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John Winthrop: A Fine Balance between the Ideal and the Real?
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Write My Essay For MeSince ideal communities are a challenge to create, did John Winthrop create a fine balance between his utopian vision and his day to day lived experiences, which includes his interactions with others?
If you think he failed, where did he fail? If you think he succeeded, where did he succeed? If you think he failed in some areas, but succeeded in others, please explain.
You should provide specific evidence with examples in answering this question. These examples should come from Winthrop’s own writing. In your examples, you should refer to the nature of his interactions with at least three people. You should demonstrate you have a strong sense of Winthrop’s state of mind and point of view; thus, do not concentrate on just a limited portion of his writing.
As always, please carefully lead into quotes and comment on the content within the quote. Once again, please think about the points of view of all involved.
Ultimately, does Winthrop prove it is impossible to truly live in a utopian community? Why is his “City on the Hill” still a very necessary historical document?
Introduction to the Assignment: What to Keep in Mind
In his speech, “City on a Hill,” John Winthrop described his utopian vision for a perfect community. Utopias often depict dream images of perfect societies.
However, these descriptions of perfection are oftentimes heavily flawed. Many question the possibility of humans creating perfect societies. Still, it is often said that dreams are important and John Winthrop did present this dream in his “City on a Hill” speech.
Besides reading his “City on the Hill” speech, you will read some passages from John Winthrop’s journal. These are both present in the same document. These two capture part of his interactions with other people. These journal entries represent part of his real, lived experiences. He interacts with such people as Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, Margaret Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins, and Philip Ratcliff (among others).
As you read his journal entries, please think about his experiences and interactions from his perspective as a man trying to govern the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Think about the special challenges a governor would face. At the same time, please think about these same problems and experiences from the perspectives of the other community members such as Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, Margaret Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins, and Philip Ratcliff. It truly helps to think about the perspectives of both sides. Think about the challenges these other people must have faced.
John Winthrop Annotations
John Winthrop’s writing was written in the seventeenth century.
His speech, “City on a Hill,” came to define the dream of what it means to be American. This speech is written using an older style of spelling. Some of his journal passages require careful reading and others are more direct. Since John Winthrop’s journal is such a significant text in American literature and history, it deserves careful reading.
For those sections that require more careful reading, it may help to read the section out loud.
Please keep in mind that you need not capture the essence of each and every single word in his journal. Step back and restate what you think Winthrop is trying to say. Then, reread the paragraph(s) again.
Hi class, this is the speech Winthrop gave when he was heading to the New World. I recommend reading this out loud since he uses an old style of writing.
“City on a Hill” by John Winthrop — From the Hanover Historical Texts Collection
We grant permission to copy and use items in the Hanover Historical Texts Collection for educational purposes; we ask that you acknowledge the Hanover Historical Texts Collection.
Now the onely way to avoyde this shipwracke, and to provide for our posterity, is to followe the counsell of Micah, to doe justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. For this end, wee must be knitt together, in this worke, as one man. Wee must entertaine each other in brotherly [Page 47] affection. Wee must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities, for the supply of other’s necessities. Wee must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekeness, gentlenes, patience and liberality. Wee must delight in eache other; make other’s conditions our oune; rejoice together, mourne together, labour and suffer together, allwayes haueving before our eyes our commission and community in the worke, as members of the same body. Soe shall wee keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace. The Lord will be our God, and delight to dwell among us, as his oune people, and will command a blessing upon us in all our wayes. Soe that wee shall see much more of his wisdome, power, goodness and truthe, than formerly wee haue been acquainted with. Wee shall finde that the God of Israell is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies; when hee shall make us a prayse and glory that men shall say of succeeding plantations, “the Lord make it likely that of New England.” For wee must consider that wee shall be as a citty upon a hill. The eies of all people are uppon us. Soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our God in this worke wee haue undertaken, and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. Wee shall open the mouthes of enemies to speake evill of the wayes of God, and all professors for God’s sake. Wee shall shame the faces of many of God’s worthy servants, and cause theire prayers to be turned into curses upon us till wee be consumed out of the good land whither wee are a goeing.
