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The puritans in america
The influence of Puritans on America
The puritans in america
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Smith vs. Bradford
Have you ever wondered whose hands our country was in at the start of our time? Captain John Smith was one of the first American heroes. He was the first man to promote a permanent settlement of America. William Bradford was a Puritan who was courageous and determined to set up a colony where citizens could worship freely. Although both of these men were two of America’s heroes, they had more differences than known.
Thus, Smith was a very proud and boastful man. Before reaching 25, he battled in many areas, such as the Netherlands and Hungary. He fought at sea off the Atlantic coast, where he was captured as a slave. As a slave, he was rough and beaten. The Indians that captured him brought him to their leader named Powhatan. Powhatan didn’t like him, so he threatened him to death and began to plan his death. Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas, fell in love with Smith and gained her fathers trust. He soon became Powhatan’s son. Burned severely in a gunpowder explosion, Smith was sent back to England for recovery. He returns to America in 5 years, only this time to New England.
Because of his restlessness in England, Smith became actively involved with plans to colonize Virginia, which had been granted a charter from King James I. After setting sail, this famous expedition finally reached Virginia in April, after enduring a lengthy voyage of over four months in three tiny ships. John Smith was one of the seven chosen to govern and start the colony. He took a...
In Woody Holton's Forced Founders, that most revered segment of the revolutionary generation, the elitist gentry class of Virginia, comes across very much as a group of self-serving reactionaries, rather then the idealized revolutionaries of the great patriotic myth of popular history. He sets about disassembling a central portion of the myth created by earlier generations of Consensus historians, by asserting that rather then gallantly leading the charge for independence, Virginia's elitist gentry resorted to independence as their last and only means of saving their elite ruling status, their economic futures, and even their very lives many feared. While this is very much an example of revisionist history, Holton has not so much rewritten history, as he has provided the back story of the complexity and diversity of the Virginia colony on the eve of the American Revolution. For while the book's title may insinuate otherwise, lowly groups like slaves and Indians discussed here are afforded only the status of “founders” by pressing those traditionally thought of in this role to take the plunge for independence. Still the papers and correspondence of the iconic figureheads of the revolutionary generation like Washington, Jefferson, and Madison make up the bulk of primary sources.
There may not be two more contrasting characters of early America then Thomas Morton and John Winthrop. Morton was nicknamed, "Leader of Misrule" while Winthrop was seen as the "model of [a] perfect earthly ruler" (147). These two figures not only help settle a new land, they also had firsthand knowledge of each other. They are not two people that lived years apart from each other but rather they lived concurrently. With two such polarizing people living in a small new land, there was bound to be at least one disagreement. We are fortunate to have writings from each of these two fascinating men. One can't help but be thoroughly entertained when reading the words that each man left behind. Morton was the rebellious and raucous and Winthrop was the conservative preacher. Each had different ideas and ideals for what America was to become. Their two opinions could not differ much more from the other but they both weren't quite right. It seems that America has found a middle ground. Perhaps these two help set the path to where we stand now.
Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers to the United States, was not a patriot but a mere loyalist to England before the dissolution between England and the colonies occurred. Sheila L. Skemp's The Making of a Patriot explores how Benjamin Franklin tried to stay loyal to the crown while taking interest in the colonies perception and their own representation in Parliament. While Ms. Skemp alludes to Franklin's loyalty, her main illustration is how the attack by Alexander Wedderburn during the Privy Council led to Franklin's disillusionment with the British crown and the greater interest in making the Thirteen Colonies their own nation. Her analysis of Franklin's history in Parliament and what occurred on the night that the council convened proves the change behind Franklin's beliefs and what lead to his involvement in the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. Benjamin Franklin was the colonial agent representing Massachusetts in Parliament in Britain.
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 ...
The Chesapeake region of the colonies included Virginia, Maryland, the New Jerseys (both East and West) and Pennsylvania. In 1607, Jamestown, the first English colony in the New World (that is, the first to thrive and prosper), was founded by a group of 104 settlers to a peninsula along the James River. These settlers hoped to find gold, silver, a northwest passage to Asia, a cure for syphilis, or any other valuables they might take back to Europe and make a profit. Lead by Captain John Smith, who "outmaneuvered other members of the colony's ruling and took ruthlessly took charge" (Liberty Equality Power, p. 57), a few lucky members of the original voyage survived. These survivors turned to the local Powhatan Indians, who taught them the process of corn- and tobacco-growing. These staple-crops flourished throughout all five of these colonies.
