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The seventeenth century was marked with a wide revolution for exploration, to a new world filled with land and opportunity. In William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, we are given a window into the exclusive lives of the pilgrims and their experiences along their journey to and through Massachusetts. We are able to read the account that “epitomizes the spirit of determination and self-sacrifice that seems to us characteristic of our first ‘Pilgrims.’” Bradford’s narrative plainly, yet elegantly describes the success, failures, triumph and unity in the early beginnings of the new founded puritan community. I believe Bradford’s audience for his journals in Of Plymouth Plantation, is to target anyone in the future generation. It is especially
for anyone who is interested in receiving an up close and personal interpretation in detail of the “Separatists” voyage to America. Bradford writes in a straightforward and direct way. He allows us to clearly paint a realistic picture of their struggle and courage. “The next day, the wind being fair, they went abroad, and their friends with them, where truly doleful was the sight of that sad and mournful parting; to see what sighs and sobs and prayers did sound amongst them, what tears did gush from every eye, and pithy speeches pierced each heart;” (Bradford 127) This sample of text shows how the clear-cut and puritan plain style of prose allows us to feel the raw emotions of their departure from friends, family, and country. I believe Bradford’s purpose for his narrative was to give us detail on their lifestyle so that we may reflect and be grateful for the sacrifices the Pilgrims made. Also these journals allow us to see how the Pilgrims (though a private people) had a definite influence in our nation’s history and development. Most of us have a background on which these Pilgrims were. Before I read Of Plymouth Plantation, the most I knew about the Pilgrims were that were people who came to America to escape persecution. I knew the Pilgrims were supposedly nice people and had good relations with the Indians, thus giving our nation the first Thanksgiving. However, outside of those few details I did not know much more about them. Bradford in his accounts shows the more complex layers of his people and their voyage to the Americas. “After they had enjoyed fair winds and weather for a season, they were encountered many times with cross winds, and met with many fierce storms, with which the ship was shroudly shaken, and her upper works made very leaky…beams in the midships was bowed and cracked…” (Bradford 131) I would have never guessed that this incident would be just one of many that faced the Pilgrims in their early beginning. I never pondered that the Pilgrims quest was one of great danger. The Pilgrims faced many conditions some even unforeseen. They faced potential hazardous weather, indigenous people, the unknown of an immense new country, and scarce resources. However, with all the uncertainty they remained united and bold. I now understand how the Pilgrims were able to survive, settle and persevere. When there is a common goal, shared among a common people, with a common will, there is absolutely nothing that seems too menacing to overcome. I enjoyed this selection. It documented the passage of the Pilgrims and their hardships along the way with clear poise. The personal detail made it easy for me to created vivid imagery as I read along. The journals showed new light on the history of the Pilgrims. William Bradford wonderfully fleshed out the reasons behind the quest to found a community of believers free to live their lives together in like faith separate from oppression.
An anti-"city on a hill" with a maypole compensating for something? A pleasurable refuge for indentured servants freed from service and respected natives? A place where a man just wanted to annoy his uptight, religious neighbors? Those are the obvious conclusions, but with like most anything in history, there's meaning and significance that we don't catch at first glance. Thomas Morton had an agenda, puritan leader John Winthrop may have had a secret, and there are so many fictions surrounding their whole story, it's hard to tell what's reality and what's not. It's time to sift through the parts, and piece together a bigger picture, asking one, main question: Why were Morton and the Puritans engaged in a seemingly never-ending conflict with each other?
As the regions began to expand and develop, their motivations for settlement helped to mold their societies. New England was a place where men sought refuge from religious persecution and was established as a haven for religious refugees. Despite this reason for settling, the New Englanders still attempted to spread their own beliefs of religion. As illustrated by John Winthrop in his Model of a Christian Charity, he preached to his fellow colonists that “we shall be a city upon a hill” (Doc A) exemplifying the Puritans’ aspirations of a Holy Utopia. He and countless other New Englanders practiced the belief that they must all work together. They were determined to “mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work.” The Articles of Agreement plainly laid out the basis for the New England region. These articles made New England a cosmopolitan mix of rich and poor families, all being in possession of land and resolute in doing God’s work (Doc D). However, while the New Englanders settled to create a Holy Utopia, the people of the Chesapeake were concerned not only with their religious freedom, but also ...
