John Leverett | |
|---|---|
 Engraved portrait of Leverett in his military uniform | |
| Governor of Acadia/Nova Scotia (military) | |
| In office 1654–1657 | |
| Preceded by | Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour |
| Succeeded by | Sir Thomas Temple (as proprietor of Nova Scotia) |
| 19th Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony | |
| In office 1673–1679 | |
| Preceded by | Richard Bellingham |
| Succeeded by | Simon Bradstreet |
| Personal details | |
| Born | baptized 7 July 1616 Boston, Lincolnshire, England |
| Died | 16 March 1679 (aged 62–63) Massachusetts Bay Colony |
| Signature | _(signature).png) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Parliament army Massachusetts Bay Colony militia |
| Years of service | 1644–1648 (Parliament army) 1649–1673 (Massachusetts militia) |
| Rank | Captain (Parliament army) Major-general (Massachusetts militia) |
| Commands | Massachusetts militia |
| Battles/wars | English Civil War |
John Leverett (baptized 7 July 1616 – 16 March 1678/79[a 1]) was an English colonial magistrate, merchant, soldier and the penultimate governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Born in England, he migrated to Massachusetts as a teenager. He was a leading merchant in the colony, and served in its military. In the 1640s he went back to England to fight in the English Civil War.
He was opposed to the strict Puritan religious orthodoxy in the colony. He also believed the colonial government was not within the power of the English crown and government, a politically hardline position that contributed to the eventual revocation of the colonial charter in 1684. His business and military activities were sometimes intermingled, leading some in the colony to view him unfavorably. However, he was popular with his troops, and was repeatedly elected governor of the colony from 1673 until his death in 1679. He oversaw the colonial actions in King Philip's War, and expanded the colony's territories by purchasing land claims in present-day Maine.
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