After their original leader, Bartholomew Goznold, dies, John Smith takes up his leadership position. Determined to survive and keep the colony going, he starts learning and observing the ways of the Indians. He tried to learn their language as well and tried to break the language barrier. He took a big gamble and came into the Indian camp to speak to chief Powhatan to bargain for food. Luckily for him, Powhatans daughter, Pocahontas, influenced her father to aid the Englishmen and John was able to secure food for the
Each of these individuals did their part in making a historical effort on this time period. Their tributes to their communities helped form the nation we are still living in today. William Bradford was a natural born leader and assisted to better his colony in the best of his ability. He was very successful in his trials of teaching and learning as well. Jonathan Edwards was also authentically well in his purposes. From preaching impacting sermons regularly, to being recognized as one of the most prominent philosophers of all time, Edward’s left behind some very big shoes to fill. Bradford, leading his colony as governor in a more lenient matter, and Edward’s, was the stricter of the two. Their differences is what made them both so unique as authors, because their writing skills helped connect with their
William Bradford (1590-1657) was probably the most famous Pilgrim that journeyed to Plymouth. Aboard the Mayflower, his peers chose Bradford as the future governor of the English separatist
John Smith explains the hardships of the voyage in the “General History of Virginia” he and others endured. While finally landing on land and discovering the head of the Chickahamania River, The colony endured Disease, severe weather, Native American attacks, and starvation all threatened to destroy the colony. Smith talks about his accomplishments of being a “good leader” and how he helped in many ways. John Smith was captured by the Native Americans and brought back to the camp. Within an hour, the Native Americans prepared to shoot him, but the Native Americans done as Chief Powhatan ordered and brought stones to beat Smiths brains out. John Smith gave an ivory double compass to the Chief of Powhatan. The Native Americans marveled at the parts of the compass. After the Native Americans admired the compass for an hour Chief Powhatan held...
In the movie the colonists sailed on the Susan Constant. Really they sealed in 3 ships the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and, Discovey. As soon as they landed, John Smith started exploring around. In reality John smith was arrested and clapped in irons during the voyage, and was not released until a month after the
Captain John Smith, born in 1580, was an English explorer noted primarily in the first permanent English settlement in North America through the colony of Jamestown, Virginia (Nps.gov). Although most notoriously known for his contributions to the Jamestown colony in Virginia, he fought in the Dutch independence war against Spain in addition to fighting with Austrians against Turks prior to his involvement with Jamestown. He was captured and enslaved by Turks, but then overpowered his master and escaped back to England in 1604, when he began his quest for investment in the New World (U-s-history.com). Beginning the voyage to North America in 1606, John Smith is considered to be one of the foundations for the survival of the Jamestown colony
William Bradford was the leader of one of the earliest colonial settlements in the United States. Thomas Morton was one of the settlers with him. Bradford documented his escapade in "Of Plymoth Plantation" to gain support from his home country and fellow colonists. Bradfords work, however differs from Mortons "New English Canaan" which also describes Mortons view on the settlements and the colonies. Morton is just a relaxed person who wants to sit around and party and does not really believe in anything. Bradford on the other hand believes that God is good and all powerful, he will strike you down if you dont go to church every Sunday and do as he says. These two werent the only settlers. Around one hundred years later came Jonathan Edwards.
Born in Austerfield England in 1590, William Bradford, orphaned at an early age, raised by several relatives, and with no formal education, became one of the most influential men of the original American Colonists, and is credited as the “Father of American history,” with his diaries of the Pilgrims’ journey and struggles to America. “Of Plymouth Plantation” the journals of William Bradford are still one of the major resources used for historians for this time in history. (Schoenberg, 2001)
It is said that John Smith was captured by Powhatan while leading his men in search of food. "On a blustery December day in 1607 John Smith was leading a small contingent of men in search for food when they encountered a group of Powhatan. Smith got away from the ensuing fight but was soon captured by the half-brother of Chief Powhatan" ("Pocahontas Saves John Smith: 1607"). Meanwhile, the movie has a different take on what happened. The Englishmen decided to go down the river in search of more land and John Smith agreed to stay behind and protect the settlement from the Indians. It is then, while his fellow Englishmen are gone that John Smith is captured.
In “ A Description of New England ”, Smith starts by describing the pleasure and content that risking your life for getting your own piece of land brings to men. On the other hand, Bradford reminds us how harsh and difficult the trip to the New World was for the p...