Colonial New Englanders did stay true to his vision of following God. They worshiped God, lived aside one another as brothers, respected their neighbors, and they followed His commandments. They also worked in communities together to make life much better for their fellow man. And for those who spoke against God and worshiped other gods were punished and by doing so America was "a city upon a hill". And currently America is still the "city upon a hill" that John Winthrop wanted us to be. We set examples for other countries to follow. And we are a major power that other nations look to for support.
I agree with Evan saying that the colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop's vision. The colonial New Englanders were very religious and they followed God's wishes like John Winthrop envisioned for them. They helped their peers whenever they were asked, they practiced their religion often, they honored the Lord in everything that they did, and they were forgiving people. Today America is still a "city upon a hill" because the eyes of other countries are always on America since we set examples of revolution, freedom, and democracy. America is an example, a powerhouse, and a helping hand to other countries and that is why it will always remain a "city upon a hill".
New England Colonists did stay true to Winthrop's vision of an idealistic society. The people wanted to start a Puritan lifestyle in New England to escape the English church and did so. They were kind to one another and helped each other when in need, always keeping the ideas of Winthrop in mind, including their religious values. By doing so, they achieved the title of being “a city upon a hill.” It is debatable now to say whether or not America is still today “a city upon a hill”, mainly because of social changes and the freedom to practice religion or not. There are Americans who do not practice Christianity and/or lean more towards Atheism. However, we do now set examples for other countries in other ways, like with our amount of freedom each citizen has and even though we have fallen from being as morally good as the New England colonists were, we do still try to be good people and be good to others.
The Puritans believed John Winthrop's sermon to be the framework of what the colonies should be like. They envisioned a utopia in that sense. Although no colony can be perfect, the Puritans stuck very strictly to God's will. The Puritans did not simply want to get away from what they believed was a corrupted church, but instead wanted to stay with the church and revise it. This is what they did and soon became a safe haven for pilgrims. The New England colonies stayed true to the "city upon a hill". As for America today, I believe that we still are a country based on moral and justice, but we are not as morally sound as Winthrop had imagined. America is still an ideal place to live in the world, but virtue has definitely declined especially in government. If a "city upon a hill" was defined in today's terms America would be a good fit. In today's world, a country can't survive purely on making sure we are morally correct. Emily B.
In terms of the Puritan colonists in New England, I think they kept with the vision John Winthrop set forth in “A Modell”. They were very focused on their religion, morals, and forgiveness, created a society that promoted education, and set forth values that were crucial in the creation of the American government. However, I don’t think America remains a “city upon a hill”, in part because I think it would be impossible to. The Puritan society thrived in a relatively secluded way when compared to modern America. Today, as opposed to colonial times, our country is filled with people from all parts of the world who have hugely varying beliefs. People are raised to abide by a certain set of morals, and different people follow different social standards. America cannot be a “city upon a hill” because we now lack one absolute set of moral values. Not that it this is necessarily a bad thing, just that our country today is structured so differently and globalization has exposed the varying morals of all cultures to the rest of the world, so having one set of moral values that is more “correct” than others is impossible.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop’s vision because no matter what they upheld the Puritan lifestyle. They worked hard, prayed, punished those who did evil, and read the bible. Everything they did was for the Lord. No society is perfect, but they strived to get as close to perfect as possible by doing as John Winthrop wished. They were so attached to their religion that they rarely, if ever, did anything that didn’t concern the Lord in some way. This is what John Winthrop wanted in order to create an ideal colony and he was quite successful in doing so. America today is still, in a way, that “city upon a hill” because so many other countries look up to us when they are in need of assistance. We are, as Rachel B. said, a powerhouse that cannot be stopped once we get going. Even though all people aren’t devout Christians as John Winthrop would have wanted, America is still the ideal society that is a role model for many other countries.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop’s vision of staying true to their religion. They followed God and kept the church pure. They created a society that was based on morals and forgiveness. They created a society that encouraged education and helped form values that were important in the formation of the American Government. I agree with Isabel that it is very debatable to say that today America is “a city upon a hill” as John Winthrop describes. There are a lot of people that don’t worship. There is one thing that you can’t agree with and that is that America is a great example of religious freedom. We set examples to other countries, in terms of religious tolerance.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop’s vision, because the moral rights he wanted the colonist to follow; they did. They followed the word of God and worshipped him in the various ways John Winthrop discussed. The colonists helped one another in times of need, punished those who did wrong, promoted education to all people and forgiveness was a very important value to them. The colonists kept up the morals John Winthrop wanted them to have and those are the morals that helped shape the American government. I think America is still “a city upon a hill”, because Americans help out other countries when a natural disaster occurs. I also feel that the justice system shows the values this country has by not letting any one can be found guilty without a reasonable doubt, which shows everyone is given an equal opportunity to a fair trial. Even though America is not doing well economically it is still a very prosperous country. -Vanessa C.
The colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop’s vision as much as humanly possible, for a time anyway. The New Englanders followed his beliefs in charity, unity, and strict belief in Christianity, for several years before capitalism and personal interest began to degrade it. New England at the time was close to being the utopia that he envisioned. As for America today being a “city upon a hill” today, I think that it is. We are looked to as a model of success in many different respects, just not the ones that John Winthrop would have wanted. We are seen as leaders in democracy, freedom, opportunity, and capitalism, rather than unity through love, charity and strict Christian belief. Still, people from all over the world see us as the standard for success and a model to be watched.
The colonial New Englanders did follow John Winthrop's vision of a religious life. The New Englanders left England to try to establish a revised religion. John Winthrop wrote "A Modell" based on what the entire group felt was correct. The people wanted to set an example for the world that would raise God up. They all stayed true to this vision because they all had the same mentality. They had an honest, forgiving, and selfless community that shadowed the rules that Winthrop wrote about. The whole group was God fearing and wanted to use Winthrop's guidelines to show the world how good God was. Today, America is not as close to John Winthrop's vision of "a city upon a hill". Religion is not the main focus of today's America as it was for the colonial New Englanders. However, I agree with Isaac M, when he said we are models in other respects. We still set examples for the world because of our ideals in freedom and democratic government. So although we may not fit Winthrop's description for "a city upon a hill", we are still looked up to as such. Ellis M.
The New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop's vision of the perfect Puritan society. He wanted them to love their enemies, help their neighbors and the poor, keep God as the center of their lives, to be "one with God",to keep their morals in check with what God wants and to punish those who commited sins. And they did all of those things like they were supposed to. But because of their strict religiousness, people were exiled for simply having different ideas about the colony, even though they were "united" by their religion and Quakers and colonies of other faiths were treated with hostility despite the "love your enemies" idea. Even though they did all of those things because they were following what they thought God wanted them to do, it shows that although John Winthrop had good intentions for the colony, it ended up being too idealistic. As for America being "a city upon a hill", I think that it is still just that, even though America has experienced a little bit of moral decay since those times. When we were just 13 colonies, we freed ourselves from Great Britain, the leading superpower back in the day. In the past, a few colonies looked to gain their own freedom, so they based their own constitutions after our own. Some countries hate us because we use that "city upon a hill" symbol-they think that we act like we're the best country there is. Other countries love us for that symbol-they see it as an imspiration. But either way, "a city upon a hill" played an important part for the Puritans and it plays an important part for us Americans today. -Elise K.
I suppose for a short period of time New Englanders stayed in line with Winthrop's vision. It was not long before people started to speak out against the puritans, and of course, they were banished. While in they eyes of the puritans it was done in the name of God and Winthrop’s vision, it is quite the opposite. John Winthrop declared that all Christians were bonded through love and God, and that the poor, and even the enemy, should be loved and respected in all circumstances. I don't believe that murder and exile of a person because they fall under a different sect of the same religion is justified anywhere in Winthrop's sermon. It's as if the crew mentally replaced the word "everyone" with "only Puritans" as it was spoken. So, in no way was the Bay Colony a "city upon a hill."
I believe that the United States was once a "city upon a hill," but in the sense that it is tolerant towards all people (arguable). In no way is modern America like colonial New England. For about a century other countries have regarded America as the "land of opportunity," where people are free to believe what they want to believe without exile or death. But as much of the world evolved, many countries became more tolerant and diverse to the point where they resembled America. So now that there are about 70 "cities upon hills," America is one no longer. It has lost it's title of being the one and only. -Alex "sam" B.
The colonial New Englanders strictly obeyed and believed in what John Winthrop was teaching. All of the people believed that by using their resources for supreme Justice and Mercy, that they would be an ideal society. For many years they were, they were all driven by God's message to love one another as you would have them love you. Eventually the New England colonies divided from their strict following of Winthrop over the course of time. The New England colonies were in no way perfect, but for the time period could be thought of as a city on a hill. America today is still a good country, but not as great as it used to be. Many of our practices, including the first amendment freedoms and a fair justice system are envied by people around the world. I would not say that we are a city on a hill now, or at least not the only one. We, like every country, have serious problems that need constant attention, currently America is struggling with its monstrous debt. In a way though, since no other country is perfect, we are perhaps one of many cities on the hill that sets an example of some of the things to strive for, but not all. Christian P.
