Of Pylmouth Plantation

Most writings of the early colonial era have the same Puritan ideals. In a Roman Catholic society in England, a group of religious people came to disagree with several of the leaders and teachings in the Catholic Church. They wanted to purify the Catholic religion and teach it to others.These people were soon known as the Puritans and wanted to move to America to have a free place to practice their ideals. One group of Puritans that arrived in America on the Mayflower, housed a man named William Bradford. Bradford is most well known for his writings in Of Plymouth Plantation, a journal that documents the happenings of the beginnings of the Plymouth colony. Like most other authors of the time, Bradford's writings strongly reflect of the Puritan religion.

The story that Bradford wrote proved that God was of major importance to the Puritans. God was the first one that they honored when they arrived in the new country. "Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element (Bradford 65)." Of Plymouth Plantation also tells the tale of one man who planned on overthrowing many men on their ship the Mayflower. The man wanted to get rid of all the diseased men on the ship by throwing them overboard. In the end, the man ended up becoming very ill and being the first to die and to be thrown overboard. The Puritans blamed this entire situation on the man being evil and his death was the way God repaid him. "Thus his curses light on his own head, and it was an astonishment to all his fellows, for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him (Bradford 15)." Religion has been used in every Puritan writing piece that we have read so far.  The people lived their lives and made decisions depending on how it would be portrayed in God's eyes.

We learn a lot about the harsh relationship between the Puritans and Indians in our history classes. The Pilgrims took over their land and pushed them out. However, Of Plymouth Plantation shows the other side of the relationship. The Puritans and Indians created a peace between them, even after all of the struggles they had. An Indian called Squanto helped join the two sides and was described as being "a special instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectations (Bradford 67)." He could speak English very well, so he was able to translate between the Puritans and the Indians in their exchanges. Squanto also helped the Puritans become comfortable with their new life in America. He was the one who introduced them to farming and new tools and techniques. These new ideals were the driving force in  making the Plymouth colony succeed.

Bradford, William. "Of Plymouth Plantation." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 64-67. Print.