Winthrop’s journal “History of New England”, 1630-1649 edited by James Kendall Hosmer.
Published 1908 by Scribner in New York . Written in English.
June 14, 1631 ]
Here Winthrop talks about Philip Ratcliff. A few of my students have told me in the past that Winthrop killed Ratcliff. Please be careful with this part. Here, to execute means to put into action. Winthrop did not kill Ratcliff.
At this court one Phillip Ratcliff, a servant of Mr. Cradock, being convict, ore tenus, of most foul, scandalous invectives against our churches and government, was censured to be whipped, lose his ears, and be banished the plantation, which was presently executed.
November 1633 ] A great mortality among the Indians. Chickatabot, the sagamore of Naponsett, died, and many of his people. The disease was the small pox. Some of them were cured by such means as they had from us; many of their children escaped, and were kept by the EngUsh.
(pages 114 – 115 December 5.] John Sagamore died of the small pox, and almost all his people; (above thirty buried by Mr. Maverick of Winesemett in one day). The towns in the bay took away many of the children ; but most of them died soon after.
James Sagamore of Sagus died also, and most of his folks. John Sagamore desired to be brought among the English, (so he was;) and promised (if he recovered) to live with the English and serve their God. He left one son, which he disposed to Mr. Wilson, the pastor of Boston, to be brought up by him. He gave to the governor a good quantity of wampompeague, and to divers others of the English he gave gifts, and took order for the payment of his own debts and his men’s. He died in a persuasion that he should go to the Englishmen’s God. Divers of them, in their sickness, confessed that the Englishmen’s God was a good God; and that, if they recovered, they would serve him.
It wrought much with them, that when their own people forsook them, yet the English came daily and ministered to them; and yet few, only two families, took any infection by it. Among others, Mr. Maverick* of Winesemett is worthy of a perpetual remembrance. Himself, his wife, and servants, went daily to them, ministered to their necessities, and buried their dead, and took home many of their children. So did other of the neighbors. This infectious disease spread to Pascataquack, where all the Indians (except one or two) died.
For this journal entry, John Winthrop is talking about Roger Williams.
11 mo. January 1636.] ( page 168)The governor and assistants met at Boston to consider about Mr. Williams, for that they were credibly informed, that, notwithstanding the injunction laid upon him (upon the liberty granted him to stay till the spring) not to go about to draw others to his opinions, he did use to entertain company in his house, and to preach to them, even of such points as he had been censured for ; and it was agreed to send him into England by a ship then ready to depart. The reason was, because he had drawn above twenty persons to his opinion, and they were intended to erect a plantation about the Naragansett Bay, from whence the infection would easily spread into these churches, (the people being, many of them, much taken with the apprehension of his godliness). Whereupon a warrant was sent to him to come presently to Boston, to be shipped, etc. He returned answer, (and divers of Salem came with it,) that he could not come without hazard of his life, etc. Whereupon a pinnace was sent with commission to Capt. Underhill, etc., to apprehend him, and carry him aboard the ship, (which then rode at Natascutt;) but, when they came at his house, they found he had been gone three days before; but whither they could not learn.
He had so far prevailed at Salem, as many there (especially of devout women) did embrace his opinions, and separated from the churches, for this cause, that some of their members, going into England, did hear the ministers there, and when they came home the churches here held communion with them.
John Winthrop is talking about Anne Hutchinson. This part is so important. Winthrop actually talks about his problems with Anne Hutchinson for several journal entries. I recommend that you read these. They both argued about a minor religious point of view. There is no need to go into these religious differences. It is important to know the main idea, as it plays a significant role in the early stages of American life.
