John Winthrop,
Jr.
Born:
Groton, Suffolk, England; February 12, 1605/06
Died: Boston, Massachusetts;
April 5, 1676
Entry
by Bruce P. Stark
John
Winthrop, Jr., Connecticut governor, was born in Groton, Suffolk,
England, the eldest son of John Winthrop (1588-1649), first governor
of Massachusetts Bay. He studied law in London, was a member of
the ill-fated 1627 expedition to relieve La Rochelle, and afterwards
made an extensive European tour. He sailed to American in 1631,
was elected an assistant for Massachusetts Bay in 1632, and was
one of the founders of Ipswich. He served as governor at Saybrook
in 1635-1636 but returned to Massachusetts where he spent most
of his time until 1649. He set up an iron works at Lynn and was
one of the founders of New London. After the death of his father,
Winthrop removed permanently to Connecticut. He was an assistant
from 1651 to 1656; governor in 1657; deputy-governor in 1658;
and governor from 1659 to 1676.
While
the colony of Connecticut had operated for a quarter century
as
an independent commonwealth without any legal authority from
England, the restoration of Charles II in 1660 awakened fears
that the
new government, which was unsympathetic to Puritans, would assume
control over Connecticut and the other New England colonies.
Connecticut
leaders determined that their best hope for the future lay in
securing a charter from Charles II. Winthrop was chosen for
this
important task and sailed for England in July 1661. With the
help of powerful friends, he secured on May 10, 1662, a liberal
Charter
that provided the basis for Connecticut government until 1818.
The Charter gave the "Governour and Company of the English
Colony of Connecticut in New England in America" the right
to govern themselves and to elect their own rulers. The Charter
also provided for the inclusion of the New Haven Colony.
Winthrop
returned to Connecticut in 1663 after being elected a member of
the Royal Society, the first resident of North America to be so
honored. The citizens of Connecticut valued Winthrop for his varied
activities as well as for his political leadership. In addition
to an extensive medical practice, he wrote on scientific subjects;
established iron, lead, and salt works; and was a merchant and
farmer. He served as governor through two Dutch wars and part
of King Phillip's War, dying in Boston after attending a meeting
of the Commissioners of the United Colonies of New England.
John
Winthrop, Jr. was one of the ablest and most versatile men of
his generation. A good governor and an excellent physician, he
gained the great Charter for Connecticut, a document that served
as the constitutional basis for government for over 150 years.
For
Further Reading
Black,
Robert C., III. The Younger John Winthrop. New York, 1966.
Dunn,
Richard S. Puritans and Yankees: The Winthrop Dynasty of New
England, 1630-1717. Princeton, New Jersey, 1962. See chapters
3-8.
*
Entry under revision.
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