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Who founded Massachusetts in America? Why?
John Winthrop & the Puritans Founded the Self-Governing Colony of Massachusetts
Learning More About the Puritans…
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Content: In 1629, King Charles in England granted the Puritans a royal charter to plant the colony of Massachusetts Bay in America. The charter granted authority to the Massachusetts Bay Company, a commercial venture overseen by Puritans, to govern the colony. The Puritans—about 700 to 1000 on eleven ships—set sail to America and arrived in Massachusetts, near Plymouth, in 1630. The Puritans founded the colony of Massachusetts which would eventually absorb the Pilgrims’ colony of Plymouth. John Winthrop and the Puritans
In a distinctive move, the Puritans brought their charter with them to America. This move assured those in the company who came overseas that they would manage the company themselves. In bringing along their charter, the Puritans contributed to the creation of a self-governing colony because the charter became the basis for the colony’s first laws. Since the British Crown did not closely supervise activities in America, but allowed for self-government through local governors, the colony operated independently of England. Puritan John Winthrop, a lawyer with strong beliefs, led this first group of Puritans who migrated to America. During his trip on the vessel Arbella, Winthrop delivered his famous 1630 sermon, A Model of Christian Charity, exhorting the Puritans to fulfill their purpose to become a “city on a hill”—a godly example of a colony for the world to see.