[October 21, 1636] (page 195) One Mrs. Hutchinson,* a member of the church of Boston, a woman of a ready wit and bold spirit, brought over with her two dangerous errors: 1. That the person of the Holy Ghost dwells in a justified person. 2. That no sanctification can help to evidence to us our justification.—From these two grew many branches; as, 1. Our union with the Holy Ghost, so as a Christian remains dead to every spiritual action, and hath no
(page 196) gifts nor graces, other than such as are in hypocrites, nor any other sanctification but the Holy Ghost himself. There joined with her in these opinions a brother of hers, one Mr. Wheelwright, a silenced minister sometimes in England.
Hi class, do you see this part here that is highlighted? It was written by the editor and not by John Winthrop. In the past, a few students quoted this part and said that John Winthrop mentioned this. Please, I want to stress once again that these are not John Winthrop’s words. If you want to quote or summarize this part, please mention that the editor of this document wrote this.
(page 195) * Here begins the story of a most painful and memorable episode of our early history. No other chapter of Massachusetts history is so full of perplexities. Mrs. Hutchinson came from Lincolnshire to America, with her husband, a worthy but not notable man, and their children, drawn to America through her admiration for John Cotton, whose ministration while he was rector of St. Botolph’s Church she had much enjoyed. She was a woman of kind heart and practical capacity of various kinds, possessed, too, of a fervent spirit and an intellect so keen that she was held to be the “masterpiece of woman’s wit” (Johnson, Wotider-Working Providence, book I., ch. 42.) She attained great influence among the women of the settlement, which soon extended to the men as well; and when she denounced the ministers of the colony, excepting Cotton and her brother-in-law Wheelwright, as essentially lacking, she carried with her the Boston church, hardly any but Winthrop and Wilson the pastor withstanding her. Since the other churches of the settlement took opposite ground, a quarrel arose very bitter and dangerous, the details of which may be best learned from Winthrop. The ecclesiastical dispute as to justification by faith and justifica- tion by works is as old as the apostles Paul and James. Mrs. Hutchinson’s idea was that saving grace went only to such as possessed faith, and that, this grace having been received, the recipient was above law. Hence the term “antino- mian” was hurled at her and her sympathizers, a term expressly repudiated by Wheelwright, and certainly unwarranted; for the Hutchinsonians, while scorning “legalism,” did not mean to cut loose from moral obligations. Undoubtedly, however, there was danger that in minds confused with the controversial jargon, Mrs. Hutchinson’s ideas might be taken as countenancing licentiousness, and in one memorable case, that of John Underhill, hereafter narrated, they certainly were taken as a cloak for loose living. Winthrop in the Journal tells the story only briefly; but in his other work, A Short Story of the Rise, Reign, and Ruin of the Antinomians , Familists, and Libertines that infected the Churches of Massachusetts Bay, a book, some extracts from which are included within the present reprint, he gives a detailed account.
[November 1, 1637] (page 239) There was great hope that the late general assembly would have had some good effect in pacifying the troubles and dissensions about matters of religion; but it fell out otherwise. For though Mr. Wheelwright and those of his party had been clearly confuted and confounded in the assembly, yet they persisted in their opinions, and were as busy in nourishing contentions (the principal of them) as before.
(page 240) The court also sent for Mrs. Hutchinson, and charged her with divers matters, as her keeping two public lectures every week in her house, whereto sixty or eighty persons did usually resort, and for reproaching most of the ministers (viz., all except Mr. Cotton) for not preaching a covenant of free grace, and that they had not the seal of the spirit, nor were able ministers of the New Testament; which were clearly proved against her, though she sought to shift it off. And, after many speeches to and fro, at last she was so full as she could not contain, but vented her revelations; amongst which this was one, that she had it revealed to her, that she should come into New England, and should here be persecuted, and that God would ruin us and our posterity, and the whole state, for the same. So the court proceeded and banished her ; but, because it was winter, they committed her to a private house, where she was well provided, and her own friends and the elders permitted to go to her, but none else.
