Neh: Edsit Ement: Colonizing the Bay

John Winthrop's "Model of Christian Charity" was delivered as a sermon aboard the Arabella, as the Puritans approached their destination of Massachusetts Bay in 1630. The speech spells out his vision of the society they hoped to create and how they must act if they were to succeed in the eyes of God. It is a speech that American political leaders still quote. This lesson focuses on the content of Winthrop's speech and how it illuminates the Puritans' beliefs, goals, and programs.