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John Winthrop


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Study Questions and Suggested Essay Topics

Study Questions

What helped Winthrop more as governor, his law training or learning to run the family estate?


Was it true that Puritans never had any fun?


Was John Winthrop a benevolent despot?


Suggested Essay Topics

Did John Winthrop believe in separation of church and state?

How did John Winthrop balance freedom of religion and the Puritan faith?

Did Puritanism ground Winthrop or did it make it him long for impossible perfection?

Did Massachusetts Bay ever achieve the level of purity it sought?

What was the biggest challenge facing Massachusetts Bay from 1630–1649?

Could Puritanism work in modern America or does it require too much self- sacrifice?

Did John Winthrop live up to the standards of purity set by Puritanism?