John Leverett

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(1679-03-16) (aged 62–63) Massachusetts Bay Colony
Signature
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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