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John Winthrop - City upon a Hill

            In City upon a Hill, the Puritan writer John Winthrop avows his outlook regarding the purpose and goals for the Puritans settling in Massachusetts. His ideas cause assumptions to be made involving the beliefs of those who joined him. Winthrop had heavy demands for the followers and a strict way of life that would come before them.
             John Winthrop believed that in the voyage to Massachusetts, some of the followers might become discontent with their obligation to God and not fully partake in the mission of settling in the New World. Winthrop goes on to state that the settlers who do partake in the mission must be willing to work together and keep the mission in their heart if they want to succeed. Winthrop says that the settlers must act as one with God and be willing to leave the luxuries of their normal life in order to start a new life in Massachusetts. He says that faith will help them through hard times and that God will bless them if they believe in him. Winthrop says, "For wee must Consider that wee shall be as a City upon a Hill, the eyes of all people are upon us." This means that everyone will be watching them. If they falter and do not believe in God during this period of settling, God will take all of his guidance away from them and they will be made examples of. Basically, God is their only chance of survival and their faith in God will bring them prosperity and life. But if they disobey God and only care about pleasure, severe punishment will be brought to all.
             Winthrop makes a number of assumptions about the followers in this passage. Winthrop first assumes that some settlers will fail to stick to the mission while going overseas. He thinks that some will lose their heart and forget about the mission altogether. He assumes that the followers are willing to leave their everyday luxuries in order to start a new life across the sea and to help one another and function as one with God.


Essays Related to John Winthrop - City upon a Hill

1. A City Upon A Hill

"A City Upon A Hill" In 1629 a group of Puritans, who were being prosecuted in England, came to form a colony called Massachusetts Bay Colony. Their first governor, John Winthrop, led the colony. ... John Winthrop looked at Massachusetts Bay Colony as a city that would be a role model for all the other colonies. ... John Winthrop said Massachusetts Bay Colony was "a city upon a hill." ... America still to this day thinks they are the "city upon a hill." ...

  • Word Count: 372
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Columbus, Winthrop and Williams

Although Columbus discover the new world, it was people like John Winthrop and Roger Williams that were integral parts of founding America. ... The pre-landing sermon was written by Puritan leader John Winthrop while the first group of Puritan emigrants was still onboard the ship. ... The "City upon a Hill" excerpt was to represent puritan pridefulness, they thought they had to be perfect, a city on the hill that everyone would admire and want to emulate. ... Roger Williams was a puritan along with John Winthrop, but more on the liberal side, or more radical view. ... In 1936 he fle...

  • Word Count: 1237
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography

3. Religion in Colonial Literature

A Model of Christian Charity by John Winthrop A Model of Christian Charity, a sermon by John Winthrop, was read to the Puritans while they sailed to America. ... Winthrop told them or their God-given mission to establish the biblical example of the "City upon a Hill" as described by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount in America. ... Winthrop informed them that the "City upon a Hill" they would build for God would represent God's truth to the secular world. ... John Winthrop's "A Model for Christian Charity" was written for similar reasons. ... John Winthr...

  • Word Count: 1267
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography

4. Religious Views of Early Puritan American Writers

John Winthrop, William Bradford, Mary Rowlandson, and Anne Bradstreet were strong believers of Christ and believed that he was the King of all things, and they wanted to spread his word and love. ... John Winthrop's belief in the direction of God differentiates but has a similar belief God's love and fortitude. Winthrop, like any other Puritan, was very strong and strict in his beliefs. ... "For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill so if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we sha...

  • Word Count: 706
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography

5. Literature and the Cultural Values of the Puritans

Theologian John Calvin established Puritanism's fundamental beliefs of total depravity, unconditional salvation, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance of the saints, and the belief that Jesus Christ died for man's sins. ... John Winthrop's A Model of Christian Charity is one enduring example of a literary piece that illustrates many of the virtuous qualities and dogmas that the Puritans upheld. ... We can see this when he says: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth.they are subject to the moth, the rust, the thief. ... This is evident when Winthrop says: ...

  • Word Count: 1149
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography

6. Heroes in American History

John Winthrop was a puritan who grew up in England. ... This inspired Winthrop to sail to the Massachusettes Bay area where he said, "We shall be as a city upon a hill." Winthrop believed that America had to be the light to the rest of the world and that people need to learn to do good in a world full of evil. ... This resulted in the desegregation of city buses in Montgomery, Alabama. ... John Winthrop's message of "the city on the hill" illustrates what has been accomplished over the past century. ...

  • Word Count: 695
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Grade Level: High School

7. Theocracy and American Government

A succession of influence exists from the Puritan ideals of John Winthrop, to the radical beliefs of John Locke, and finally to the attitudes of revolutionary thinkers such as Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine. ... The influence of John Locke runs throughout American revolutionary philosophy and much of John Locke's ideals are based on Puritan principles. ... An explanation of the structure of a Puritan colony was delivered by John Winthrop during his journey across the Atlantic in 1630. In his speech, "A Model of Christian Charity-, Winthrop explains the structure of the society that wil...

  • Word Count: 1597
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Puritans of the 17th Century

John Calvin of Geneva, a lawyer of logic and reason, followed this road and in 1536 viewed his opinions in his basic doctrine, Institutes of Christian Religion, which established Calvinism. ... In New England these Pilgrims settled in Massachusetts Bay and under the leadership of John Winthrop, a well-to-do pillar of English society, Massachusetts became the biggest and most influential of the New England outposts. ... (Bailey, p.44) Winthrop also declared "We shall become a city upon a hill, a beacon to humanity." ... With John Winthrop as governor he believed and feared that democracy was th...

  • Word Count: 756
  • Approx Pages: 3

9. Chesapeake Bay Colony vs New E

For an example, on document A John Winthrop says that his goal was to create a Christian utopia for everyone to look up to, "a city upon a hill" At that time religion was a large part of the government. ... In addition, in document A Winthrop said "we must be knit together in this work as one man". ... For an example, In document F, John Smith explains the beliefs of the Chesapeake colonist by saying, "Those of us that had money, spare clothes, credit to give bills of payment, gold rings, fur, or any such commodities, were ever welcome to purchase supplies, the rest of us patiently obeyed our ...

  • Word Count: 438
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

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