Departure of the Winthrop Fleet (1630)

On 8 April 1630, four ships departed the Isle of Wight carrying John Winthrop and other leaders. This initial group formed part of the Winthrop Fleet, a larger convoy of 11 ships funded by the Massachusetts Bay Company that transported between 700 and 1,000 Puritans to New England during the summer of 1630.

Episodes

Background and detail

Background. King Charles I's dissolution of Parliament in 1629 and his enforcement of Personal Rule created a sense of hopelessness among Puritans. In response, a wealthy group obtained a royal charter for the Massachusetts Bay Colony in March 1629. In October 1629, John Winthrop was elected Governor of the Fleet and the Colony to lead the migration.

Departure. The Winthrop Fleet consisted of 11 ships led by John Winthrop, part of a total of 17 funded by the Massachusetts Bay Company. On 8 April 1630, four ships left the Isle of Wight carrying Winthrop and other colony leaders. The fleet carried between 700 and 1,000 Puritans, along with livestock and provisions, from England to New England over the summer of 1630.

Leadership. John Winthrop, an English Puritan lawyer, was elected Governor of the Fleet and the Colony in October 1629. He led the first large wave of colonists from England in 1630. Upon his arrival, he superseded John Endicott as Governor of the Colony, having previously led a group of colonists to the New World to found communities on the shores of Massachusetts Bay.

People involved

Sources

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