Step 1: read john winthrop’s “a model of christian charity.”
step 2: listen to the speeches from kennedy and reagan and pay careful attention to how they make use of the “city upon a hill” phrase. puritan leader john winthrop’s description of american as a “city upon a hill” contributed to the idea of american exceptionalism. the phrase has been recycled by a number of politicians, most notably john f. kennedy and ronald reagan.
(click here to view former president john f. kennedy’s speech) (click here to view former president ronald reagan’s speech)
step 3: based on the speeches of each, how do you think they interpret the phrase “city upon a hill? ” are their interpretations similar to or different from winthrop’s interpretation? consider also that kennedy used the phrase when entering office and reagan used the phrase as a farewell when leaving office.