(page 260)
(March 1638).] While Mrs. Hutchinson continued at Roxbury, divers of the elders and others resorted to her, and finding her to persist in maintaining those gross errors before mentioned, and many others, to the number of thirty or thereabout, some of them wrote to the church at Boston, offering to make proof of the same before the church, etc., 15; whereupon she was called, (the magistrates being desired to give her license to come,) and the lecture was appointed to begin at ten. (The general court being then at Newtown, the governor and the treasurer, being members of Boston, were permitted to come
(page 261) down, but the rest of the court continued at Newtown.) When she appeared, the errors were read to her. The first was, that the souls of men are mortal by generation, but, after, made immortal by Christ’s purchase. This she maintained a long time ; but at length she was so clearly convinced by reason and scripture, and the whole church agreeing that sufficient had been delivered for her conviction, that she yielded she had been in an error. Then they proceeded to three other errors:
- That there was no resurrection of these bodies, and that these bodies were not united to Christ, but every person united hath a new body, etc. These were also clearly confuted, but yet she held her own ; so as the church (all but two of her sons) agreed she should be admonished, and because her sons would not agree to it, they were admonished also.
Mr. Cotton pronounced the sentence of admonition with great solemnity, and with much zeal and detestation of her errors and pride of spirit.The assembly continued till eight at night, and all did acknowledge the special presence of God’s spirit therein; and she was appointed to appear again the next lecture day.
(261)
- Nothing in Cotton’s life is so hard to excuse as his pronouncing sentence at this time upon Anne Hutchinson. Her affection for him brought her across the sea; it was under his ministrations that her ideas developed; while condemning the teaching of the ministers in general, she always made an exception of him. On his side, too, his sympathy with her was so strong that his standing had been much imperilled. It would be wrong to believe that in turning against her now he was selfishly thinking of himself. In his honest opinion she had gone too far, endangering the material and spiritual welfare of her environment. The situation is full of pathos. The strong, well-purposed man, bound by many limitations, yearning no doubt toward the pupil he had moulded, but alarmed
at her perverseness, sits in the judgment-seat confronting the enthusiast against whom the world is turning. Though many of her utterances are scarcely intelligible to modern readers, an occasional light breaks forth of wisdom before her age; she was brave, sincere, and possessed of womanly sweetness. The world will always with tender thoughts follow her sad fortunes to their tragic
close.
(pages 263 – 264)
[March 22, 1638]
Mrs. Hutchinson appeared again; (she had been licensed by the court, in regard she had given hope of her repentance, to be at Mr. Cotton’s house, that both he and Mr. Davenport might have the more opportunity to deal with her 😉 and the articles being again read to her, and her answer required, she delivered it in writing, wherein she made a retraction of near all, but with such explanations and circumstances as gave no satisfaction to the church; so as she was required to speak further to them. Then she declared, that it was just with God to leave her to herself, as he had done, for her slighting his ordinances, both magistracy and ministry; and confessed that what she had spoken against the magistrates at the court (by way of revelation) was rash and ungrounded; and desired the church to pray for her. This gave the church good hope of her repentance; but when she was examined about some particulars, as that she had denied inherent righteousness, etc., she affirmed that it was never her judgment; and though it was proved by many testimonies, that she had been of that judgment, and so had persisted, and maintained it by argument against divers, yet she impudently persisted in her
[comment made at the end of page 264 *The reference is to a law passed in October, 1631, providing death for both parties.]
(page 264)
affirmation, to the astonishment of all the assembly. So that, after much time and many arguments had been spent to bring her to see her sin, but all in vain, the church, with one consent, cast her out. Some moved to have her admonished once more ; but, it being for manifest evil in matter of conversation, it was agreed otherwise ; and for that reason also the sentence was denounced by the pastor, matter of manners belonging properly to his place. After she was excommunicated, her spirits, which seemed before to be somewhat dejected, revived again, and she gloried in her sufferings, saying, that it was the greatest happiness, next to Christ, that ever befell her. Indeed, it was a happy day to the churches of Christ here, and to many poor souls, who had been seduced by her, who, by what they heard and saw that day, were (through the grace of God) brought off quite from her errors, and settled again in the truth.
