The Reasons Why The Colony of Massachusetts Bay Become a Strong Colony

The colony of Massachusetts Bay was very different from neighboring colonies in both leadership and founding principles. It all began when according to Keene, Cornell, and O’Donnell (2010), in 1629, Charles I of England brought an end to Parliament in an attempt to bring back Catholic rituals. He also began to elevate the non-Puritan members to higher positions in the church. The fear that this created in the Puritan masses caused them to ponder their future if they stayed in England. They sought a place where they could be free from the influences of English corruption. They started a new society by focusing on God which made them different from the other colonies in that time.

John Winthrop was a great man and natural born leader. Keene, Cornell, and O’Donnell (2010) state that he became the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the one who led the Puritans out of England. His goal was to create a community far away from corruption. Others who shared his vision joined his cause and over 20,000 Puritans traveled to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

He prompted the people that came with him to be a “city on a hill” (Keene, Cornell, O’Donnell, 2010, page 45 paragraph 1) or a shining example. In order to accomplish this, they had to stand against corruption and make sure that they focused on God. While establishing the colony, John Winthrop gave a sermon called the Model of Christian Clarity, which highlighted what he envisioned for the colony, its purpose, and a plan to succeed. John Winthrop (City on a Hill 1630) starts out his sermon by talking about the social and economic status of the people. Throughout history, status has had great importance to humankind, with power and money as some the most wanted things in our society. No one wants to be poor or weak.

John Winthrop mentions that God chose to make people with different status. It was through his providence that some must be rich, some must be powerful, some must be poor, and some must be weak. Although it might seem unfair that God allowed such inequality, God has his reasons and a plan in mind for the people. One of the reasons listed by John Winthrop (A City on a Hill 1630) is to hold conformity with the rest of the world. He takes great delight in showing His wisdom through the differences He has created in us. He has given us each gifts, placing people in different situations using them to bring glory to his name. We should always take what God has given us and help others because it glorifies him. John Winthrop envisioned the Puritan community having the mindset that people are put in different circumstances so that they can show God’s almighty power and by always helping others and giving the glory to Him.

The second reason that John Winthrop (pdf City on a Hill 1630) included in his sermon is that God allowed people to be in different circumstances so that His spirit could work more through them. It’s hard when you are rich to be a good and honest person. Money tends to bring out the worst in most people. A lot of times, the rich take advantage of the poor which causes the poor to rise up against the wealthier people in jealousy. The Spirit then works in our lives and can restrain us from doing things that are in our sinful nature to do. He works through the rich by giving them humility, mercy, and generosity and through the poor by giving them patience, faith, and gratefulness. These are gifts are given by God. John Winthrop wanted to make sure that the Puritans were always helping others. He wanted them to use all of their God given graces to work together as a community under God.

The final reason John Winthrop (A City on a Hill 1630) gave was that he wanted the colony to be united under God. He wanted them to come together and “be knit more nearly together in the bond of brotherly affection.” (John Winthrop, 1630, first page 6th paragraph) Each person should live to bring glory God who made them, regardless of their social classes. Being poor or rich shouldn’t stop someone from giving the glory to God. They should share the blessings God has given them and consider others needs before their own. John Winthrop established this as a foundation of the colony. If the people put others needs over their own, seeking to do everything to glorify God, how could they fail?

At the end of his sermon, John Winthrop (A City on a Hill 1630) mentioned that they had now entered into a covenant with God. To uphold the covenant, he said that the people must do the following things: they must love one another, walk together in love, and had to be an example of a colony that follows God. They must keep God’s commandments and remained focused on him. If they do those things and more, John Winthrop believed that they will be blessed and remain prosperous. He wanted the Puritan’s society to be an example to the world and that is why his phrase, “a city on a hill” is so memorable.

John Winthrop’s vision helped Massachusetts to grow into a strong colony. Virginia differed from Massachusetts because of their lack of good leadership and organization, which almost led to their destruction. Many of the first settlers of Virginia were gentlemen who just wanted to become rich, while most of the Massachusetts’ settlers were middle-class families willing who worked together. The settlers of Virginia spread out in different places to make settlements, whereas the Massachusetts settlers stuck together and made their colony united as one. They helped each other through the hard times which helped them to prosper. (Keene, Cornell, and O’Donnell, 2010) It was by uniting under God and having John Winthrop as their leader, that Massachusetts Bay Colony was able to persevere and withstand all the difficulties that the other colonies could not. Through the foundations they created, God used them to be a light on the hill and an example to others.

References

1. Keene, J. D., Cornell, S., & O'Donnell, E. T. (2010).
2. Visions of America: A history of the United States (2nd ed., Vol. 1). Pearson.Winthrop, J (1630) City on a Hill: A Model of Christian Charity pdf file, publisher unknown