Who was John Winthrop?

Answer 1

John Winthrop became governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1629 and preceded governor John Endicott (Endecott)

He was born in Groton, England in 1588 and died in Boston, Massachusetts in 1649.

He was a lawyer but lived most of his life in the colonies as a governor and political leader.

This assumes that you're asking about John Winthrop, who could be an American scientist (1714-79), colonial governor in America (1606-76), or colonial governor of Connecticut (1638-1707).

Answer 2

John Winthrop was born in Groton, Suffolk, England in 1588. Educated at Cambridge University he practised law in London but was persecuted for his Puritan religious beliefs. Winthrop thought that the Church of England should abolish bishops, ecclesiastical courts and other relics of Roman Catholicism such as kneeling and the use of priestly vestment and altars. The Separatists also believed that the government was too tolerant towards those who were guilty of adultery, drunkenness and breaching the Sabbath.

Winthrop was granted a charter for the Massachusetts Bay Colony and arrived with 700 settlers in 1630. He served as governor of Massachusetts for 12 terms and was considered to be a good leader. However in 1636 he clashed with Roger Williams and was forced to banish from the colony.

One of the settlers, Anne Hutchinson, began to claim that good conduct could be a sign of salvation and affirmed that the Holy Spirit in the hearts of true believers relieved them of responsibility to obey the laws of God. She also criticised New England ministers for deluding their congregations into the false assumption that good deeds would get them into heaven. Complaints were made about Hutchinson's teachings and Winthrop eventually expelled her from the colony.

In 1645 Winthrop became the first president of the Confederation of New England. Winthrop's History of New England was published after his death in 1649.