our seed may live; by obeying. His voice and cleaving to Him, for He is our life and our prosperity.

(John Winthrop is the author of the Covenant)

THE WINTHROP FLEET AND JOHN

MLA Style Citation of this Web Page:

Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 1: John Winthrop." PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. WWW URL: http://web.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap1/winthrop.html (provide page date or date of your login).
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Two Important New England Settlements