Facts about Thomas Hooker
The following facts about Thomas Hooker provide interesting facts and an overview and description of the life and times and his involvement in the early colonization of America and the Connecticut Colony. Thomas Hooker inspired the "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut," one of the first written democratic constitutions that established a representative government.

Thomas Hooker was famous as a gifted orator, outspoken Puritan clergyman and the leader of the Connecticut Colony

When was Thomas Hooker born? He was born on July 5, 1586

Where was Thomas Hooker born? He was born in Leicestershire, England to a Protestant family

The family of Thomas Hooker were members of the landed gentry in England and provided Thomas with an excellent education

Thomas Hooker attended Cambridge University and received a bachelor of arts degree in 1608 and a master of arts degree in 1611.

Whilst studying at Cambridge he became interested in Puritanism and joined a congregation of Puritans

Thomas Hooker left Cambridge and became a clergyman in a Puritan congregation in Essex, England.

The Puritans were targeted by the English authorities and even deemed as criminal. Thomas Hooker was forced to flee from England to Holland (the Netherlands).

The Massachusetts Colony had been established in America in 1630 by Puritan leaders such as John Winthrop and Thomas Hooker was invited to join them as a minister in Newtown

Newtown, or "the Newe Towne", was the original name of Cambridge, Massachusetts. After the foundation of Harvard College in 1636, the name was changed in 1638, in honour of Cambridge, England, the home of the famous English University

Thomas Hooker left England for America to embark on his role as a Puritan minister in Newtown. His arrival coincided with a time of dissension amongst the American Puritans in Massachusetts.

Two influential members of the Puritan community called Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson would be banished from the Massachusetts colony in 1635 and 1638 respectively and would establish the Rhode Island colony

Thomas Hooker was another of the democratic Puritan dissenters who found it impossible to agree with the leaders of the colony. He was not banished from the colony of Massachusetts but instead sought and received permission to establish another colony in Connecticut.

Thomas Hooker did not not differ greatly from the orthodox Puritans. He believed in the principles of Congregationalism by which local churches are largely self-governing. The Puritans believed in a government and society directly tied to the main church

Thomas Hooker led about 100 people to begin a new settlement, which is now called Hartford, Connecticut.

Three more settlements eventually merged to form the Connecticut Colony.

Thomas Hooker inspired the "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut," one of the first written democratic constitutions that established a representative government.

Thomas Hooker died on July 7, 1647 during an "epidemical sickness" in Hartford Connecticut, at the age of 61.