Reading William Penn and John Winthrop | A Primary Source Close Read w/ BRI

BRI staff members Kirk Higgins and Tony Williams explore two intriguing 17th-century
works that shed light on why colonial America was an appealing destination for European
settlers in different ways. The seminal “Modell of Christian Charity” sermon delivered by
John Winthrop in 1630 viewed the New World as an opportunity for Puritans to worship
freely and escape the religious oppression of the corrupt Church of England. In a letter
from 1683, William Penn painted an idyllic picture of Pennsylvania – including its beautiful
land and bountiful natural resources – to entice people to immigrate to the new colony.