(pages 264 – 265)
After two or three days, the governor sent a warrant to Mrs. Hutchinson to depart this jurisdiction before the last of this month, according to the order of court, and for that end set her at liberty from her former constraint, so as she was not to go forth of her own house till her departure; and upon the 28th she went by water to her farm at the Mount, where she was to take water, with Mr. Wheelwright’s wife and family, to go to Pascataquack ; but she changed her mind, and went by land to Providence, and so to the island in the Naragansett Bay, which her husband and the rest of that sect had purchased of the Indians, and prepared with all speed to remove unto. For the court had ordered, that, except they were gone with their families by such a time, they should be summoned to the general court, etc.
[September 1638]
Mrs. Hutchinson, being removed to the Isle of Aquiday, in the Naragansett Bay, after her time was fulfilled, that she expected deliverance of a child, was delivered of a monstrous birth, which, being diversely related in the country, (and, in the open assembly at Boston, upon a lecture day, declared by Mr. Cotton to . . . signify her error in denying inherent righteousness, but that all was Christ in us, and nothing of ours in our faith, love, etc.) hereupon the governor wrote to Mr. Clarke, a physician and a preacher to those of the island, to know the certainty thereof.^ . . . [Comment from editors on page 277 – The repulsive details which Winthrop took pains to gather are here omitted. They are not inaccessible, and they only show how far bigotry could carry a mind naturally noble and magnanimous.]
The following segment of Winthrop’s journals comes from this site. They are pasted below for an educational purpose to promote a deeper understanding of older American literature.
This part discusses “a wicked fellow”
December, 1640
A wicked fellow, given up to bestiality fearing to be taken by the hand of justice, fled to Long Island, and there was drowned. He confessed to some that he was so given up to that abomination that he never saw any beast go before him but he lusted after it.
December 15, 1640
About this time there out a thing worthy of observation. Mr. Winthrop the younger, one of the magistrates, having many books in a chamber where there was corn of divers sorts, had among them one wherein the Greek testament, the psalms, and the common prayer were bound together. He found the common prayer eaten with mice, every leaf of it, and not any of the two other touched, nor any other of his books, though there were above a thousand.
Here he talks about a servant
April 3, 1641
A negro maid, servant to Mr. Stoughton of Dorchester, being well approved by divers years experience, for sound knowledge and true godliness, was received into the church and baptized.
He talks about a man and a maid.
June 21, 1641
There arose a question in court about the punishment of single fornication, because, by the law of God, the [guilty] man was only [required] to marry the maid, or pay a sum of money to her father; but the case falling out between two servants, they were whipped for the wrong offered to the master in abusing his house
September 22, 1642
The court,with advice of the elders, ordered a general fast. The occasions were, 1. The ill news we had out of England concerning the breach between the king and parliament. 2. The danger of the Indians. 3. The unseasonable weather, the rain having continued so long, viz., near a fortnight together, scarce one fair day, and much corn and hay spoiled, though indeed it proved a blessing to us, for it being with warm easterly winds, it brought the Indian corn to maturity, which otherwise would not have been ripe, and it pleased God, that so soon as the fast was agreed upon, the weather changed, and proved fair after.
Much disputation there was about liberty of removing for outward advantages, and all ways were sought for an open door to get out at; but it is to be feared many crept out at a broken wall. For such as come together into a wilderness, where are nothing but wild beasts and beastlike men, and there confederate together in civil and church estate, whereby they do, implicitly at least, bind themselves to support each other, and all of them that society, whether civil or sacred, whereof they are members. How they can break from this without free consent is hard to find, so as may satisfy a tender or good conscience in time of trial. Ask thy conscience, if thou wouldst have plucked up thy stakes,and brought thy family 3000 miles, if thou hadst expected that all, or most, would have forsaken thee there. Ask again, what liberty thou hast towards others, which thou likest not to allow others towards thyself, for if one may go, another may, and so the greater part, and so church and commonwealth may be left destitute in a wilderness, exposed to misery and reproach, and all for thy ease and pleasure, whereas these all, being now thy brethren, as near to thee as the lsraelites were to Moses, it were much safer for thee, after his example, to choose rather to suffer affliction with thy brethren, than to enlarge thy ease and pleasure by furthering the occasion of their ruin.
