Winthrop, John, Jr. (1606-1676), was a colonial governor of Connecticut. In 1662, he got a charter from King Charles II of England that gave Connecticut the right to govern itself and elect its own rulers. The charter served as Connecticut’s constitution until 1818.
Winthrop was born on Feb. 12, 1606, in Groton, England, in the county of Suffolk. After studying law in London, he sailed to America in 1631. Winthrop was elected governor of Connecticut in 1657 and every year from 1659 until his death. He also practiced medicine; wrote on scientific subjects; established iron, lead, and salt works; and was a merchant and farmer. In 1663, he became the first North American to be elected to the Royal Society, an important scientific organization in England. He died on April 5, 1676. Winthrop’s father, John Winthrop, served as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
