Product Description
This abridged edition of Winthrop's journal, which incorporates about 40 per cent of the governor's text, with his spelling and punctuation modernized, includes an introduction and complete annotation. It also includes Winthrop's famous lay sermon, "A Model of Christian Charity", written in 1630. As in the fuller journal, this abridged edition contains the drama of Winthrop's life - his defeat at the hands of the freemen for governor, the banishment and flight of Roger Williams to Rhode Island, the Pequot War that exterminated his Indian opponents, and the Antinomian controversy. Here is the earliest American document on the perpetual contest between the forces of good and evil in the wilderness - Winthrop's recounting of how God's Chosen People escaped from captivity into the promised land. While he recorded all the sexual scandal - rape, fornication, adultery, sodomy and buggery - it was only to show that even in Godly New England the Devil was continually at work, and man must be forever militant. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great collection, save for the word abridged
A classic American text, long out of print; if it weren't for the curse word "abridged," deserving of a perfect 5.The Puritans' first twenty-plus years are nowhere better served than in this rational, calm manwho spent the better part of his life trying to steer a course betweenfanaticism and worldly involvement.Anybody who wants to understand howmainstream American culture began needs to acquaint themselves with thisseminal work -- if you can handle the omissions.

An outstanding edition of an essential document
Richard Dunn's long-awaited scholarly edition of John Winthrop's journal was well worth the wait. He presents a text as close to the original as it is now possible to come, with clear editorial method, solid supporting notes and a helpful introduction. The only legitimate complaint is that the index could be more comprehensive. This is, and will doubtless long remain, the only entirely recommendable edition of the Winthrop journal, one of the great early American sources.

Please note: THIS REVIEW refers to the full, UNabridged hardcover edition, not the paperback student abridgement: the hardcover is the only version truly useful for scholarly purposes.The abridgement is useful for college classes, and is well-done, but any true student of colonial New England must acquire the full version.(The abridgment does, oddly, have an index that is sometimes superior, however.) ... Read more

Product Description
Caught between the ideals of God’s Law and the practical needs of the people, John Winthrop walked a line few could tread.

In every aspect of our society today we see the workings of the tension between individual freedom and the demands of authority.  Here is the story of the people that brought this idea to our shores: the Puritans.  Edmund Morgan relates the hardships and triumphs of the Puritan movement through this vivid account of its most influential leader, John Winthrop.

The titles in the Library of American Biography Series make ideal supplements for American History Survey courses or other courses in American history where figures in history are explored.  Paperback, brief, and inexpensive, each interpretive biography in this series focuses on a figure whose actions and ideas significantly influenced the course of American history and national life. In addition, each biography relates the life of its subject to the broader themes and developments of the times.

Customer Reviews (24)

book
I needed this book for summer reading for my son.I was very pleased to find it on Amazon used at a great price and great shipping.Thanks!!

Good Read
I agree with most people that have read this book, that is gets somewhat boring and is a little drawn out.
Other than that, it's a great informative book on the Puritans and John Winthrop.

Relevant to the present day
I had never thought the Puritans had much of a dilemma, but the book was an eye-opener...They had to reconcile religious ideology with the day-to-day realities of governing a colony. The temptation to isolationism was one of Winthrop's challenges -- "We're godly so we can ignore the rest of the world." In order to keep afloat they had to be practical -- selling salt cod to the papists -- first running Roger Williams out of the colony to Rhode Island and then helping Williams fight off the Indians, not because they wanted Williams to survive but because they didn't want Rhode Island to become part of the Dutch colony in Niew Amsterdam (New York)...

Then all the difficulty of deciding how much of a role religion had in government, and the beginnings of a democratic process...There is some relevance to the present day, too. Those who want America to be a more aggressively "Christian Nation" should take note of Winthrop's soul-searching, and how Government tends to corrupt religion.

A peek into Puritan Massachusetts
This brief and dense history of John Winthrop's Boston is a must-read for folks interested in colonial life in America. Beginning with the formation of the Massachusetts Bay Company in England, and following them to the new world and the new struggles that accompany their arrival, historical juggernaut Edmund Morgan paints an unfamiliar picture of John Winthrop.