The Puritans settled in North America in search for an escape from religious persecution and a corrupt church. When they started their New England settlement, it was founded on deeply religious and moral values, much of which was true to Winthrop’s vision. They made it their goal to reform the Church of England, and while this was supposed to mark the beginning of religious freedom it is far from the freedoms we enjoy today. For instance, the founders of Rhode Island were settlers who had been banished from this Massachusetts colony due to their religious beliefs. Such persecution contradicts Winthrop’s message of forgiveness and loving one’s enemy. To be fair to these colonists, loving your enemy is an idea that often pops up in Christianity but is not always followed. Otherwise these colonists stuck to Winthrop’s vision of a religious, moralistic, God-fearing society. In some senses, America still is “a city upon a hill”. Our government is a template that has been adopted by many nations in some form, and we are generally thought of as an important, powerful, example-setting country. However, it is questionable how much longer other nations will look to America as a lead example of success. -Phoebe W.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to Winthrop’s vision. The men and women in the colonies took care of each other, and religion was at the core of their lifestyle. In fact, some of the colonies were founded for religious freedom so this seems to prove that the settlers observed God’s will like John wanted them to. The idea of helping your brother was seen when the settlers and Native Americans developed a beneficial relationship. Because the colonies economy was primarily agrarian, this would seem to reflect the idea that everyone supported the colony as a whole and individual wealth was not as important as surviving and caring for one another. Today, the U.S. is still “a city upon a hill.” When Winthrop says, “Thou must give him according to his necessity, rather than lend him as he requires,” this is almost an exact parallel to the welfare system in the U.S. The reason our country is so prosperous is because we care for our citizens with things like healthcare, religious freedom, and fair pay. In many ways, the U.S. is like a larger version of a colony. We have self government, religious tolerance, and our country cares for us in times of need.
The Colonists fulfilled Winthrop's vision by staying in accordance with his ideas and commandments for the most part. Winthrop's main message was to love thy neighbor as thy self, and the colonists did this by working together in order for their colony to prosper and working peacefully with the Indians. Without regarding the Indians as their neighbors or brothers and treating them like such, the Indians may never have shared their food and their knowledge which saved many colonies from starvation. Settlers went to church every Sunday for long sermons; religion played a large role in their everyday lives. If someone was found completing a deed considered unlawful they would be put in the stock to be publicly humiliated. Due to having such tight knit communities this was a large enough incentive to keep colonists in line morally. Many of these churches made laws based on what they didn't like about the church of England, which made them feel unique and as though they were independent. Everyone who took part in the new churches felt like they were also independent and free. America was once a "City upon a hill" however our rank in the world has generally dropped over the course of the last two decades. Although we are still leaders in some aspects such as wealth, much of our respect from other countries has been lost due to our greedy spending, governmental let downs and lack of concern for the environment. Our moral standards and education levels are lacking compared to other leading countries, but we still have monumental discoveries, democracy and liberty to pride ourselves in.
Colonial New Englanders stayed true to John Winthrop’s vision of a society primary based in strong Christian beliefs. Following the moral code and will of God was expected of everyone in these times, and those practices have influenced how the United States has shaped into what it is today. America today is what one might call “a city upon a hill,” but not in the strictly Christian morality that was defined by Winthrop centuries ago. America is “a city on a hill” for being a world leader in many expects, while remaining a morally ruled society that has been shaped by more than just the teachings of Christianity. Nile R
Colonial New England remained true to the Christian principles of John Winthrop's vision. They believed that they were working for the will of God and they made their religion shape their entire lifestyle in the colonies. From within the colonies of New England they practiced justice and mercy, helping each other to form an ideal government that would be acceptable to God. I believe that if following true to John Winthrop's words, America today is not a “city upon a hill” I agree with Nile that other countries do look at America as a leader in the world. Yet we are no longer a city upon a hill that John Winthrop would approve. America today has a strong sense of separation between the church and government. We are no longer striving to be a city upon a hill, by and for God, but instead a country that is run by and for the People. Margaret B
Colonial New Englanders did their best to stay true to John Winthrop’s vision. They created a region that is known and prides itself as having good Samaritans with a generally good moral code. The American people, like Rachel said, are very religious and will generally help someone else if asked. America is the biggest supporter of the United Nations; there are always many campaigns for the betterment of the poor and less fortunate lives. America has also stayed a close-knit country when 9/11 occurred and when the twin towers fell, thousands of people poured in to help the people trapped within the danger zones. America is a country leading by example, which is what John Winthrop’s vision, was when he spoke of America as a “city upon a hill”.
The colonial New Englanders stayed true to John Winthrop's Christian vision by following the broader more obvious things that they thought they should do anyways such as live alongside one another as brothers, respect their neighbors, and worship God. As Shelby said, allowing the Indians to be treated as a semi equal as well they were able to gain trust and respect from them. Allowing both communities to prosper and reflect off one another. In todays society we are as close to the vision "a city upon a hill". Religion is not the main focus in the country. As Ellis and Isaac said; We set an example on the ideal freedom and government allowing ourselves to be looked up to as though we are "a city upon a hill".
The colonial New English did follow John Winthrop's vision for puritan New England insofar as they continued to worship God faithfully. They did not follow his vision that they would love their fellow man. The puritans persecuted Catholics and other Christians on a daily basis, as well as conducting the Salem witch trials, which brutally executed hundreds of innocent people. The United States is still a "city on a hill" and is still looked up to, but today the United States is lagging behind the rest of the world in many fields, and if we continue this trend of lagging behind other countries, then we will soon lose our "city upon a hill" status.
The New England colonists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony did follow John Winthrop's vision in that they established a religious society bonded together by his metaphorical ligaments of love. Town meetings became both an integral part of Puritan society and a connection between religion and government, proving the significance of theology in the daily lives of the colonists. However, their religious fervor was so great that, for some time, the Puritans only permitted people in line with their ideology to enter the settlement. Shunning people who believe in different philosophies does not seem to agree with Winthrop’s idea of brotherly affection, and it also seems unlikely that he anticipated the future witch trials. These events only indicate the Puritans inability to follow the exhortations of Winthrop and the wills of their God, not their lack of motivation to do so; in reality, the pious nature of the Puritans was the very thing that drove them to commit these disobedient acts. The United States still possesses the qualities of a “city on a hill” in that we are still expected to take the lead in international affairs; the same cannot be said of the other countries in North and South America.
I do believe that the New England colonists stuck with John Winthrop's vision. They choose to live the virtuous life with God that was outlined for them, even while other groups were displaying how easily it was to stray from their virtuous path. As for American today being "a city upon a hill", that is a tougher judgement to make. I believe that in many instances if any of the New England colonists were to see todays society it would be easy for them to think that we are "a city upon a hill" however past the overall shock factor they would have i think they would find the motives for many common human actions are not as virtuous as they may have assumed. People today have strayed quite far from a life of religion, tempted by greed and the spoils that it brings.
Yes and no. I believe settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony valiantly attempted to adhere to Winthrop’s vision, but I do not believe they succeeded entirely. The colonists did maintain strict Christian standards of behavior, they devoted themselves to bible study, they acted mercifully and justly, and they were fantastic evangelists. However, the degree of interfaith hostility and exclusion in that time period undermined their faithful efforts. As Protestants, they fled persecution; but the Puritans failed to appreciably integrate and tolerate alternate beliefs. However, the degree of tolerance expected in our society today was, at the time, foreign. Of course, as a 21st century American my perspective on morality and justice is privileged, so my assessment of the colonists may not be entirely fair. As an advocate for international diplomacy, America is as much of a “city upon a hill” as a country reasonably can be. In no way are we perfect, but I believe John Winthrop would be content with the overarching themes of love, respect, tolerance, justice, mercy, and responsibility that our society embraces.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop's vision of a city upon a hill. They were good Christians and followed God's will, and worked together to create the best colony they could, always doing what they could to ensure the community's survival. As far as the modern-day United States, I believe we are as close to being a "city upon a hill" as any modern country could: we set an example for other countries to follow, we do our best as a country to ensure the well being of people in other countries, by providing aid to refugees or ousting terrible criminals. While we may not be quite what Winthrop imagined when he wrote "A Modell," I believe given the changes that have happened in our world over these nearly 400 years, Winthrop would be pleased with our society and still consider us a "city upon a hill."
The colonial New Englanders did follow John Winthrop’s vision of “a city upon a hill” because the land was founded by people who wanted to live in a place with good moral conduct and a church that followed the word of God thoroughly, unlike that of England at the time. The settlers were known as being very religious, even to the point of prosecuting other religions different to their own. Although, other colonies did practice religious tolerance like those in Pennsylvania and still worshiped God. The New Englanders based their justice system, education, and family structure on what they believed God would approve of. America today is not as religious as it once was, but the same values and beliefs overall are still being practiced. Such as equality, freedom, and justice. America is one of the best countries for anybody to live in because there’s equality among different races and genders. It’s known for being tolerant of many religions and ideas, as to protect freedom of the individual. Our justice system may not be the best but at least people get a fair trail. Overall America today doesn’t strictly follow guidelines from John Winthrop’s sermon but we still try to do what is commonly good.-Brenda Herrera
The Massachusetts colonist followed John Winthrop’s rules on how to live very strictly. They felt that the new world was a great gift sent by God and they were going to do everything possible to thank him for it. They taught natives about god, made morals and forgiveness a priority, and punished those who did not follow his teachings. I believe that today America is a city on a hill, but it is not as great to the people who have never lived outside it. Many foreigners see America as a safe haven where they can speak their mind and not be punished, a place where they have the ability to live out their dreams and advance in their social class. We as Americans often forget that in many countries these ideas of society are only ideas and not laws.
