The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World, by Nathaniel Philbrick (winner of the Massachusetts Book Award) is a captivating historical novel that explores the account of the Pilgrims and their involvement in the New World. It is a story of the Puritans (who would later become the Pilgrims), as they travel to the New World, a place they can hope to worship their God in the way they want to without any persecution and/or animosity from their fellow man since no European nation was safe for them. While reading Philbrick’s novel I (and most likely many other readers), compared the historical text in The Mayflower to how we personally see the world today. Furthermore, I learned from the text of The Mayflower, my views were challenged within the confines of the text, and though it might not address my problems on a personal level—it still addresses things that are considered important to not just me, but people around the world.
The one thing that was consistently illustrated in The Mayflower was determination. It is with determination that the Puritans were able to escape a life of maltreatment in Europe. They even went as far as becoming part of a company called The Adventurers, to raise money for their voyage to the New World. Furthermore, it was through their willpower (and help from local Indians) that they were able to survive a desolate area, filled with the unburied bodies of Indians who perished to diseases that were brought by the explorers years ago. In this bizarre and somewhat terrifying setting, the Puritans had to try to stay alive. This relates to how I see the world because in my eyes, one can get nowhere without determination and willpower. It was due to those two things (and an investment by The Adventurers), that al...
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...ess of who gets hurt. I began to wonder if it was truly evil to take what one desires, to satisfy your own gluttony even if doing so will cause someone else pain. For a split second, I thought of evil as a suitable answer to an unforgiving and prejudiced world.
Though Philbrick’s intended audience was most likely ‘history enthusiasts,’ (a group I am not part of), his book The Mayflower still was able to peak my interest because of how it demonstrated the value of willpower, whether it is used rightly or wrongly. Willpower is something I consider important because I believe that with it one can accomplish their goals, and without it one cannot achieve anything, something the Puritans demonstrated throughout the book.
Works Cited
Philbrick, Nathaniel, and Nathaniel Philbrick. The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2008. Print.
As America slowly began molding into the creases of different values and cultures, so did its literature. One trait that had always been securing itself within the lines of these literary texts was the protagonists’ naivety. Theses characters typically established an intention to do good things, but eventually fail due to tumbling upon tempting obstacles and falling into the trance of distractions. An example of this situation occurred long ago during the 16th and 17th century. A cult of English Protestants known as Puritans aimed to “purify” the Church of England by excreting all evidence of its descent in the Roman Catholic Church. The Puritans enforced strict religious practices upon its believers and regarded all pleasure and luxury as wicked or sacrilegious. Although their “holy” cond...
Smith, Carter. Daily Life, A Sourcebook on Colonial America: The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, Connecticut 1991
The extend of most American’s knowledge of early America is of Columbus’ discovery of America for Europe in 1492 and the landing of the Mayflower in Plymouth in 1620. This was true of A Voyage Long and Strange author, Tony Horwitz. Horwitz felt as if there were pieces missing in his picture of early America and set out on a journey that spanned from Canada to the Dominican Republic. The novel starts out with a prologue of Horwitz talking about his own reasons for wanting to learn more of early America and then is broken into three sections Discovery, Conquest, and Settlement. Each section discusses another period in early American history starting with first contact in Vinland and ending with the landing in Plymouth.
American history is so much more interesting now than it was when I was growing up! I have just finished reading Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick. First of all, I was surprised to see a book on this summers New York Times Best Seller List about a subject so long ago. I would have thought the story about the Pilgrims had been told enough times no one would bother writing another book. Philbrick has written an enlightening account of the 17th century events that shaped our country. It was a story that is well written and enjoyable to read.
While residing in England, the Puritans and faithful Catholics faced prosecution, which led to their immigration to the New World. Most left England to avoid further harassment. Many groups and parishes applied for charters to America and, led by faithful ministers, the Pilgrims and Puritans made the long voyage to North America. Their religion became a unique element in the New England colonies by 1700. Before landing, the groups settled on agreements, signing laws and compacts to ensure a community effort towards survival when they came to shore, settling in New England. Their strong sense of community and faith in God led them to develop a hardworking society by year 1700, which Documents A and D express through the explanation of how the Pilgrims and Puritans plan to develop...
The beginning of something new establishes a setting of opportunities, creating optimism and purpose for an uncertain future. The establishment of colonies in the New World presented a delectable scenario for curious opportunists and religious refugees. For reasons of economic gain, escape from religious repression, and a multitude of other reasons, colonists from England decided to take a risk and pursue a possibility of freedom. They perceived this New World as an unknown, a place where its native inhabitants were “blind” and desperately needed the revelation of god. Because the colonists wanted to help the natives obtain salvation, they branded this motive in the first seal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony: “Come over and help us,” (The First Seal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.) Their seal reflected the commercial and missionary intentions of the first colonists. The colonists viewed themselves as the flaming touch about to set light upon the shadows existing in the New World. “They believed, in short, that they held in their steady hands the candle that would light the world. […] It helped them with the discipline it gave them.” (The Crucible, 5) They were the people to work hard and show success. They were the people to maintain strict orthodox. They were the people to succeed where oth...