America was influenced in the antebellum period by many aspects, and authors with their writings were no exception. Henry David Thoreau a famous American writer sparked the ideas of reform and standing up for ones belief through his writings such as Walden, Civil Disobedience, and speeches such as Slavery in Massachusetts. Thoreau started life through education, but still did not conform to who society thought he should be, but rather rose with his idol Ralph Waldo Emerson into transcendentalism and pushed the limits of government. Thoreau was an influential gentleman who stood for what he believed in time and time again and pushed Americans to do the same through his writings and actions.
In “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson,” Mary Rowlandson, a Puritan mother from Lancaster, Massachusetts, recounts the invasion of her town by Indians in 1676 during “King Philip’s War,” when the Indians attempted to regain their tribal lands. She describes the period of time where she is held under captivity by the Indians, and the dire circumstances under which she lives. During these terrible weeks, Mary Rowlandson deals with the death of her youngest child, the absence of her Christian family and friends, the terrible conditions that she must survive, and her struggle to maintain her faith in God. She also learns how to cope with the Indians amongst whom she lives, which causes her attitude towards them to undergo several changes. At first, she is utterly appalled by their lifestyle and actions, but as time passes she grows dependent upon them, and by the end of her captivity, she almost admires their ability to survive the harshest times with a very minimal amount of possessions and resources. Despite her growing awe of the Indian lifestyle, her attitude towards them always maintains a view that they are the “enemy.”
Hardship is what unites us as a group of people who are working together for a common goal and sticks together and helps each other with hard work through rough times. Hardship unites us in difficult times and stressful situations. In the historical log, “Of Plymouth Plantation” written by William Bradford, he explains the hardship that explores dealt with there first few years of their settlement. It goes in depth as the struggle between diseases, nature, loss of food, and the bitter cold. More than half of the pilgrims died and only a few people could help the sick. It was not until the natives decided to set a peace treaty and help the
In the New World Bradford and Morton were both important men of our history. The stories of both great men give us an insight into the way religion and influence affected Puritan life.
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...
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.
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...
By the time the colonists had settled into their new land they had established some order such as small governments to keep the colonies in line. The ocean separating England and the colonies made it difficult though for England to guide the colonists successfully the way they had wanted. The main thing the British tried was implementing taxes, but they also went so far as letting the colonies on their own for awhile and using military to keep them in place. On the other hand, the colonists saw that the British were stalling their attempts at self-governing so they worked together to disregard any British policies. By the eve of the Revolution, colonists had developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans that was brought about by the British parliament. Exasperated by British efforts to hinder their growing self-reliance, colonists began pushing them away by doing various things such as rioting, boycotting, or voicing their opinions on paper.
...ve Indians. From the copious use of examples in Winthrop's work, and the concise detail in Rowlandson's narrative, one can imbibe such Puritans values as the mercy of God, place in society, and community. Together, these three elements create a foundation for Puritan thought and lifestyle in the New World. Though A Model of Christian Charity is rather prescriptive in its discussion of these values, Rowlandson's captivity narrative can certainly be categorized as descriptive; this pious young woman serves as a living example of Winthrop's "laws," in that she lives the life of a true Puritan. Therefore, both 17th century works are extremely interrelated; in order to create Winthrop's model community, one must have faith and closely follow Puritan ideals, as Rowlandson has effectively done in her A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.
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.
For the New England colonies, faith and the concept of “God’s Providence” was more than a simple English pleasantry or a casual afterthought in conversation. Unlike their Chesapeake Bay forbearers, the leaders of the New England colonies, on whose accounts we base much of our information of the early founding, and the decisions that they made were shaped by their understanding of God’s role in their lives and their role in his plan. Whereas for the Jamestown colonists, which will be looked at later, it appears that “God’s Providence” was referred to in a way not unlike the phrase “thank God” is used today, as in, when something good happens or a risky endeavor goes surprisingly well. For the leaders and predominant founders of the New England colonies, however, “God’s Providence” was an ...
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 Sovereignty and Goodness of God is a primary source document written in the 17th century, by a well-respected, Puritan woman. This book, written in cahoots with Cotton and Increase Mather, puritan ministers, tells the story of her capture by Indians during King Phillip’s War (1675-1676). For three months, Mary Rowlandson, daughter of a rich landowner, mother of three children, wife of a minister, and a pillar of her community lived among “savage” Indians. This document is important for several reasons. First, it gives us insight into the attitudes, extremes, personalities and “norms” of the Puritan people we learn about in terms of their beliefs, and John Calvin’s “house on a hill”. Beyond that, despite the inevitable exaggerations, this book gives us insight into Indian communities, and how they were run and operated during this time.