Often depicted as a fundamentalist zealot, Morgan's Winthrop is a more pragmatic puritan - one willing to make compromises in favor of trade, diplomacy, or popular support. Winthrop's struggles with his own people are also highlighted throughout the book, particularly in the roller coaster of on-again, off-again governorship between him and his rivals.

The book also clarifies the objectives and different types of puritanism, which I, as a student of history, found very helpful in understanding the religious landscape of Englands both new and old.

The one downside to the work is the style in which it's written. As an early work of Morgan's, he had not yet found the compelling, conversational voice which he is today known for, resulting in an academic tone that makes reading a bit tedious at times. Regardless, the thorough research and interesting subject matter more than makes up for it.

Excellent treatment of what's often forgotten, dismissed or mythologized
An interesting look at the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the remarkable character who lead it for most of its first couple decades. It seems easier for many people to view the Puritans as stereotypes rather than real people, but they're more interesting as flesh and blood human beings living in the real world. Considering their importance to American beginnings, it's probably wiser to try to understand them as real people. They were amazing in some respects, misguided in others, but they got New England going, along with Harvard, Yale and a powerful commitment to literacy and education. They also started representative government in the New World, at least in the northern British colonies, and they had a leader of rare abilities in Winthrop. This is a part of American history that's perhaps more relegated to either caricature or the dustbin than any other, and that's to our loss in understanding our roots and their continuing effects on our society. ... Read more

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This carefully researched and insightful account by Sibert medalist Marc Aronson focuses on the intertwined lives of John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector of the Puritan Commonwealth in England. Set against a broad canvas of the turmoil that engulfed Britain in the 17th century, the book examines the clashes of the monarchy and the church with Parliament, which led these two powerful men to take opposite courses. Here is a panoramic view of the period, from elaborate masques to the trial of a heretic, from wars fought against Indians to dramatic battles led by cavalry, from the toppling of a king to the search for the ideal society. Packed with literary allusions, vivid descriptions of significant events, and a cast of memorable figures, this sweeping account picks up where the highly acclaimed Sir Walter Ralegh leaves off, providing another riveting look at British and early American history. Cast of characters, maps, endnotes and bibliography, Internet resources, timeline, index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Politics and principles
Like many Americans, I've long known that England's King Charles I was executed in the 1600's. After reading Marc Aronson's account, recommended to me by my history-teacher son, I now understand why. As the title suggests, author Aronson has penned two parallel stories about two societies, one ancient and the other brand new, and their struggles to define the rights of man. John Winthrop and Oliver Cromwell were a pair of strong-principled,like-minded puritans who chose to act upon their convictions in two different ways. Aronson clearly delineates their successes and failures, and brilliantly demonstrates how these two pivotal political movements resulted, 150 years later, in the founding of the United States. While I personally disagree with the premise that the death of King Charles was necessary, I can see why those who thought it was acted the way they did.

This book is listed in the young adult genre, but it is anything but simplistic and suitable for adults as well, perhaps more so. ... Read more

Product Description
John Winthrop's effort to create a Puritan "City on a Hill" has had a lasting effect on American values, and many remember this phrase famously quoted by the late Ronald Reagan. However, most know very little about the first American to speak these words.In John Winthrop, Francis J. Bremer draws on over a decade of research in England, Ireland, and the United States to offer a superb biography of the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, one rooted in a detailed understanding of his first forty years in England. Indeed, Bremer provides an extensive, path-breaking treatment of Winthrop's family background, youthful development, and English career. His dissatisfaction with the decline of the "godly kingdom of the Stour Valley" in which he had been raised led him on his errand to rebuild such a society in a New England. In America, Winthrop would use the skills he had developed in England as he struggled with challenges from Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, among others, and defended the colony from English interference. We also see the personal side of Winthrop--the doubts and concerns of the spiritual pilgrim, his everyday labors and pleasures, his feelings for family and friends. And Bremer also sheds much light on important historical moments in England and America, such as the Reformation and the rise of Puritanism, the rise of the middling class, the colonization movement, and colonial relations with Native Americans. Incorporating previously unexplored archival materials from both sides of the Atlantic, here is the definitive portrait of one of the giants of our history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Fresh insight
This is an interesting view of Puritanism focused on one pious but imperfect man. The insight into the times and the religious and social environment is helpful in understanding the American Puritan roots. The author has done much research into the English back story which opens up the area of study considerably. The writing style is not always gracious so I gave the book only four stars. In other respects it is first rate. Above all the overview is great. That is, things are given a good perspective and I can find no fake drama. The facts are allowed to speak for themselves.