Very interesting discussion of Mrs. Hopkins. Very very few students told me in the past that Mrs. Hopkins had died. Please carefully read this passage. Did she die or did something else happen to her. Though short, this section really gives an interesting idea of ways of thinking that were prevalent long ago.
April 13, 1645
Mr. Hopkins, the governor of Hartford upon Connecticut, came to Boston, and brought his wife with him, (a godly young woman, and of special parts) who was fallen into a sad infirmity, the loss of her understanding and reason, which had been growing upon her divers years, by occasion of her giving herself wholly to reading and writing, and had written many books. Her husband, being very loving and tender of her, was loath to grieve her; but he saw his error when it was too late. For if she had attended her household affairs and such things as belong to women, and not gone out of her way and calling to meddle in such things as are proper for men, whose minds are stronger, etc., she had kept her wits and might have improved them usefully and honorably in the place God had set her.
August 15, 1648
The synod met at Cambridge…. Mr. Allen of Dedham preached out of Acts 15… It fell out, about the midst of his sermon, there came a snake into the seat, where many of the elders sat behind the preacher. It came in at the door where people stood thick upon the stairs. Divers of the elders shifted from it, but Mr. Thomson, one of the elders of Braintree (a man of much faith), trod upon the head of it, and so held it with his foot and staff with a small pair of grains, until it was killed. This being so remarkable, and nothing falling out but by divine providence, it is out of doubt [that] the Lord discovered somewhat of his mind in it. The serpent is the devil; the synod, the represenve of the churches of Christ in New England. The devil had formerly and lately attempted their disturbance and dissolution; but their faith in the seed of the womanovercame him and crushed his head.
The following segment of Winthrop’s journals comes from the site whose link is listed below. They are pasted below for an educational purpose to promote a deeper understanding of older American literature.
He talks about Margaret Jones. I highly recommend that you look into this part.
June 4, 1648
At this court one Margaret Jones of Charlestown was indicted and found guilty of witchcraft and hanged for it. The evidence against her was:
1, that she was found to have such a malignant touch, as many persons (men, women, and children) whom she stroked or touched with any affection or displeasure or etc. were taken with deafness, or vomiting, or other violent pains or sickness;
2, she practising physic and her medicines being such things as (by her own confession) were harmless, [such] as aniseed, liquors, and etc., yet [they] had extraordinary violent effects;
3, she would use to tell such [persons] as would not make use of her physic that they would never be healed, and accordingly their diseases and hurts continued, with relapses against the ordinary course and beyond the apprehension of all physicians and surgeons;
4, some things which she foretold came to pass accordingly; other things she could tell of (such as secret speeches, etc.), which she had no ordinary means to come to the knowledge of;
5, she had (upon search) an apparent teat in her secret parts as fresh as if it had been newly sucked, and after it had been scanned, upon a forced search, that [teat] was withered and another began on the opposite side;
6, in the prison, in the clear daylight, there was seen in her arms, she sitting on the floor and her clothes up, etc., a little child, which ran from her into another room, and the officer following it, it was vanished. The like child was seen in two other places, to which she had relation; and one maid that saw it, fell sick upon it, and was cured by the said Margaret, who used means employed to that end. Her behaviour at her trial was very intemperate, lying notoriously, and railing upon the jury and witnesses, etc., and in the like distemper she died. The same day and hour she was executed, there was a very great tempest at Connecticut, which blew down many trees, etc.
