Born in Edwardstone, Suffolk, England, John Winthrop attended Trinity College, Cambridge. In the early 1600s, Winthrop practiced law in London and became more strict in his Puritan religious views. In the 1620s Puritans were attacked economically and legally by other religious groups. After Winthrop lost his court post in 1629, he signed on with the Massachusetts Bay Company to travel to America. He was elected governor of the new colony before the ship Arbella even left the harbor. While on board Winthrop wrote his sermon “A Modell of Christian Charity,” which established the ideals of a Puritan Christian community. Winthrop established the colony in Massachusetts, settling in what is now Boston. He served as governor off and on from 1631 to 1648. He kept a journal during his time in America. These writings were published in two volumes in 1825 and 1826 as The History of New England.