Not just some blue stocking pilgrim
John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father

by Francis J. Bremer

Oxford University Press, published 2003

Millerstown University Professor Francis Bremmer's John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father is the first major work on the Massachusetts's governor in over fifty years.It is an engaging and comprehensive volume serving as the author's attempt to provide a more balanced view of Winthrop than has been seen in other works. Bremer writes, "The Winthrop of modern histories has been constructed to suit particular agendas.It is time for biography that is interested primarily in John Winthrop himself." (pg. xvi)Bremer is well qualified to take on this task, as he is the editor of John Winthrop's papers for the Massachusetts' Historical Society.

The narrative traces all of Winthrop's known ancestors in England.Almost a century before John was born, his grandfather, Adam, was a successful London cloth merchant.Adam profited handsomely from Henry VIII's reformation of the church.He purchased monastery lands from the government and established the family's seat in Suffolk.It was to this estate that Adam retired during the Catholic restoration of Mary I.The Winthrops were staunch Protestants and the move was designed to prevent retribution from the Marian government.The estate was to be the family's headquarters until John's departure for the new world in 1630.

The family estate was located in the Stour Valley, which was a hotbed of reformed Protestantism.Bremer deliberately avoids using the term Puritan because he feels that it carries to strong a connotation to the modern reader."Godly" was the description used most often by the Winthrop family and their circle. Like many others in Suffolk, the Winthrop's were non-conformists to the Anglican model and hoped for continued reforms of the church.

John Winthrop was born in 1588.He attended college at Cambridge for two years and left without taking a degree.While he considered entering the ministry, his early marriage and family obligation precluded that career path.In 1605, he married for the first time. From 1605 through 1630, John Winthrop lived the life of the minor gentry.He was involved in running his estate, raising his family and practicing law. In 1615, his first wife died in childbirth and Winthrop soon remarried. His new wife died a year later in childbirth; John married again in 1617 to his third wife, Margaret Tyndal.

Winthrop became involved with the civil government when he was appointed to the Court of Wards and Liveries.It was at this time he grew increasingly displeased with the corrupt state of the civil government.After considering emigration to Ireland, he and Margaret decided instead to join with members of the Massachusetts Bay Company and move to the new world.The venture was seen as a way to serve God and to make a profit.The founders of the company decided on John Winthrop as Governor for the colony.This is a reflection of the modest nature of the project in the eyes of the founders because, "if Massachusetts had been a larger, more important venture, he would not have been entrusted with the responsibility." (pg. 170)

As Governor, Winthrop was responsible for seeing the colonists through the bitter early years and for establishing order among the colonists.It was at the start of the emigrating that his famous "Christian Charity" sermon was given. He compared the colonists endeavors to a "city on a hill" that all could see. This biblical reference is Winthrop's most enduring literary legacy and is often quoted by politicians to this day.

Winthrop strove to live a good Christian life and to ensure the others the opportunity to so as well.He sought unity amongst the settlers but was willing to compromise and attempt to reach consensus.He was unwavering, however, in his principles and showed no reluctance to expel Roger Williams or Anne Hutchinson from the colony when their unorthodox theologies threatened the stability of the society.

Winthrop served as governor for 12 of the 19 years he lived in Massachusetts. He was untiring in his efforts to promote the growth of the colony.In the winter of 1649, he became ill and died.Bremer sums up the man and his accomplishments, "Zealous but not a zealot ... he helped to prevent his colony from being blown off course by the winds of extremism and from being wrecked on the rocks of fanaticism." (pg. 385)

Accessible to all levels of interested readers, John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father is a valuable portrait of an important figure in American History. Sources are extensive and meticulously documented.They primarily come from the records of the Courts of Assistants in Massachusetts Bay, Official Records of the Governor and Winthrop's own papers and journals.In addition, a host of sources from both sides of the Atlantic is employed in the work.The in-depth coverage of the Winthrop family background can be tedious to readers only interested in American events, but they provide needed insights into the English Reformation and the events that lead to colonization of New England.Bremer's work takes its place as the definitive biography of John Winthrop for the next fifty years.

