The Puritans elected John Winthrop as leader of Massachusetts Bay; to establish a religious theocracy and to undertake God’s work through the colony (Document A). Winthrop’s work as leader would denote American exceptionalism, or the United States as a free nation based on democratic ideals and personal liberty. Additionally, the 1630 sermon, “A Model of Christian Charity,” written by Winthrop promoted the mindset of the colony being a “city upon a hill.” The city upon a hill signified the start of the Puritan mission to purify worship in the New England colonies. The colony was seen as a “role model,” as the “eyes of the people” were on the citizens (Document A). Lastly, the town map of colonial New England showed a sense of community within Puritan life (Document B). For example, the church occupied a central position, and farmers lived in the town, rather than on the lands they farmed. Additionally, the compact settlement style would allow the church to closely monitor its members and promote conformity. The town map also showed how town meetings, within the town hall, brought the community together to legislate policy and budget for the local government. However, the most evident display of political structure in Massachusetts Bay would be the conversion of the Massachusetts Bay company to a self governing unit. The self-governing unit included annual elections to choose governor, deputy governor, and members of the General Court which would help enforce conformity within the colony. The company would also lead to creation of new ones in the New England colonies, such as the Dutch West India company that solely traded in
The Puritans elected John Winthrop as leader of Massachusetts Bay; to establish a religious theocracy and to undertake God’s work through the colony (Document A). Winthrop’s work as leader would denote American exceptionalism, or the United States as a free nation based on democratic ideals and personal liberty. Additionally, the 1630 sermon, “A Model of Christian Charity,” written by Winthrop promoted the mindset of the colony being a “city upon a hill.” The city upon a hill signified the start of the Puritan mission to purify worship in the New England colonies. The colony was seen as a “role model,” as the “eyes of the people” were on the citizens (Document A). Lastly, the town map of colonial New England showed a sense of community within Puritan life (Document B). For example, the church occupied a central position, and farmers lived in the town, rather than on the lands they farmed. Additionally, the compact settlement style would allow the church to closely monitor its members and promote conformity. The town map also showed how town meetings, within the town hall, brought the community together to legislate policy and budget for the local government. However, the most evident display of political structure in Massachusetts Bay would be the conversion of the Massachusetts Bay company to a self governing unit. The self-governing unit included annual elections to choose governor, deputy governor, and members of the General Court which would help enforce conformity within the colony. The company would also lead to creation of new ones in the New England colonies, such as the Dutch West India company that solely traded in