As the colony grew, Winthrop found himself doing more
administrative work in his role as governor. The General Court
met quarterly to legislate and tax. Once a year it elected a governor,
deputy governor, and eighteen assistants who would serve as the
executive council for the colony. The charter granted its leaders
total control, and, with England's belief in the divine authority
of kings, it stood to reason that an oligarchy would eventually
rise. Winthrop, John Endecott and Thomas Dudley stood as the colony's
three main leaders, and all three believed that their near oligarchic
rule was justified since as godly men they merely meant to enforce
God's word on earth. Throughout the colony's early history, though,
the three never succumbed to their ability to rule dictatorially–always
offering to include the citizens of the colony in its rule.
They expanded the General Court and after laying down
basic rules, such as prohibiting trading with the Indians and setting
maximum salaries for tradesmen, Winthrop announced open elections among
the freemen of the colony. The "assistants" became a legislative
assembly. The only restriction was that freemen were limited to
voting in elections for the assistants, who would in turn elect
the governor and deputy governor. The final step in the colony's
transformation from trading company into the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
was completed at the next General Court meeting when it admitted
all the adult males–excluding servants–in the colony as freemen.
In keeping with the Puritan aspects of the colony, the freemen
in turn voted to limit their numbers to those who were members
of a church.
In governing, the colonial leaders often did not bother
to distinguish between judicial and legislative functions, since
they believed God empowered them to do both jobs. Although the
Bible proscribed the death penalty for adulterers, English courts
had often looked the other way in adultery cases. Therefore, the
new colony saw it prudent to specifically legislate and enforce
God's punishment. The government, however, was careful never to
cross the line into allowing clergy to govern. It early on established
a precedent whereby ministers would not serve as public officials.
They had a powerful influence in the colony in their role as clergy,
but the colonial leaders were loathe to grant them actual authority
since the colony remained wary of the theocracy established in
Rome and the Church of England. As long as Winthrop was alive, no
minister ever ran for or served in public office.
In February 1632, Winthrop suffered perhaps his largest
defeat during his twelve years as governor, during in a dispute
with citizens of Watertown. They demanded a larger role in colonial
taxation since under the charter the freemen were allowed to help
legislate. Winthrop countered that there were too many freemen
to legislate, and, besides, they were not all qualified in parliamentary
roles. The General Court overruled Winthrop, however, and voted
to allow the freemen to meet quarterly to legislate and tax the
colony.
During the summer, Winthrop and Dudley became involved
in a dispute when Dudley accused Winthrop of being too lenient
in the enforcing of laws, which was a common complaint against
Winthrop. While Winthrop successfully answered Dudley's charges, they
set in motion a series of events that would end Winthrop's administration
two years later. That same fall, Winthrop consented to allow the
freemen to vote for governor and deputy governor. Finally, the
issue of Winthrop's governance came to a head in 1634, when the
General Court demoted him to assistant and promoted Dudley to governor
after more complaints about Winthrop's administration. The court
expressed reservations about Winthrop's enforcement of laws and
the potential that he could become a despot if he served too long.
Winthrop, however, embarrassed the court when it asked for an accounting
of all the funds spent during his tenure; he pointed out how time
and again over the preceding four years he had dipped into his
own pocket to buy supplies for the colony, even once building a
fort to protect Boston with his own funds.
Winthrop expressed no bitterness in his journal over his
demotion, and as an assistant he remained an active member of the
General Court. Besides, many members of the colony continued to
treat him as governor of the colony, asking for his help and advice
in their problems. After all, Massachusetts Bay likely would not
have survived at all if it weren't for Winthrop.