For the most part, the Colonists stayed true to Winthrop's ideals. They made it through difficult times of famine and disease by helping each other out, and being dedicated Puritans. They stuck with his message to love their neighbors to a certain degree. Within their colonies, I would say neighborly love was plentiful. On the other hand, there were many times where Colonists attacked Natives, which did not stick with Winthrop's ideas. Nowadays, I would still consider America to be "a city upon a hill", but less in a religious manner than just a general one. There a millions of religious Americans, but there is a multitude of different religions, as well as Atheists. In general, America tries to be tolerant of different religions, cultures, and countries, as well as trying to be "good people" and helping the less fortunate. I would say we still try to set a good example to everyone, but not strictly through religion.
The Massachusetts colonists did live up to Winthrop's vision. There were of couse, a few who didnt and who dissagreed but most of them followed what he said.I think that Winthrop's vision came true because the colonists of Massachusetts wanted the same things he wanted. They wanted to live in a peaceful new land and be able to practice their religion and be good Chrisians. Help others when they need help and stick togther and do things to please god so that he may bless you. Is America still a "city upon a hill?" Yes, i believe America is still a city upon a hill because we are considered one of the remaining superpowers after World War II. But i think America sees itself as a bigger superpower than we really are. But we are still looked up to for help and support by many other countries. We have made examples of revolutions, human rights and Democracy that many contries follow our examples of.
The colonists did follow Winthrop’s vision so far as being faithful followers of God and practicing Christian morals. However, as many others have said, the Massachusetts colonists did not tolerate and love everyone. The Puritans escaped persecution in England by coming to the New World, but once here, the persecuted became the persecutors. They banished different Christian sects from their society, including Catholics and Quakers. But within the colony, they did love their neighbors as themselves. Today, America is still “a city upon a hill” in a sense. As a superpower, the eyes of the rest of the world are still upon us for aid and to see if we make any mistakes. We are far more tolerant of different people than the colonists were. We attempt to help the poor. However, we have fallen from that position in another sense; most of us aren’t as ardent Christians as the colonists were, and many of our practices and ethics are of a secular basis. -Ben C.
I believe that the New Englanders did stay true to what Whinthrop preached. He asked them to stay true to their religion, beliefs, and morals. The Colonists were very kind to others and tried to help many people. For example, they attempted to help the Native Americans, and together, the two parties cooperated and, in the short term, they were successful. As to whether or not American is still "a city upon a hill," is very controversial. America wishes to be a city on a hill. We try and do the best for everyone so that we look good. But that is the problem; we only do the good stuff to look good. Some of the time I think that is the only motivation; if we do something good, other countries will look at us with envy. But that is not from the good of our hearts.
New Englanders did stay true to Winthrop's wishes. They were very devoted in worshipping God, integrating faith into nearly every aspect of life, and lived peacefully among one another. They tried to peacefully interact with the native americans, but that did not work out so well in the long run. America today is definitely a city on a hill, but we do not always provide the best example. We abuse our position as the most powerful nation on Earth, stepping into conflicts elsewhere that are easily left alone, such as the recent Libya situation. We are expected to succeed, but when we fail, the rest of the world sees this and criticizes us severely. Think of America being the LeBron James of the world, if you will. And when we fail, we bring the world with us. Ben S.
I believe that the New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop's vision of a perfect Christian society for the most part. The puritans treated each other as brothers and sisters to please God. They loved each other and treated each other kindly with the utmost respect. However, they repulsed any other Christian religions as if they were inferior. Therefor, they did not follow Winthrop's vision in that respect but besides that, they did the best that they could. I do believe that America today could be seen as “a city upon a hill” but in other ways than religious ones. America acts as a model to most other countries that are still developing. America is a world power and is looked up to as such.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop’s vision. Religion was a central part of their society. Since then the religious aspect has diversified and separated somewhat from the government. In terms of having the eyes of all people upon us, yes America is today a “city upon a hill.” We are considered one of the main world powers and are a country that is very involved internationally. Because of this we are in the public eye both here at home, and abroad. Other than that we have not exactly followed Winthrop’s idea of what being a “city on a hill” should mean. Our focus today is much less on religion and being the best Christians possible than Winthrop hoped, although religion does get tangled into our politics frequently.
Colonial New England was a place where John Winthrop's vision of the new world was realized, with religion at the center of the society. Although his vision of a puritan colony was noble, it was misguided. If any of the colonies were truly living as God wanted them to, it was Pennsylvania. The Quakers lived and treated all others as equals. There were no superiors, no master and slave, no right way to think or wrong way to think. I think this is the mind set that America sends to the world today. And as a nation that is a "City on a Hill", we are a beacon of justice and human rights. And while these may not have been the key points that Winthrop wanted America to have today. They are what keep us growing even stronger as a nation and as a moral people.
The colonial New Englanders did uphold John Winthrop's vision of "a city upon a hill." because these settlers were known for being very religious and true to the word of God. They came to new land to create a colony in which they could practice their beliefs freely of the persecution they faced from their home country. Everything they built was based on their religious beliefs, most of which stand true to this day in the Constitution. Although modern American society probably isn't what John Winthrop would find ideal, the base of moral values and religious righteousness is still present in our everyday lives. --Maliyah T.
In my opinion Colonial new Englanders most definitely stayed true to what john Winthrop proposed. They were in a sense a city upon a hill. It may not have been what he meant by it, but to everyone else a city upon a hill was this great new land they lived in. They lived in a land of opportunity and pride. As is still the truth about The United States today, we are seen, as a group, as a “city upon a hill”. We may not match up to what John Winthrop was shooting for but we are pretty close to it.
The Puritans did stay true to Winthrop’s vision, the way that they interpreted it at least. I agree with Sam in that their actions seemed to contradict their creed when they banished people for being of a different religion. However, they may have viewed those people as a threat to their way of life and thought by banishing them they were protecting Christ and his teachings from those that might lead them astray. Although their actions seem contradictory, I truly believe they thought they were serving the lord the best way they could in everything they did. I believe America is still a “city on a hill” if one adjusts for modern standards. If we were in Winthrop’s time I’m sure we’d be considered extremely outside of Winthrop’s idea of a “city on a hill,” but if one adjusts for the state of the world today, America tends to be more charitable, forgiving, and even religious than many other nations—and is often looked up to Erin H.
The New Englanders stayed true to John Winthrop’s vision. They lived as a tightly knitted community in which people helped each other overcome difficulties. They were also very religious and did not abandon their religious principles at any costs. Today, America remains “a city upon a hill”. We are looked at, by most country’s, with respect. We represent high moral standards and we lend a hand to other countries during times of distress. Recently, however, America has started slipping off from the hill. Our nation’s students are not being able to compete with our rival countries and poverty has swept over this nation like an epidemic. The dollar is losing it’s value as well.
The New Englanders did stay true to Winthrop's vision. Although the Puritans' government soon turned into a religious tyranny where there was no wall of separation between the church and state. Eventually some activists began to speak against the government, which correlates with speaking against the church and essentially God. People whose spoke against the government or church were persecuted. But the Puritans did create a society of religion and government and included "diversity" in their community. On the other hand, the US is a "city upon a hill" because it allows freedom and democracy. America established the idea of freedom and a country operated by the people. Maggie H
I believe that America is a “city upon a hill,” but not in the way that Winthrop would have hoped. Some countries do look up to America, but others are watching what America is doing and they don’t like it. Third world countries look up to America because we have a vast abundance of food, fresh water, and shelter. Also, our government is not as corrupt as in some third world countries. Many people would love to live here. Some countries on the other hand, mainly in Europe, don’t like what America is doing. When I was in England this past summer, I saw protesters complaining about Bush starting the war in the Middle East, and Obama not getting them home fast enough. Seeing this made me realize that people in other countries are aware of what America is doing, sometimes even more than Americans know.