Scholarly, Readable, Excellent Biography
Bremer has brought us a sensitive and balanced portrayal of Winthrop, one that is at the same time truly gripping. One of the significant contributions of the book is Bremer's attention to Winthrop's forty or so years in England prior to coming to New England, which helps create the sense of organic development and shows points of continuity between English Puritanism and that of the New England colonies.The relationship between Bremer's presentation and other scholarly opinions is covered in many of the endnotes, which makes it useful to the scholar but not burdensome for the average reader.Scholars, history buffs, and even those just interested in the human experience of life, will find this book rewarding. Highly recommended.

History Well Done!
This is a wonderful book.The author demonstrates a rich, nuanced command of the period and the players.I especially appreciate how he works to portray the characters from their own perspective instead of juding people who lived four centuries ago by todays ideas.I appreciate that he goes to great length to provide historical context.Indeed, he provides so much context, beginning with the subject's grandfather, that the book starts out a little slowly.But once the book reaches the point of Winthrop's departure for America, it remains compelling up to the end.A wonderful book for a more complete picture of the settlement of our country and a valuable addition to a balanced view of the puritans.

Not such a bad guy, after all...
This is a well-written and fresh look at John Winthrop, first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.Bremer derives his view of Winthrop from the "Model of Christian Charity" sermon, which Winthrop delivered sometime around his emigration to North America.Rather than the stern, unbending, and judgemental character that is the common perception, Bremer shows Winthrop as a pragmatic leader who often worked behind the scenes to reconcile diverging points of view.As portrayed in this book, Winthrop was a man of humility who strove to include anyone with a "spark of godliness" into the community.

At 385 pages of text, the book moved along quickly.I was sorry to get to the end. ... Read more

Product Description
When John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, emigrated from Stuart England to America, he and the colonists who accompanied him carried much of their culture with them. Written by leading English and American scholars, the essays in The World of John Winthrop vigorously assert a new unity to the transatlantic and Puritan, Anglo-American sphere, integrating the English and colonial stories from a refreshingly single perspective. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Publication date: 1825; Subjects: Massachusetts; New England; History / United States / Colonial Period (1600-1775); History / United States / State ... Read more

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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John Winthrop (1588-1649) was the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and is generally considered the principal architect of early New England society. In placing his life in the context of the times, Bremer discusses Winthrop's family life and the challenges of life faced by men, women, and children in the seventeenth century. John Winthrop (1588-1649) was the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and is generally considered the principal architect of early New England society. He led the colonists through the initial struggles to survive in a new world, shaped the political organizations that gave the colonists the right to govern themselves through elected governors and representatives, worked to mediate between those who advanced radical religious and political ideas on the one hand and those who sought a very narrowly defined orthodoxy, and contributed to the development of a system of education which insured the preservation of the founders' heritage.The details of this brief biography is drawn from the author's larger, prize-winning study of "John Winthrop: America's Forgotten Founding Father" (Oxford University Press, 2003), though modified in minor ways by his ongoing research. To render it more accessible to an undergraduate audience, Bremer avoids in-depth discussion of theology and other specialized topics and focus instead on trying to provide students with an appreciation of how Winthrop's world differed from theirs, but how at the same time he dealt with issues that continue to resonate in our own society. In placing his life in the context of the times, Bremer discusses Winthrop's family life and the challenges of life faced by men, women, and children in the seventeenth century.The key themes that are integrated into the biographical narrative are: how Winthrop's religion was shaped by the times and in turn how it influenced his family life and the moral outlook that he brought to his political career; his understanding of society as a community in which individuals had to subordinate their individual goals to the advancement of the common good; and, his struggle to define where the line needed to be drawn between new or different ideas that enriched religious and political growth, and those that threatened the stability of a society. ... Read more

