A Critique Of Winthrop's Poem Bradford

In 1634, just a few years after Winthrop’s arrival, Bradford recalls the economic surge as the price of corn and cattle rose exponentially. Although some stood to profit, this was undoubtedly to the detriment of many. The economic instability brought suffering and hunger to many. At a time of such great need, the puritans didn’t band together as Winthrop had intended, but instead each man began to act for his own benefit, and livelihood by increasing profits no matter the cost to the less fortunate. Bradford confirms that “Those who once lived together in Christian and comfortable fellowship must now part and suffer the divisions” (148). In the same year, Bradford recalls a letter received a letter from Winthrop recounting that the Pequot

The virtues Winthrop speaks of are not present in Bradford’s writing, and in turn, also absent from the community. Building friendships based on manipulative business contracts; Demonizing, alienating, and even torturing members of society for their differences; and finally considering abandonment of their brethren in a time of war and strife does not depict the Godly providence envisioned by Winthrop. As deduced from the aforementioned accounts, the Puritans not only failed to uphold the heavenly image they were to model for the world, but they were not true to their proclaimed kingdom of heaven. In fact, they merely transformed from the oppressed to the oppressors. Hardly a model to be respected or revered. There is ample evidence to suggest that the puritans believed their actions justified on the basis of fear of the unknown, and fearing loss of purity both in the community and in the church. Regardless of the reason for their actions, this analysis confirms that the Puritans allowed their morality to be compromised in the face of adversity, and their grace to be corrupted out of fear. Ultimately, they inflicted the same persecution and intolerance unto outsiders of their community that was shown to them in