John Winthrop viewed the Massachusetts colony as a beacon of righteousness and a model for future settlements in America. The prestigious vision Winthrop constructed for the colony typically held sound for many generations after. The religious principles of forgiveness, generosity, and love within a community were attempted by the majority of New England colonies to much success. There are some exceptions to maintaining Winthrop’s ideal society, such as conflicts with Native Americans against the value of human love, as well as some religious intolerance in terms of nontraditional or non-Christian practices. Throughout history, and in particular after WWII, America was viewed with high esteem. The military success, industrial advancements, and core convictions of liberty, all impacted the admiration of this nation. Currently the financial crisis, multiple foreign conflicts, and reduced credit rating have lead substandard outlook of America. However, although the economic and political predicament has lessened the idea that the United States is “a city upon a hill”, the basic elements of American society and moral resolve of individuals provide America to continue to be a model for other country around the world. Hannah R
I believe that colony did stay true to the vision that John Winthrop constructed for them, as much as they possibly could of course. They ran the colony as a tight knit community, as well as keeping a stable society. They worshiped god as Winthrop intended, and built the society through the strong beliefs they had. Although I do agree with Erin and Sam about the banishing of people because they are of a different faith, I believe Erin stated perfectly that they were doing what they thought would protect their way of life, and their faith. I also believe that American is still a "city upon a hill" even though we have branched out and become a lot more complex civilization through time. We have stayed true to our set morals, proven by our justice system and our dedication to our Constitution. America has become a well thought out and well balanced country, and this is because of the influence of the early societies in America's founding.
I think the Colonial New Englanders did stay true to what John Winthrop vision was of the “ideal” colony. I agree with what some of the people are saying, no colony was perfect but the colony itself was a very religious one. They followed what they bible taught them,love your enemies,neighbors ect. They punished those who did wrong and went against the word of the bible as well as took care of the poor, they tried setting a new standard for how Christians should act and live. However, some people were exiled for not seeing eye to eye with the strict religious beliefs of the colony despite believing in the same one god, this caused some hostility. I think we still are “a city upon a hill”, the world looks at us for guidance and we are an example to the world whether it be technology,government or just everyday life.
The New Englanders stayed true to John Winthrop’s vision because they continued to fear God and worship him just like Winthrop envisioned. They tried to purify the church and get it to the way John Winthrop and they pictured how it should be. America is the only nation that I feel could ever be called “a city upon a hill”. That is because we are a world leader in many industries and have a good political system which encourages debate as well as a large number of Americans who would die for their country. For those reasons other nations look up to America like people would look up to see “a city upon a hill”.
The Puritans stayed true to their religious moral code. Since the colony was isolated from other religious groups it was possible to unite religion and law. If that was done in America today it would not be seen as a legitimate action of the government. In fact the unification of church and state would violate the first amendment of the constitution. America today is ruled by law, not religion. While America is an example for the world to follow, it is an example because of its secular constitution, religious tolerance, democratic government and (relatively) stable economy, not because of its religious legacy. For this reason, I doubt John Winthrop would describe America today as a “city upon a hill,” and I do not think that is necessarily a bad thing.
The Puritan colony did stay true to John Winthrop's vision because they continued to strictly follow the bible. They built a tight-knit community that followed their beliefs and did everything that John Winthrop wanted. American can be called "a city on a hill" because we started someting new when we became a nation. We started the idea of free speech in government, where everyone had a say in how the nation ran, even if it took a while for everyone to actually mean everyone. We also started a trend wit the American Revolution. We showed everyone else that it is possible to become free and independent from tyranny, and other nations looked up at us and followed in our footsteps.
The Colonial New Englanders followed John Winthop's vision. The Settlers had strong faith in God and they also carried out life as John Winthrop had envisioned. I think that John Winthrop would still view America today as a "city upon a hill". America's pledge of allegiance states that we are "one nation under God". America stands out among many other countries for being more advanced in technology, weapons, etc. They also have numerous freedoms compared to other countries, which is why so many places look up to and depend on America.
The New Englanders stayed true to Winthrops belief's by remaining very religious and moral. I also think they stayed true to his views on treating everyone like your brother, because while people were persecuted because of their religious belief's, they remained peaceful with everyone Winthrop intended for them to. As far as america being the "City upon a Hill"I think we were for centuries, and we still think of ourselves as being on top of the hill, but especially in the last few years the rest of the world hasn't. We are still the worlds symbol for democracy, but as far as our economy and wealth we are no longer at the top.
The people of New England definitely did their best to stay true to John Winthrop's ideal vision of society and religion. This is not to say that people did not sin or that no one strayed from that path, but the people as a whole achieved what Winthrop set out to do. As others have said, the New Englanders' lives were religiously oriented, and they took the values of equality, forgiveness, and education very seriously. If John Winthrop saw America today, he certainly would not deem it a "city upon a hill," and might in fact disgrace the way our society has turned out. However, I believe that in terms of our government, we are still setting a good example for the rest of the world.
Colonial New Englanders did in fact stay true to John Winthrop's vision of America as “a city upon a hill”. The Puritan New Englanders worshiped and praised God quite a lot and led very Christian lives still after this. These people used John Winthrop's writing as the basis for their everyday lives. While not every single person probably followed such an outline of fundamental Christian life, a great number of these people did, helping to stay true to John Winthrop's vision. America is still today “a city upon a hill”. Its population is mainly Christian and evidence of christian influence can be found in many facets of America today. Such is evidenced by such things as so many political speeches including the phrase “God, bless America” or “In God we trust” being printed on our money. -David S
For the most part, the New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop's vision. The New Englanders were mostly devout Puritans and very active in the church. Missionaries traveled to further Winthrop's vision and teach of the Christian religion. The only caution I have towards New England staying true to Winthrop's vision is the relationship with Native Americans. The Native Americans were not always treated the best, even if there were missionaries like Jonathan Edwards who taught Native Americans about Christianity. Today I think America is a "city upon a hill" because of the example in diplomacy we set for other countries. Although the American values may not be as strong as they used to be, for the most part the United States is a nation of great character.
The first puritan settlers did stay true to John Winthrop's dream of a utopia free of corruption. The Puritans came to North America to escape the English church and form a society by what they thought was right. They lived by the bible, as in they tried to help everyone and be a good person in general. This is what Winthrop wanted. Today a superficial look at America would see that it is still a society with the same basic ideals as Winthrop, mainly for the amount of freedom Americans have. However, many Americans seem like they only care about what they want and will do whatever it takes to achieve that, no matter what happens to others.
I agree with the general statement that the colonists of New England stayed true, or at least tried to stay true to John Winthrop's vision of a "city upon a hill." They followed their Christian standards by being very adamant about going to church and promoting religion. However, I feel as though John Winthrop would be somewhat disappointed by the way our society turned out. Although America itself is a very religious nation, there is no national religion that a person must follow, and Winthrop would have preferred a set religion of America. As Winthrop predicted, we are being watched by the rest of the world and judged by our actions. But Winthrop would be proud of our desire to set a good example for the rest of the world.
The Puritans stayed true to the aspects of Winthrop's "A Modell" that suited them. They went to church regularly, but the public admission process deterred many people from attempting to join. Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay colony were religiously tolerant of each other; when it came to people who spoke out against them they were not so tolerant. Anne Hutchinson, William Penn and Roger Williams were all exiled from the colony because they advocated for religious freedom and separation of church and state. I think that American is still closely watched as WInthrop said a "City upon a hill" would be, but some successful countries do not wish to be similar to the US (China, for instance). But I think that, in different ways, the US as a whole today is similar to the Massachusetts Bay colony. Winthrop wanted the Puritans to be religiously tolerant, and they claimed to follow all of the morals set forth, but it is debatable as to whether or not they actually did. The US claims to promote fair labor practices, yet we ship jobs overseas because we can abuse the workers and get away with it, the labor is cheaper and we earn more profit. Today, we need to get off of our high horse and admit that we don't stay true to the principles that we like to think define America.
The answer could go both ways. The Puritan colonists did uphold their ideals of hard work and education. They also became a tightly knit, brotherly community. When it came to religious freedom however, let’s just say there were some holes in their practice. These Puritan colonists came to the New World to escape religious persecution in mostly Protestant England. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony was established, John Winthrop’s “city upon a hill” was composed of religious freedom, except what they really meant was, “RELIGIOUS FREEDOM! PURITANS WELCOME! But if you’re not Puritan, it’s gonna be a problem.” Is America a “city upon a hill”? I would say, for the most part, yes. We actually have REAL religious freedom and a pretty brotherly community. We still have our faults, as does any country. We are definitely more of a “city upon a hill” than the Massachusetts Bay Colony ever was. Also, Americans have a strong work ethic, which is the main reason why America is what it is today, “a city upon a hill.”
The New England colonials did stay true to John Winthrop aspects which was to be a very Christian, honorable, and holy group of people. And also to be a role model for other colonies. As for America today, I believe that we have become "a city upon a hill.", because we are considered the strongest and most powerful nation with our military and religion. Like the Puritans we wanted religious freedom from other nations that appose that and we got what we wanted and we succeed in every ambition we come up with, which makes us a leader and a model for other nations.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to his vision of following God. They worshiped God, lived aside one another as brothers, respected their neighbors, and they followed His commandments. They also worked in communities together to make life much better for their fellow man. And for those who spoke against God and worshiped other gods were punished and by doing so America was "a city upon a hill".
ReplyDeleteAnd currently America is still the "city upon a hill" that John Winthrop wanted us to be. We set examples for other countries to follow. And we are a major power that other nations look to for support.
I agree with Evan saying that the colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop's vision. The colonial New Englanders were very religious and they followed God's wishes like John Winthrop envisioned for them. They helped their peers whenever they were asked, they practiced their religion often, they honored the Lord in everything that they did, and they were forgiving people.
