Englishman John Cotton, born in 1585, received an excellent education. Cotton loved learning and became a minister with his only desire to please God rather than men. That caused a lot of trouble for Cotton. He fled England after spending a year in hiding from the Church of England authorities.

When Cotton moved to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, many in his congregation followed him. There he became a prominent minister in the Puritan church. Cotton inspired many Puritans with his teachings and his work to reform the church. Perhaps one of Cotton's most famous followers was Anne Hutchinson who stood trial for her beliefs.