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A biography profiling the life of Massachusetts's first governor, John Winthrop. Includes source notes and timeline. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

John Winthrop, Forgotten with good reason
As the title states, John Winthrop has largely been forgotten as a founding father.In many ways for good reason.The religious freedoms and tolerence he sought in the new world were not so freely given to those within his own community.Further understanding of this intolerence can be gained by reading accounts of the trial of Anne Hutchinson, often considered America's first champion of rights for women.Anne along with John Sanford, Roger Williams and others were cast out based on their strong beliefs of religious freedom.The book is very well researched and an outstanding scholarly resource. ... Read more

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Our founders, reformers, and leaders braved tremendous challenges to establish democracy in America. Authentic documents, easy-to-read text, and history illustrations create compelling portraits of early American life. ... Read more

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This study examines the English Reformation, its aftermath, and the resultant impact on the founding of Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay. The primary focus is on the efforts of William Bradford and John Winthrop to build a Christian body politic, which would have representative government and individual rights. They tried to establish virtuous societies with freedom, but freedom within the context of Biblical teaching. Discussions include the background of the English Reformation, the journey to the New World, exploration and the establishment of Plymouth, the beginnings of Massachusetts Bay, the church, government, the economy, education, the New England Federation, William Bradford, John Winthrop, Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, Indians and Indian relations, King Philip's War, and much more. A bibliography and a full name plus subject index augment the text. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: New York, Dodd, Mead and companyPublication date: 1894Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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Prospero's America examines the transfer of alchemical culture to America by one of English colonization's early giants, John Winthrop, Jr.Winthrop participated in a pan-European network of natural philosophers who believed alchemy could improve the human condition and hasten Christ's Second Coming. Walter Woodward demonstrates how Winthrop and his philosophy influenced New England's cultural formation: its settlement, economy, religious toleration, Indian relations, medical practice, witchcraft prosecution, and imperial diplomacy.

Winthrop's commitment to pansophic reform led him to found a "new" London in 1645 as an alchemical research center. That commitment underpinned both his broad religious tolerance and his steadfast advocacy for the Pequot Indians; he overcame harsh censure largely through his expansive administration of alchemical medicine. Winthrop's occult knowledge provided him great authority in witchcraft cases, which as governor he used to permanently put an end to Connecticut witchcraft executions. In England, alchemical networks linked Winthrop to court patronage, which helped him obtain--and later defend--Connecticut's remarkable royal charter.

Prospero's America reconceptualizes the significance of early modern science in shaping New England hand in hand with Puritanism and politics.
Prospero's America examines the transfer of alchemical culture to America by one of English colonization's early giants, John Winthrop, Jr.Winthrop participated in a pan-European network of natural philosophers who believed alchemy could improve the human condition and hasten Christ's Second Coming. Walter Woodward demonstrates how Winthrop and his philosophy influenced New England's cultural formation: its settlement, economy, religious toleration, Indian relations, medical practice, witchcraft prosecution, and imperial diplomacy.

Winthrop's commitment to pansophic reform led him to found a "new" London in 1645 as an alchemical research center. That commitment underpinned both his broad religious tolerance and his steadfast advocacy for the Pequot Indians; he overcame harsh censure largely through his expansive administration of alchemical medicine. Winthrop's occult knowledge provided him great authority in witchcraft cases, which as governor he used to permanently put an end to Connecticut witchcraft executions. In England, alchemical networks linked Winthrop to court patronage, which helped him obtain--and later defend--Connecticut's remarkable royal charter.

Prospero's America reconceptualizes the significance of early modern science in shaping New England hand in hand with Puritanism and politics.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Whole World in One Life
I read PROSPERO'S AMERICA at the beginning of the summer.It is a superb piece of historianship.The problem of writing about Winthrop is that he was alchemist, statesman, entrepreneur, and so much more.Through prodigious research, Woodward delved into each of these areas and then wove them into a unified narrative. The work is clearly essential for anyone seeking a complete understanding of seventeenth century Connecticut, New England, and, indeed, the English colonial enterprise, but it is also a must for anyone interested in seventeenth century science, Indian-European relations, witchcraft, and the settlement of America.