ReplyDeleteToday America is still a "city upon a hill" because the eyes of other countries are always on America since we set examples of revolution, freedom, and democracy. America is an example, a powerhouse, and a helping hand to other countries and that is why it will always remain a "city upon a hill".
New England Colonists did stay true to Winthrop's vision of an idealistic society. The people wanted to start a Puritan lifestyle in New England to escape the English church and did so. They were kind to one another and helped each other when in need, always keeping the ideas of Winthrop in mind, including their religious values. By doing so, they achieved the title of being “a city upon a hill.”
ReplyDeleteIt is debatable now to say whether or not America is still today “a city upon a hill”, mainly because of social changes and the freedom to practice religion or not. There are Americans who do not practice Christianity and/or lean more towards Atheism. However, we do now set examples for other countries in other ways, like with our amount of freedom each citizen has and even though we have fallen from being as morally good as the New England colonists were, we do still try to be good people and be good to others.
Isabel S.
The Puritans believed John Winthrop's sermon to be the framework of what the colonies should be like. They envisioned a utopia in that sense. Although no colony can be perfect, the Puritans stuck very strictly to God's will. The Puritans did not simply want to get away from what they believed was a corrupted church, but instead wanted to stay with the church and revise it. This is what they did and soon became a safe haven for pilgrims. The New England colonies stayed true to the "city upon a hill".
ReplyDeleteAs for America today, I believe that we still are a country based on moral and justice, but we are not as morally sound as Winthrop had imagined. America is still an ideal place to live in the world, but virtue has definitely declined especially in government. If a "city upon a hill" was defined in today's terms America would be a good fit. In today's world, a country can't survive purely on making sure we are morally correct.
Emily B.
In terms of the Puritan colonists in New England, I think they kept with the vision John Winthrop set forth in “A Modell”. They were very focused on their religion, morals, and forgiveness, created a society that promoted education, and set forth values that were crucial in the creation of the American government.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I don’t think America remains a “city upon a hill”, in part because I think it would be impossible to. The Puritan society thrived in a relatively secluded way when compared to modern America. Today, as opposed to colonial times, our country is filled with people from all parts of the world who have hugely varying beliefs. People are raised to abide by a certain set of morals, and different people follow different social standards. America cannot be a “city upon a hill” because we now lack one absolute set of moral values. Not that it this is necessarily a bad thing, just that our country today is structured so differently and globalization has exposed the varying morals of all cultures to the rest of the world, so having one set of moral values that is more “correct” than others is impossible.
Mira N.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop’s vision because no matter what they upheld the Puritan lifestyle. They worked hard, prayed, punished those who did evil, and read the bible. Everything they did was for the Lord. No society is perfect, but they strived to get as close to perfect as possible by doing as John Winthrop wished. They were so attached to their religion that they rarely, if ever, did anything that didn’t concern the Lord in some way. This is what John Winthrop wanted in order to create an ideal colony and he was quite successful in doing so.
ReplyDeleteAmerica today is still, in a way, that “city upon a hill” because so many other countries look up to us when they are in need of assistance. We are, as Rachel B. said, a powerhouse that cannot be stopped once we get going. Even though all people aren’t devout Christians as John Winthrop would have wanted, America is still the ideal society that is a role model for many other countries.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop’s vision of staying true to their religion. They followed God and kept the church pure. They created a society that was based on morals and forgiveness. They created a society that encouraged education and helped form values that were important in the formation of the American Government.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Isabel that it is very debatable to say that today America is “a city upon a hill” as John Winthrop describes. There are a lot of people that don’t worship. There is one thing that you can’t agree with and that is that America is a great example of religious freedom. We set examples to other countries, in terms of religious tolerance.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop’s vision, because the moral rights he wanted the colonist to follow; they did. They followed the word of God and worshipped him in the various ways John Winthrop discussed. The colonists helped one another in times of need, punished those who did wrong, promoted education to all people and forgiveness was a very important value to them. The colonists kept up the morals John Winthrop wanted them to have and those are the morals that helped shape the American government.
ReplyDeleteI think America is still “a city upon a hill”, because Americans help out other countries when a natural disaster occurs. I also feel that the justice system shows the values this country has by not letting any one can be found guilty without a reasonable doubt, which shows everyone is given an equal opportunity to a fair trial. Even though America is not doing well economically it is still a very prosperous country.
-Vanessa C.
The colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop’s vision as much as humanly possible, for a time anyway. The New Englanders followed his beliefs in charity, unity, and strict belief in Christianity, for several years before capitalism and personal interest began to degrade it. New England at the time was close to being the utopia that he envisioned. As for America today being a “city upon a hill” today, I think that it is. We are looked to as a model of success in many different respects, just not the ones that John Winthrop would have wanted. We are seen as leaders in democracy, freedom, opportunity, and capitalism, rather than unity through love, charity and strict Christian belief. Still, people from all over the world see us as the standard for success and a model to be watched.
ReplyDeleteThe colonial New Englanders did follow John Winthrop's vision of a religious life. The New Englanders left England to try to establish a revised religion. John Winthrop wrote "A Modell" based on what the entire group felt was correct. The people wanted to set an example for the world that would raise God up. They all stayed true to this vision because they all had the same mentality. They had an honest, forgiving, and selfless community that shadowed the rules that Winthrop wrote about. The whole group was God fearing and wanted to use Winthrop's guidelines to show the world how good God was.
ReplyDeleteToday, America is not as close to John Winthrop's vision of "a city upon a hill". Religion is not the main focus of today's America as it was for the colonial New Englanders. However, I agree with Isaac M, when he said we are models in other respects. We still set examples for the world because of our ideals in freedom and democratic government. So although we may not fit Winthrop's description for "a city upon a hill", we are still looked up to as such.
Ellis M.
The New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop's vision of the perfect Puritan society. He wanted them to love their enemies, help their neighbors and the poor, keep God as the center of their lives, to be "one with God",to keep their morals in check with what God wants and to punish those who commited sins. And they did all of those things like they were supposed to. But because of their strict religiousness, people were exiled for simply having different ideas about the colony, even though they were "united" by their religion and Quakers and colonies of other faiths were treated with hostility despite the "love your enemies" idea. Even though they did all of those things because they were following what they thought God wanted them to do, it shows that although John Winthrop had good intentions for the colony, it ended up being too idealistic. As for America being "a city upon a hill", I think that it is still just that, even though America has experienced a little bit of moral decay since those times. When we were just 13 colonies, we freed ourselves from Great Britain, the leading superpower back in the day. In the past, a few colonies looked to gain their own freedom, so they based their own constitutions after our own. Some countries hate us because we use that "city upon a hill" symbol-they think that we act like we're the best country there is. Other countries love us for that symbol-they see it as an imspiration. But either way, "a city upon a hill" played an important part for the Puritans and it plays an important part for us Americans today.
ReplyDelete-Elise K.
I suppose for a short period of time New Englanders stayed in line with Winthrop's vision. It was not long before people started to speak out against the puritans, and of course, they were banished. While in they eyes of the puritans it was done in the name of God and Winthrop’s vision, it is quite the opposite. John Winthrop declared that all Christians were bonded through love and God, and that the poor, and even the enemy, should be loved and respected in all circumstances. I don't believe that murder and exile of a person because they fall under a different sect of the same religion is justified anywhere in Winthrop's sermon. It's as if the crew mentally replaced the word "everyone" with "only Puritans" as it was spoken. So, in no way was the Bay Colony a "city upon a hill."
ReplyDeleteI believe that the United States was once a "city upon a hill," but in the sense that it is tolerant towards all people (arguable). In no way is modern America like colonial New England. For about a century other countries have regarded America as the "land of opportunity," where people are free to believe what they want to believe without exile or death. But as much of the world evolved, many countries became more tolerant and diverse to the point where they resembled America. So now that there are about 70 "cities upon hills," America is one no longer. It has lost it's title of being the one and only.
-Alex "sam" B.
The colonial New Englanders strictly obeyed and believed in what John Winthrop was teaching. All of the people believed that by using their resources for supreme Justice and Mercy, that they would be an ideal society. For many years they were, they were all driven by God's message to love one another as you would have them love you. Eventually the New England colonies divided from their strict following of Winthrop over the course of time. The New England colonies were in no way perfect, but for the time period could be thought of as a city on a hill.
ReplyDeleteAmerica today is still a good country, but not as great as it used to be. Many of our practices, including the first amendment freedoms and a fair justice system are envied by people around the world. I would not say that we are a city on a hill now, or at least not the only one. We, like every country, have serious problems that need constant attention, currently America is struggling with its monstrous debt. In a way though, since no other country is perfect, we are perhaps one of many cities on the hill that sets an example of some of the things to strive for, but not all.
Christian P.
