Hello and welcome to a history of the United States.

Episode 32, the fusion of Church and State.

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Last time out, we looked at the foundation of the Massachusetts Bay Company, and introduced John Winthrop into the narrative, electing him governor of Massachusetts in 1629.

This was all to set up the expedition, which was to be launched next year, which we can now turn to.

In April 1630, 400 settlers set off from the Isle of Wight on the south coast of England, heading for the New World.

It was a two-month voyage, and they reached their destination in early June.

But they were not very pleased by what they found there. What they were met with was the

remnants of the old colonists at Salem, and they were not in a good way. It had been selected for their base,

but there was little good land there, and a large population couldn't be supported.

400 settlers was a huge number for the time. Plymouth was almost 10 years old, and still only numbered around 300.

What little land there was hadn't been cleared, housing hadn't even been built. Most of the

population lived in a mixture of tents and wigwams. It wasn't a very promising site for Winthrop's

city on a hill. This could have ended very badly. James Town was a bad site for a capital in Virginia,

yet it would take decades for the heart of the colony to move to a more

suitable location. Had the Puritans been as obstinate, perhaps I'd be telling you the story

of how they settled in a bad location and all starved to death, like happened at Jamestown,

but they didn't, so I won't. Winthrop was an intelligent man,

and he was able to recognize the problems they would have down the line, so he moved south.

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