Colonial Connecticut was not like colonial Massachusetts
The book is full of provocative insights. While some are familiar with alchemy, the common knowledge is usually limited to the idea that alchemy was a magical quest to turn lead into gold. Woodward leads us to understand how alchemy was much more than that, "an important contributing factor in the development of modern chemistry and experimental science." In this work Woodward shows how Winthrop's alchemical knowledge, and connections emanating from his participation in the Royal Society, empowered him locally, as a favored Connecticut governor, and at the Royal Court in England.

Combining religion, metallurgy, healing, an entrepreneurial spirit and political will, Woodward is able to enlighten the reader with how those elements intertwine. Winthrop's efforts to found a NEW London was an attempt to create an outpost of scientific research in the wilderness.

Winthrop's knowledge and authority as a political leader gave him the power to put a brake on witchcraft trials in Connecticut -- while he was in the colony.

Too frequently our view of colonial New England culture is limited to puritans as religious zealots locked in a battle with the wilderness. This book jostles that outlook placing a proto-scientific lens on that world and placing Connecticut's early history within the framework of an Atlantic World Economy. All too often, historians have assumed Connecticut was just like Massachusetts; this work challenges that concept giving us new insight to the past, our local past. This book shines a bright light on southeastern Connecticut.

Gov. John Winthrop Jr., Connecticut's Savior and More
John Winthrop Jr. was a giant figure in Colonial New England, particularly in Connecticut. In his book, "Prospero's America", Connecticut State Historian, Walter Woodward lays out just how multi-dimensional and far ranging were Winthrop's interests and influence.

Winthrop is popularly known as the man most responsible for defending Connecticut's existence and winning a clear royal charter to govern. Woodward reveals Winthrop's many other roles and how they were interrelated.

Viewed by many as "the lesser Governor" in reference to his role as Governor of Connecticut in contrast to his father's dominating role as Governor of the larger Massachusetts Colony, the Winthrop that Woodward documents leads to a different evaluation. He shows us a figure of great talent and even greater dreams and ambitions.

John Winthrop Jr. had a vision that, although ultimately frustrated, encompassed the possibility of establishing a settlement in the New World that would draw leading intellectuals to live and work in a great experimental laboratory whose output would influence worldwide thinking.He was deeply interested in science and saw the study of alchemy in a broader role than a narrow quest to turn baser metals into gold. He saw it as a philosophy, an expression of the sciences of chemistry, metallurgy and physics and a religious quest. Making practical application of science, he initiated important commercial projects in mining and salt making to bolster New England's economy.

It is remarkable to learn the extent to which Winthrop did not live a life of isolation in New England. He traveled and he corresponded eagerly with like-minded individuals in England and Europe, sharing discoveries in alchemy. He was made a member of the Royal Society and called upon to sate their great hunger and curiosity about the New World. Sensitive to the potentially negative political effects of such knowledge, he was cunning in responding to the Royal Society's demands without whetting the appetite for tighter royal control of the colonies and their resources.

Winthrop played many roles - as the founder of New London and other settlements, as the political leader who successfully negotiated and defended a royal charter for Connecticut, as a beloved medical doctor, as a practicing scientific alchemist, as the developer of mining and salt making operations, as the would-be protector of the defeated Pequot tribe, and as the pillar of reason against witchcraft hysteria. These actions were not independent of one another. Woodward shows the linkages between these seemingly disparate activities and how they flowed from the consistent inner character and motivations of the man who did them.

"Prospero's America" is not a book for light reading. It is deeply researched and meticulously documented. However, it is not for academic consumption alone. Anyone with an interest in Colonial New England will be richly rewarded for persevering to the end. You will never again be able to view the major political, social and commercial events of seventeenth century Connecticut as haphazard and uncorrelated nor Puritan leadership as uniformly rigid. You will see that Governor John Winthrop Jr. was not an isolated figure, remote from the intellectual mainstream of his era, hidden away in a wilderness corner of Connecticut and the marginal shadow of his famous father.
... Read more

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Presentation Of The Portrait Of President Salisbury, Removal Of The Tomb Of Isaiah Thomas. ... Read more

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Originally published in 1894.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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hardback with very good dust jacket ... Read more