The Puritans settled in North America in search for an escape from religious persecution and a corrupt church. When they started their New England settlement, it was founded on deeply religious and moral values, much of which was true to Winthrop’s vision. They made it their goal to reform the Church of England, and while this was supposed to mark the beginning of religious freedom it is far from the freedoms we enjoy today. For instance, the founders of Rhode Island were settlers who had been banished from this Massachusetts colony due to their religious beliefs. Such persecution contradicts Winthrop’s message of forgiveness and loving one’s enemy. To be fair to these colonists, loving your enemy is an idea that often pops up in Christianity but is not always followed. Otherwise these colonists stuck to Winthrop’s vision of a religious, moralistic, God-fearing society.
ReplyDeleteIn some senses, America still is “a city upon a hill”. Our government is a template that has been adopted by many nations in some form, and we are generally thought of as an important, powerful, example-setting country. However, it is questionable how much longer other nations will look to America as a lead example of success.
-Phoebe W.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to Winthrop’s vision. The men and women in the colonies took care of each other, and religion was at the core of their lifestyle. In fact, some of the colonies were founded for religious freedom so this seems to prove that the settlers observed God’s will like John wanted them to. The idea of helping your brother was seen when the settlers and Native Americans developed a beneficial relationship. Because the colonies economy was primarily agrarian, this would seem to reflect the idea that everyone supported the colony as a whole and individual wealth was not as important as surviving and caring for one another. Today, the U.S. is still “a city upon a hill.” When Winthrop says, “Thou must give him according to his necessity, rather than lend him as he requires,” this is almost an exact parallel to the welfare system in the U.S. The reason our country is so prosperous is because we care for our citizens with things like healthcare, religious freedom, and fair pay. In many ways, the U.S. is like a larger version of a colony. We have self government, religious tolerance, and our country cares for us in times of need.
ReplyDeleteAlaina B.
The Colonists fulfilled Winthrop's vision by staying in accordance with his ideas and commandments for the most part. Winthrop's main message was to love thy neighbor as thy self, and the colonists did this by working together in order for their colony to prosper and working peacefully with the Indians. Without regarding the Indians as their neighbors or brothers and treating them like such, the Indians may never have shared their food and their knowledge which saved many colonies from starvation. Settlers went to church every Sunday for long sermons; religion played a large role in their everyday lives. If someone was found completing a deed considered unlawful they would be put in the stock to be publicly humiliated. Due to having such tight knit communities this was a large enough incentive to keep colonists in line morally. Many of these churches made laws based on what they didn't like about the church of England, which made them feel unique and as though they were independent. Everyone who took part in the new churches felt like they were also independent and free.
ReplyDeleteAmerica was once a "City upon a hill" however our rank in the world has generally dropped over the course of the last two decades. Although we are still leaders in some aspects such as wealth, much of our respect from other countries has been lost due to our greedy spending, governmental let downs and lack of concern for the environment. Our moral standards and education levels are lacking compared to other leading countries, but we still have monumental discoveries, democracy and liberty to pride ourselves in.
Colonial New Englanders stayed true to John Winthrop’s vision of a society primary based in strong Christian beliefs. Following the moral code and will of God was expected of everyone in these times, and those practices have influenced how the United States has shaped into what it is today. America today is what one might call “a city upon a hill,” but not in the strictly Christian morality that was defined by Winthrop centuries ago. America is “a city on a hill” for being a world leader in many expects, while remaining a morally ruled society that has been shaped by more than just the teachings of Christianity.
ReplyDeleteNile R
Colonial New England remained true to the Christian principles of John Winthrop's vision. They believed that they were working for the will of God and they made their religion shape their entire lifestyle in the colonies. From within the colonies of New England they practiced justice and mercy, helping each other to form an ideal government that would be acceptable to God. I believe that if following true to John Winthrop's words, America today is not a “city upon a hill” I agree with Nile that other countries do look at America as a leader in the world. Yet we are no longer a city upon a hill that John Winthrop would approve. America today has a strong sense of separation between the church and government. We are no longer striving to be a city upon a hill, by and for God, but instead a country that is run by and for the People. Margaret B
ReplyDeleteColonial New Englanders did their best to stay true to John Winthrop’s vision. They created a region that is known and prides itself as having good Samaritans with a generally good moral code. The American people, like Rachel said, are very religious and will generally help someone else if asked. America is the biggest supporter of the United Nations; there are always many campaigns for the betterment of the poor and less fortunate lives. America has also stayed a close-knit country when 9/11 occurred and when the twin towers fell, thousands of people poured in to help the people trapped within the danger zones. America is a country leading by example, which is what John Winthrop’s vision, was when he spoke of America as a “city upon a hill”.
ReplyDeleteThe colonial New Englanders stayed true to John Winthrop's Christian vision by following the broader more obvious things that they thought they should do anyways such as live alongside one another as brothers, respect their neighbors, and worship God. As Shelby said, allowing the Indians to be treated as a semi equal as well they were able to gain trust and respect from them. Allowing both communities to prosper and reflect off one another.
ReplyDeleteIn todays society we are as close to the vision "a city upon a hill". Religion is not the main focus in the country. As Ellis and Isaac said; We set an example on the ideal freedom and government allowing ourselves to be looked up to as though we are "a city upon a hill".
Abbie R.
The colonial New English did follow John Winthrop's vision for puritan New England insofar as they continued to worship God faithfully. They did not follow his vision that they would love their fellow man. The puritans persecuted Catholics and other Christians on a daily basis, as well as conducting the Salem witch trials, which brutally executed hundreds of innocent people. The United States is still a "city on a hill" and is still looked up to, but today the United States is lagging behind the rest of the world in many fields, and if we continue this trend of lagging behind other countries, then we will soon lose our "city upon a hill" status.
ReplyDelete-Kevin. C.
The New England colonists in the Massachusetts Bay Colony did follow John Winthrop's vision in that they established a religious society bonded together by his metaphorical ligaments of love. Town meetings became both an integral part of Puritan society and a connection between religion and government, proving the significance of theology in the daily lives of the colonists. However, their religious fervor was so great that, for some time, the Puritans only permitted people in line with their ideology to enter the settlement. Shunning people who believe in different philosophies does not seem to agree with Winthrop’s idea of brotherly affection, and it also seems unlikely that he anticipated the future witch trials. These events only indicate the Puritans inability to follow the exhortations of Winthrop and the wills of their God, not their lack of motivation to do so; in reality, the pious nature of the Puritans was the very thing that drove them to commit these disobedient acts. The United States still possesses the qualities of a “city on a hill” in that we are still expected to take the lead in international affairs; the same cannot be said of the other countries in North and South America.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that the New England colonists stuck with John Winthrop's vision. They choose to live the virtuous life with God that was outlined for them, even while other groups were displaying how easily it was to stray from their virtuous path.
ReplyDeleteAs for American today being "a city upon a hill", that is a tougher judgement to make. I believe that in many instances if any of the New England colonists were to see todays society it would be easy for them to think that we are "a city upon a hill" however past the overall shock factor they would have i think they would find the motives for many common human actions are not as virtuous as they may have assumed. People today have strayed quite far from a life of religion, tempted by greed and the spoils that it brings.
Yes and no. I believe settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony valiantly attempted to adhere to Winthrop’s vision, but I do not believe they succeeded entirely. The colonists did maintain strict Christian standards of behavior, they devoted themselves to bible study, they acted mercifully and justly, and they were fantastic evangelists. However, the degree of interfaith hostility and exclusion in that time period undermined their faithful efforts. As Protestants, they fled persecution; but the Puritans failed to appreciably integrate and tolerate alternate beliefs. However, the degree of tolerance expected in our society today was, at the time, foreign. Of course, as a 21st century American my perspective on morality and justice is privileged, so my assessment of the colonists may not be entirely fair.
ReplyDeleteAs an advocate for international diplomacy, America is as much of a “city upon a hill” as a country reasonably can be. In no way are we perfect, but I believe John Winthrop would be content with the overarching themes of love, respect, tolerance, justice, mercy, and responsibility that our society embraces.
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop's vision of a city upon a hill. They were good Christians and followed God's will, and worked together to create the best colony they could, always doing what they could to ensure the community's survival. As far as the modern-day United States, I believe we are as close to being a "city upon a hill" as any modern country could: we set an example for other countries to follow, we do our best as a country to ensure the well being of people in other countries, by providing aid to refugees or ousting terrible criminals. While we may not be quite what Winthrop imagined when he wrote "A Modell," I believe given the changes that have happened in our world over these nearly 400 years, Winthrop would be pleased with our society and still consider us a "city upon a hill."
