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Multiple Choice

Who was the governor who described his colony as a 'city on a hill'?

John Winthrop, the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, described the colony as a “city on a hill” in his 1630 sermon aboard the Arbella, titled A Model of Christian Charity. He argued that the settlers should fashion a tightly knit, outwardly virtuous Christian community that would shine as an example for others to imitate and, importantly, be judged by God based on their conduct. This exact image—a morally exemplary society set high for all to see—originates with Winthrop, linking the colony’s purpose to a biblical metaphor from Matthew 5:14. Other leaders like Bradford, Williams, and Hooker played crucial roles in founding their own colonies, but the phrase and the purpose behind it are specific to Winthrop and Massachusetts Bay.

John Winthrop, the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, described the colony as a “city on a hill” in his 1630 sermon aboard the Arbella, titled A Model of Christian Charity. He argued that the settlers should fashion a tightly knit, outwardly virtuous Christian community that would shine as an example for others to imitate and, importantly, be judged by God based on their conduct. This exact image—a morally exemplary society set high for all to see—originates with Winthrop, linking the colony’s purpose to a biblical metaphor from Matthew 5:14. Other leaders like Bradford, Williams, and Hooker played crucial roles in founding their own colonies, but the phrase and the purpose behind it are specific to Winthrop and Massachusetts Bay.