A Declaration in 1622 is a piece of history that will forever be debated. It was written by Edward Waterhouse who was a prominent Virginia official. In a Declaration in 1622, he describes his first-hand accounts of English genocide and the relationship between the Powhatan and settlers. The point of this paper is to claim that Waterhouse’s portrayal is realistic due to his factual perspective of the time period on the contrasting aspects of the Powhatan and settlers. Diving into Edwards historical accounts can show the hardships of the settlers, the varying characteristics of both groups, the importance of tobacco, and the demonization of Native Americans. The characteristics will conclude the factually sound delineation of Edward Waterhouse.
Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford and A Description of New England by John Smith are essentially irrelevant to one another in the way that each piece has a very different point of view. The author John Smith was a pilgrim who arrived in the Americas and wrote a description of the new land. William Bradford was also a pilgrim who arrived at Plymouth and wrote more about the realities of his personal journey. The purpose of this essay is to contrast the purposes of the writers, their intended audiences, and how each writer gives out a specific feeling.
Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford gives us an insight into the endurance of the early settlers and the kind of pain they went through in order build the foundation of our great nation. They embarked on the new world and developed a colony from the ground up. However, there troubles started long before they even stepped foot on the land. With a strong hold on their religious beliefs, they continued their voyage to the new world even though there were questions about the safety of the vessel. They managed to work hard on the ship and make it to the new world, tired and hungry, only to learn that there was no rest to be found, but even more work.
Religion was the foundation of the early Colonial American Puritan writings. Many of the early settlements were comprised of men and women who fled Europe in the face of persecution to come to a new land and worship according to their own will. Their beliefs were stalwartly rooted in the fact that God should be involved with all facets of their lives and constantly worshiped. These Puritans writings focused on their religious foundations related to their exodus from Europe and religions role in their life on the new continent. Their literature helped to proselytize the message of God and focused on hard work and strict adherence to religious principles, thus avoiding eternal damnation. These main themes are evident in the writings of Jonathan Edwards, Cotton Mathers, and John Winthrop. This paper will explore the writings of these three men and how their religious views shaped their literary works, styles, and their historical and political views.
The Pilgrims found themselves in a harsh new environment. In the middle of winter, they slowly built a settlement at the site of an abandoned Pawtuxet Indian village. Not used to hunting or fishing, they struggled to find food. Many were starving. The future looked bleak.
Dear Samson this is Royce, in good faith, who apologizes for such a sinful delay from your last letter. That letter bestowed a whole hearted warmth upon me, a warmth I cannot say the voyage to the New World has brought. Recalling the influence of religious freedom which had urged me to strive towards this New World has pursued a bittersweet arrival. My brethren and I have prayed for different, blessed lands, yet, Cape Cod stared wildly and callously upon my optimism. Before our arrival, half of our ship’s men were plagued by scurvy and disease. Whether one death on the ship is fortunate or unfortunate (Of Plymouth Plantation, Page 7), a poor man was starved, killed and thrown over the Mayflower’s sides (Of Plymouth Plantation, page 5). Nevertheless, the Mayflower continued miles across the stormy seas (Of Plymouth Plantation, Page 8) I prayed for relief and the holiness of our arrival could not be expressed with prayer. Father would probably laugh at my pessimism. I know at times I seem like a pessimist but, deny me not that the voyage was horrible. While it was mostly terrible, during the voyage to the New World a woman did welcome a lovely child that was gifted the name “Oceanus” (Plymouth Plantation Video). For me, Oceanus symbolized a marvelous
Zuckerman, Michael “Pilgrims in the Wilderness: Community, Modernity, and the Maypole at Merry Mount”, The New England Quarterly, Vol. 50, No. 2 (Jun., 1977), pp. 255-277. The New England Quarterly, Inc.
The pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock has had a number of important impacts on America today. Whether the impacts were positive or negative, it was the pilgrims that had taken the journey to the New World and made the present what it is today. Originating from England, the English were Puritans who believed that the Church of England was in need of spiritual purification. Instead of altering the church, the English set off on a voyage to the New World for new opportunities. The pilgrims could start over and build a new society from scratch without having the chance of having corrupting influences on the Old World. Religion wasn’t the only temptation of going to the New World, there was famine and the taxes in England that made them want to depart to the New World. The New World had the opportunity to obtain rights and then they could live in the society that they had envisioned (Gray, 48).
The author John Smith, a pilgrim who arrived to the Americas, wrote a description of the new land in his book “ A Description of New England ”. In this book Smith shows a wonderful world of vast food and pleasure. Also, William Bradford another pilgrim who arrived to Plymouth on the coast of Massachusetts, wrote a book called “ Of Plymouth Plantation ” in which he describes what really happened, how the pilgrims actually lived. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast both authors and their books. John Smith wrote about the wonderful place the New World was, on the other hand, William Bradford wrote about the realities and difficulties of the New World.