ReplyDeleteThe colonial New Englanders did follow John Winthrop’s vision of “a city upon a hill” because the land was founded by people who wanted to live in a place with good moral conduct and a church that followed the word of God thoroughly, unlike that of England at the time. The settlers were known as being very religious, even to the point of prosecuting other religions different to their own. Although, other colonies did practice religious tolerance like those in Pennsylvania and still worshiped God. The New Englanders based their justice system, education, and family structure on what they believed God would approve of. America today is not as religious as it once was, but the same values and beliefs overall are still being practiced. Such as equality, freedom, and justice. America is one of the best countries for anybody to live in because there’s equality among different races and genders. It’s known for being tolerant of many religions and ideas, as to protect freedom of the individual. Our justice system may not be the best but at least people get a fair trail. Overall America today doesn’t strictly follow guidelines from John Winthrop’s sermon but we still try to do what is commonly good.-Brenda Herrera
ReplyDeleteThe Massachusetts colonist followed John Winthrop’s rules on how to live very strictly. They felt that the new world was a great gift sent by God and they were going to do everything possible to thank him for it. They taught natives about god, made morals and forgiveness a priority, and punished those who did not follow his teachings. I believe that today America is a city on a hill, but it is not as great to the people who have never lived outside it. Many foreigners see America as a safe haven where they can speak their mind and not be punished, a place where they have the ability to live out their dreams and advance in their social class. We as Americans often forget that in many countries these ideas of society are only ideas and not laws.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part, the Colonists stayed true to Winthrop's ideals. They made it through difficult times of famine and disease by helping each other out, and being dedicated Puritans. They stuck with his message to love their neighbors to a certain degree. Within their colonies, I would say neighborly love was plentiful. On the other hand, there were many times where Colonists attacked Natives, which did not stick with Winthrop's ideas.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, I would still consider America to be "a city upon a hill", but less in a religious manner than just a general one. There a millions of religious Americans, but there is a multitude of different religions, as well as Atheists. In general, America tries to be tolerant of different religions, cultures, and countries, as well as trying to be "good people" and helping the less fortunate. I would say we still try to set a good example to everyone, but not strictly through religion.
The Massachusetts colonists did live up to Winthrop's vision. There were of couse, a few who didnt and who dissagreed but most of them followed what he said.I think that Winthrop's vision came true because the colonists of Massachusetts wanted the same things he wanted. They wanted to live in a peaceful new land and be able to practice their religion and be good Chrisians. Help others when they need help and stick togther and do things to please god so that he may bless you. Is America still a "city upon a hill?" Yes, i believe America is still a city upon a hill because we are considered one of the remaining superpowers after World War II. But i think America sees itself as a bigger superpower than we really are. But we are still looked up to for help and support by many other countries. We have made examples of revolutions, human rights and Democracy that many contries follow our examples of.
ReplyDeleteThe colonists did follow Winthrop’s vision so far as being faithful followers of God and practicing Christian morals. However, as many others have said, the Massachusetts colonists did not tolerate and love everyone. The Puritans escaped persecution in England by coming to the New World, but once here, the persecuted became the persecutors. They banished different Christian sects from their society, including Catholics and Quakers. But within the colony, they did love their neighbors as themselves.
ReplyDeleteToday, America is still “a city upon a hill” in a sense. As a superpower, the eyes of the rest of the world are still upon us for aid and to see if we make any mistakes. We are far more tolerant of different people than the colonists were. We attempt to help the poor. However, we have fallen from that position in another sense; most of us aren’t as ardent Christians as the colonists were, and many of our practices and ethics are of a secular basis.
-Ben C.
I believe that the New Englanders did stay true to what Whinthrop preached. He asked them to stay true to their religion, beliefs, and morals. The Colonists were very kind to others and tried to help many people. For example, they attempted to help the Native Americans, and together, the two parties cooperated and, in the short term, they were successful.
ReplyDeleteAs to whether or not American is still "a city upon a hill," is very controversial. America wishes to be a city on a hill. We try and do the best for everyone so that we look good. But that is the problem; we only do the good stuff to look good. Some of the time I think that is the only motivation; if we do something good, other countries will look at us with envy. But that is not from the good of our hearts.
New Englanders did stay true to Winthrop's wishes. They were very devoted in worshipping God, integrating faith into nearly every aspect of life, and lived peacefully among one another. They tried to peacefully interact with the native americans, but that did not work out so well in the long run.
ReplyDeleteAmerica today is definitely a city on a hill, but we do not always provide the best example. We abuse our position as the most powerful nation on Earth, stepping into conflicts elsewhere that are easily left alone, such as the recent Libya situation. We are expected to succeed, but when we fail, the rest of the world sees this and criticizes us severely. Think of America being the LeBron James of the world, if you will. And when we fail, we bring the world with us.
Ben S.
I believe that the New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop's vision of a perfect Christian society for the most part. The puritans treated each other as brothers and sisters to please God. They loved each other and treated each other kindly with the utmost respect. However, they repulsed any other Christian religions as if they were inferior. Therefor, they did not follow Winthrop's vision in that respect but besides that, they did the best that they could.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that America today could be seen as “a city upon a hill” but in other ways than religious ones. America acts as a model to most other countries that are still developing. America is a world power and is looked up to as such.
- Jonathon Morrison
Colonial New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop’s vision. Religion was a central part of their society. Since then the religious aspect has diversified and separated somewhat from the government. In terms of having the eyes of all people upon us, yes America is today a “city upon a hill.” We are considered one of the main world powers and are a country that is very involved internationally. Because of this we are in the public eye both here at home, and abroad. Other than that we have not exactly followed Winthrop’s idea of what being a “city on a hill” should mean. Our focus today is much less on religion and being the best Christians possible than Winthrop hoped, although religion does get tangled into our politics frequently.
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ReplyDeleteColonial New England was a place where John Winthrop's vision of the new world was realized, with religion at the center of the society. Although his vision of a puritan colony was noble, it was misguided. If any of the colonies were truly living as God wanted them to, it was Pennsylvania. The Quakers lived and treated all others as equals. There were no superiors, no master and slave, no right way to think or wrong way to think. I think this is the mind set that America sends to the world today. And as a nation that is a "City on a Hill", we are a beacon of justice and human rights. And while these may not have been the key points that Winthrop wanted America to have today. They are what keep us growing even stronger as a nation and as a moral people.
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ReplyDeleteThe colonial New Englanders did uphold John Winthrop's vision of "a city upon a hill." because these settlers were known for being very religious and true to the word of God. They came to new land to create a colony in which they could practice their beliefs freely of the persecution they faced from their home country. Everything they built was based on their religious beliefs, most of which stand true to this day in the Constitution. Although modern American society probably isn't what John Winthrop would find ideal, the base of moral values and religious righteousness is still present in our everyday lives. --Maliyah T.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Colonial new Englanders most definitely stayed true to what john Winthrop proposed. They were in a sense a city upon a hill. It may not have been what he meant by it, but to everyone else a city upon a hill was this great new land they lived in. They lived in a land of opportunity and pride. As is still the truth about The United States today, we are seen, as a group, as a “city upon a hill”. We may not match up to what John Winthrop was shooting for but we are pretty close to it.
ReplyDeleteThe Puritans did stay true to Winthrop’s vision, the way that they interpreted it at least. I agree with Sam in that their actions seemed to contradict their creed when they banished people for being of a different religion. However, they may have viewed those people as a threat to their way of life and thought by banishing them they were protecting Christ and his teachings from those that might lead them astray. Although their actions seem contradictory, I truly believe they thought they were serving the lord the best way they could in everything they did.
ReplyDeleteI believe America is still a “city on a hill” if one adjusts for modern standards. If we were in Winthrop’s time I’m sure we’d be considered extremely outside of Winthrop’s idea of a “city on a hill,” but if one adjusts for the state of the world today, America tends to be more charitable, forgiving, and even religious than many other nations—and is often looked up to
Erin H.
The New Englanders stayed true to John Winthrop’s vision. They lived as a tightly knitted community in which people helped each other overcome difficulties. They were also very religious and did not abandon their religious principles at any costs.
ReplyDeleteToday, America remains “a city upon a hill”. We are looked at, by most country’s, with respect. We represent high moral standards and we lend a hand to other countries during times of distress. Recently, however, America has started slipping off from the hill. Our nation’s students are not being able to compete with our rival countries and poverty has swept over this nation like an epidemic. The dollar is losing it’s value as well.
The New Englanders did stay true to Winthrop's vision. Although the Puritans' government soon turned into a religious tyranny where there was no wall of separation between the church and state. Eventually some activists began to speak against the government, which correlates with speaking against the church and essentially God. People whose spoke against the government or church were persecuted. But the Puritans did create a society of religion and government and included "diversity" in their community.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the US is a "city upon a hill" because it allows freedom and democracy. America established the idea of freedom and a country operated by the people.
Maggie H
I believe that America is a “city upon a hill,” but not in the way that Winthrop would have hoped. Some countries do look up to America, but others are watching what America is doing and they don’t like it.
ReplyDeleteThird world countries look up to America because we have a vast abundance of food, fresh water, and shelter. Also, our government is not as corrupt as in some third world countries. Many people would love to live here. Some countries on the other hand, mainly in Europe, don’t like what America is doing. When I was in England this past summer, I saw protesters complaining about Bush starting the war in the Middle East, and Obama not getting them home fast enough. Seeing this made me realize that people in other countries are aware of what America is doing, sometimes even more than Americans know.
John Winthrop viewed the Massachusetts colony as a beacon of righteousness and a model for future settlements in America. The prestigious vision Winthrop constructed for the colony typically held sound for many generations after. The religious principles of forgiveness, generosity, and love within a community were attempted by the majority of New England colonies to much success. There are some exceptions to maintaining Winthrop’s ideal society, such as conflicts with Native Americans against the value of human love, as well as some religious intolerance in terms of nontraditional or non-Christian practices.
