Question

John winthrop spoke of the massachusetts bay colony as "a city upon a hill." what did he mean? how did this expectation influence life in new england during the 17th century?

Answer 1

John Winthrop was an extremely influential Puritan who wrote the speech about the "City upon a hill."

In this speech, he talks about how when the Puritans establish a new society in the New England colonies, they must be ideal citizens. Winthrop discusses several themes including working together as one and using their religious values in order to shape their decision making. He says that if this group fails to live a religious life and work together, God's blessing may be taken away and will result in several other negative consequences.

This greatly affected these new citizens. They realized that establishment and survival of their new town is about much more than just organizing food and shelter. Rather, their actions will determine how individuals throughout the world view Puritans.