John Cotton (1585–1652) was a prominent Puritan theologian and a key figure in the founding of New England Congregationalism. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1603, where he became known for his scholarship and deepening Puritan convictions. As vicar of St. Botolph’s Church in Boston, Lincolnshire, he gained a reputation as a powerful preacher and reformer. Facing persecution for his nonconformist views, Cotton emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1633. In New England, he became the leading minister of the First Church in Boston and a principal architect of the Puritan church structure, influencing colonial religious, educational, and civic life. Learn more.