John Haynes (governor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Haynes
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| 4th Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony | |
| In office 1635–1636 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Dudley |
| Succeeded by | Henry Vane |
| 1st Governor of the Colony of Connecticut | |
| In office 1639 – 1654 (8 separate terms) |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | May 1, 1594 Essex, England |
| Died | c. January 9, 1653/4 (aged 59) Hartford, Connecticut |
| Signature |  |
John Haynes (born May 1, 1594 – died around January 9, 1653/4) was an important leader in early American history. He was one of the people who helped start the Connecticut Colony.
Haynes served as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony for one year. He then became the very first governor of Connecticut. He was so popular that he served eight times as governor there. Even when he wasn't governor, he often served as the deputy governor.
John Haynes helped write important laws in both Massachusetts and Connecticut. He was part of the group that created the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. This document is often called one of the first written constitutions. He also spent most of his money helping the Connecticut Colony grow.
Contents
Early Life in England
John Haynes was probably born in Messing, Essex, England. His family was well-off and owned many properties. When he was 11, his father passed away, and John later inherited the family's wealth.
Around 1616, Haynes lived in Hingham, Norfolk. This area was a center for Puritan beliefs. Puritans were a group of Christians who wanted to make the Church of England simpler. Haynes married Mary Thorneton and they had six children. Mary died in 1627.
Haynes was good friends with a Puritan pastor named Thomas Hooker. In 1630, two founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop and John Humphreys, invited Hooker and Haynes to join them in the New World.
Moving to Massachusetts
In 1633, John Haynes sailed to America on a ship called the Griffin. Thomas Hooker was also on this ship. They first settled in a place called Newtowne, which was later renamed Cambridge.
Haynes was a wealthy man. In 1634, he became a freeman, which meant he could vote and hold public office. He was also chosen for the colony's council of assistants. He helped oversee military matters, which became important when the Pequot War started that year.
Flag Controversy
In 1634, Haynes was involved in a debate about the English flag. A man named John Endecott had cut the St George's Cross from a militia flag in Salem. He thought the cross was a symbol of religious practices he disagreed with.
Haynes and others believed Endecott's action was wrong. They argued that the cross was just a national symbol. Endecott was punished for his actions and couldn't hold office for a year.
Serving as Governor
Haynes was elected governor of Massachusetts in 1635. He won against Roger Ludlow, who was expected to win. Haynes had promised to lower taxes.
His time as governor was marked by political disagreements. Haynes, Hooker, and Thomas Dudley wanted stricter rules for legal decisions. They believed Governor Winthrop had been too relaxed. The stricter group succeeded in making new rules. They also passed laws against smoking tobacco and wearing overly fancy clothes.
Haynes also oversaw the trial and banishment of Roger Williams. Williams was a religious leader who had different ideas from the colony's leaders.
Starting the Connecticut Colony
Around 1635, there were growing religious differences in Massachusetts. Some people, like Anne Hutchinson, had different ideas about religious laws. These disagreements, along with a shortage of land, led Hooker and Haynes to leave for new settlements. They moved to the Connecticut River area.
Haynes joined Hooker in 1637 at a settlement they named Hartford. These new settlements were not part of Massachusetts. For the first two years, they were governed by a group of leaders, with Haynes in charge. They were also busy with the ongoing war against the Pequot tribe.
The Fundamental Orders
After the Pequot War ended in 1638, the leaders started writing a set of laws. These laws were approved in January 1639. They became known as the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. This document is very important because it's considered the "first written constitution" in America.
The main people who helped write the Fundamental Orders were Roger Ludlow, John Haynes, and Thomas Hooker. Hooker was known for supporting the freedoms that this document protected.
Governor of Connecticut
Because of the Fundamental Orders, elections were held on April 11, 1639. John Haynes was elected as the very first governor of the Connecticut Colony.
The constitution had a rule that governors could not serve two terms in a row. So, Haynes was elected governor eight times between 1639 and his death in 1653/4. In the years he wasn't governor, he usually served as the deputy governor.
One of his important achievements was helping to create the New England Confederation in 1643. This was a group of colonies, including Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, New Haven, and Plymouth. They joined together to protect themselves from common threats, like Native American tribes and the Dutch settlers to the west. This confederation helped the smaller colonies, like Connecticut, by working with the larger Massachusetts colony.
Haynes also helped settle disagreements with local Native American tribes. He also negotiated with the Dutch, who claimed land near Hartford. When a Dutch trader complained about Englishmen taking his land, Haynes argued that the land should be used. He said it was "a sin to let such rich land ... lie uncultivated." This led to small conflicts, but the Treaty of Hartford in 1650 temporarily resolved the land claims.
Death and Legacy
John Haynes passed away around January 9, 1653/4. His tombstone in Hartford's Ancient Burying Ground has a slightly different date. The Connecticut General Court announced his "sudden death" on March 6, 1654.
Haynes had invested a lot of his money, between £7,000 and £8,000, into the Connecticut Colony. This was a huge amount of money at the time. He owned a lot of land in Hartford and operated a mill with Edward Hopkins.
His daughter, Ruth, married Samuel Wyllys, whose father was another founder of Connecticut. The descendants of John Haynes have continued to be involved in politics in Connecticut and other places.
