Winthrop Fleet facts for kids
The Winthrop Fleet was a group of 11 ships that sailed from England to New England in 1630. These ships carried between 700 and 1,000 Puritans, along with their animals and supplies. The fleet was led by John Winthrop and was part of a larger plan by the Massachusetts Bay Company. This journey was a big part of the Great Migration, a time when many Puritans moved to America.
Contents
Why They Left England
For many years, the number of Puritans in England had been growing. Puritans were a group of people who wanted to "purify" the Church of England. They felt the church's practices were too much like the old Catholic ways and were based on superstitions.
Conflict with the King
The Puritans also wanted to change how religion was practiced in England. King James I did not like this growing movement and tried to stop it. Even so, the Puritans eventually gained a lot of power in Parliament, which is like a law-making body.
King Charles I, James's son, had many disagreements with Parliament. He saw them as a threat to his power. He even closed Parliament down completely in March 1629. This made many Puritans feel hopeless about their future in England. They decided to leave permanently and start a new life in New England.
Planning the Journey
A wealthy group of Puritan leaders got a special permission, called a Royal Charter, in March 1629. This charter allowed them to create the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Before the main fleet, five ships with about 300 colonists had already left for New England. But the main leaders stayed in England to plan everything carefully. In October 1629, the group chose John Winthrop to be the Governor of the fleet and the new colony. Over the winter, they found many Puritan families to join them. These families included people with all kinds of skills, which was important for building a strong new colony.
The Journey Across the Ocean
The first group of ships, including the Arbella, left Yarmouth, Isle of Wight on April 8. The other ships followed a few weeks later. About 700 men, women, and children were spread out among the ships.
Life on Board
The journey itself was mostly calm. John Winthrop often wrote in his journal about the wind's direction and speed, as this affected how much progress they made each day. There were a few days of bad weather, and it was always cold. The children on board were cold and bored. Winthrop wrote about a game they played with a rope that helped them with both problems. Many people also got sick during the trip.
Starting a New Colony
The Winthrop Fleet was a very well-planned and funded trip. It became the main start of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They were not the very first settlers in the area. There was already a small settlement at Salem, which had started around 1626. A few hundred Puritans lived there, led by John Endicott.
When John Winthrop arrived in 1630, he became the new Governor of the Colony. Many more Puritans continued to arrive in New England for another ten years. This period is known as the Great Migration.
The Ships of the Fleet
John Winthrop's journal lists the 11 ships that were part of his main fleet:
- Arbella: This was the main ship, like the leader of the group. It was named after Lady Arbella, the wife of Isaac Johnson.
- Talbot: This ship was second in command. Henry Winthrop, John Winthrop's son, sailed on it.
- Ambrose: This ship was third in command.
- Jewel: This ship was also an important one.
- Mayflower (This was a different ship from the famous Mayflower that carried the Pilgrims).
- Whale
- Success
- Charles
- William and Francis
- Hopewell
- Trial
Six other ships also arrived in Massachusetts Bay in 1630, making a total of seventeen ships that year.
Important People on Board
Nine important men who helped get the charter for the Massachusetts Bay Colony came to New England with Winthrop's Fleet.
- John Winthrop, the Governor, and his sons Henry Winthrop and two younger children.
- Sir Richard Saltonstall, with his three sons and two daughters.
- Isaac Johnson and his wife Lady Arabella, who was the daughter of a powerful earl.
- Rev. George Phillips, who helped start the town of Watertown.
- Charles Fiennes.
- Thomas Dudley, his wife, two sons, and four daughters.
- William Coddington, who later became a Governor of the Rhode Island Colony, and his wife.
- William Pynchon, his wife, and three daughters.
- William Vassall, for whom Vassalboro, Maine was named, and his wife.
- John Revell, a merchant who lent money to the Plymouth Colony. He was also chosen as an assistant to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
- Captain Thomas Wiggin, who became the first Governor of the Province of New Hampshire.
Other important passengers included:
- Robert Abell
- Stephen Bachiler, who founded Hampton, New Hampshire.
- Simon Bradstreet and his wife Anne Bradstreet, a famous poet.
- Jehu Burr, an ancestor of Aaron Burr.
- Samuel Cole, who opened the first public house (like a restaurant or inn) in the new world.
- Edward Convers
- Thomas Mayhew
- Allan Perley
- Robert Seeley
- Isaac Stearns
- John Taylor
- Captain John Underhill
- John Wilson, who was the first minister of the First Church of Boston.
- Captain Edward Johnson, an important person in colonial Massachusetts and one of the founders of Woburn, Massachusetts.
A full list of all the passengers is kept by The Winthrop Society. This group is for descendants of people who came on the Winthrop Fleet and other ships during the Great Migration before 1634.
See also
In Spanish: Flota Winthrop para niños