ReplyDeleteThroughout history, and in particular after WWII, America was viewed with high esteem. The military success, industrial advancements, and core convictions of liberty, all impacted the admiration of this nation. Currently the financial crisis, multiple foreign conflicts, and reduced credit rating have lead substandard outlook of America. However, although the economic and political predicament has lessened the idea that the United States is “a city upon a hill”, the basic elements of American society and moral resolve of individuals provide America to continue to be a model for other country around the world.
Hannah R
I believe that colony did stay true to the vision that John Winthrop constructed for them, as much as they possibly could of course. They ran the colony as a tight knit community, as well as keeping a stable society. They worshiped god as Winthrop intended, and built the society through the strong beliefs they had. Although I do agree with Erin and Sam about the banishing of people because they are of a different faith, I believe Erin stated perfectly that they were doing what they thought would protect their way of life, and their faith. I also believe that American is still a "city upon a hill" even though we have branched out and become a lot more complex civilization through time. We have stayed true to our set morals, proven by our justice system and our dedication to our Constitution. America has become a well thought out and well balanced country, and this is because of the influence of the early societies in America's founding.
ReplyDeleteI think the Colonial New Englanders did stay true to what John Winthrop vision was of the “ideal” colony. I agree with what some of the people are saying, no colony was perfect but the colony itself was a very religious one. They followed what they bible taught them,love your enemies,neighbors ect. They punished those who did wrong and went against the word of the bible as well as took care of the poor, they tried setting a new standard for how Christians should act and live. However, some people were exiled for not seeing eye to eye with the strict religious beliefs of the colony despite believing in the same one god, this caused some hostility. I think we still are “a city upon a hill”, the world looks at us for guidance and we are an example to the world whether it be technology,government or just everyday life.
ReplyDeleteNick R.
The New Englanders stayed true to John Winthrop’s vision because they continued to fear God and worship him just like Winthrop envisioned. They tried to purify the church and get it to the way John Winthrop and they pictured how it should be. America is the only nation that I feel could ever be called “a city upon a hill”. That is because we are a world leader in many industries and have a good political system which encourages debate as well as a large number of Americans who would die for their country. For those reasons other nations look up to America like people would look up to see “a city upon a hill”.
ReplyDeleteThe Puritans stayed true to their religious moral code. Since the colony was isolated from other religious groups it was possible to unite religion and law. If that was done in America today it would not be seen as a legitimate action of the government. In fact the unification of church and state would violate the first amendment of the constitution. America today is ruled by law, not religion. While America is an example for the world to follow, it is an example because of its secular constitution, religious tolerance, democratic government and (relatively) stable economy, not because of its religious legacy. For this reason, I doubt John Winthrop would describe America today as a “city upon a hill,” and I do not think that is necessarily a bad thing.
ReplyDeleteThe Puritan colony did stay true to John Winthrop's vision because they continued to strictly follow the bible. They built a tight-knit community that followed their beliefs and did everything that John Winthrop wanted. American can be called "a city on a hill" because we started someting new when we became a nation. We started the idea of free speech in government, where everyone had a say in how the nation ran, even if it took a while for everyone to actually mean everyone. We also started a trend wit the American Revolution. We showed everyone else that it is possible to become free and independent from tyranny, and other nations looked up at us and followed in our footsteps.
ReplyDeleteThe Colonial New Englanders followed John Winthop's vision. The Settlers had strong faith in God and they also carried out life as John Winthrop had envisioned. I think that John Winthrop would still view America today as a "city upon a hill". America's pledge of allegiance states that we are "one nation under God". America stands out among many other countries for being more advanced in technology, weapons, etc. They also have numerous freedoms compared to other countries, which is why so many places look up to and depend on America.
ReplyDeleteThe New Englanders stayed true to Winthrops belief's by remaining very religious and moral. I also think they stayed true to his views on treating everyone like your brother, because while people were persecuted because of their religious belief's, they remained peaceful with everyone Winthrop intended for them to.
ReplyDeleteAs far as america being the "City upon a Hill"I think we were for centuries, and we still think of ourselves as being on top of the hill, but especially in the last few years the rest of the world hasn't. We are still the worlds symbol for democracy, but as far as our economy and wealth we are no longer at the top.
The people of New England definitely did their best to stay true to John Winthrop's ideal vision of society and religion. This is not to say that people did not sin or that no one strayed from that path, but the people as a whole achieved what Winthrop set out to do. As others have said, the New Englanders' lives were religiously oriented, and they took the values of equality, forgiveness, and education very seriously.
ReplyDeleteIf John Winthrop saw America today, he certainly would not deem it a "city upon a hill," and might in fact disgrace the way our society has turned out. However, I believe that in terms of our government, we are still setting a good example for the rest of the world.
Colonial New Englanders did in fact stay true to John Winthrop's vision of America as “a city upon a hill”. The Puritan New Englanders worshiped and praised God quite a lot and led very Christian lives still after this. These people used John Winthrop's writing as the basis for their everyday lives. While not every single person probably followed such an outline of fundamental Christian life, a great number of these people did, helping to stay true to John Winthrop's vision.
ReplyDeleteAmerica is still today “a city upon a hill”. Its population is mainly Christian and evidence of christian influence can be found in many facets of America today. Such is evidenced by such things as so many political speeches including the phrase “God, bless America” or “In God we trust” being printed on our money. -David S
For the most part, the New Englanders did stay true to John Winthrop's vision. The New Englanders were mostly devout Puritans and very active in the church. Missionaries traveled to further Winthrop's vision and teach of the Christian religion. The only caution I have towards New England staying true to Winthrop's vision is the relationship with Native Americans. The Native Americans were not always treated the best, even if there were missionaries like Jonathan Edwards who taught Native Americans about Christianity. Today I think America is a "city upon a hill" because of the example in diplomacy we set for other countries. Although the American values may not be as strong as they used to be, for the most part the United States is a nation of great character.
ReplyDeleteThe first puritan settlers did stay true to John Winthrop's dream of a utopia free of corruption. The Puritans came to North America to escape the English church and form a society by what they thought was right. They lived by the bible, as in they tried to help everyone and be a good person in general. This is what Winthrop wanted. Today a superficial look at America would see that it is still a society with the same basic ideals as Winthrop, mainly for the amount of freedom Americans have. However, many Americans seem like they only care about what they want and will do whatever it takes to achieve that, no matter what happens to others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the general statement that the colonists of New England stayed true, or at least tried to stay true to John Winthrop's vision of a "city upon a hill." They followed their Christian standards by being very adamant about going to church and promoting religion. However, I feel as though John Winthrop would be somewhat disappointed by the way our society turned out. Although America itself is a very religious nation, there is no national religion that a person must follow, and Winthrop would have preferred a set religion of America. As Winthrop predicted, we are being watched by the rest of the world and judged by our actions. But Winthrop would be proud of our desire to set a good example for the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteThe Puritans stayed true to the aspects of Winthrop's "A Modell" that suited them. They went to church regularly, but the public admission process deterred many people from attempting to join. Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay colony were religiously tolerant of each other; when it came to people who spoke out against them they were not so tolerant. Anne Hutchinson, William Penn and Roger Williams were all exiled from the colony because they advocated for religious freedom and separation of church and state. I think that American is still closely watched as WInthrop said a "City upon a hill" would be, but some successful countries do not wish to be similar to the US (China, for instance). But I think that, in different ways, the US as a whole today is similar to the Massachusetts Bay colony. Winthrop wanted the Puritans to be religiously tolerant, and they claimed to follow all of the morals set forth, but it is debatable as to whether or not they actually did. The US claims to promote fair labor practices, yet we ship jobs overseas because we can abuse the workers and get away with it, the labor is cheaper and we earn more profit. Today, we need to get off of our high horse and admit that we don't stay true to the principles that we like to think define America.
ReplyDeleteThe answer could go both ways. The Puritan colonists did uphold their ideals of hard work and education. They also became a tightly knit, brotherly community. When it came to religious freedom however, let’s just say there were some holes in their practice. These Puritan colonists came to the New World to escape religious persecution in mostly Protestant England. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony was established, John Winthrop’s “city upon a hill” was composed of religious freedom, except what they really meant was, “RELIGIOUS FREEDOM! PURITANS WELCOME! But if you’re not Puritan, it’s gonna be a problem.”
ReplyDeleteIs America a “city upon a hill”? I would say, for the most part, yes. We actually have REAL religious freedom and a pretty brotherly community. We still have our faults, as does any country. We are definitely more of a “city upon a hill” than the Massachusetts Bay Colony ever was. Also, Americans have a strong work ethic, which is the main reason why America is what it is today, “a city upon a hill.”
The New England colonials did stay true to John Winthrop aspects which was to be a very Christian, honorable, and holy group of people. And also to be a role model for other colonies. As for America today, I believe that we have become "a city upon a hill.", because we are considered the strongest and most powerful nation with our military and religion. Like the Puritans we wanted religious freedom from other nations that appose that and we got what we wanted and we succeed in every ambition we come up with, which makes us a leader and a model for other nations.
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