William Bradford Journey To The New World Essay

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.

The novel Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick has a long list of things to teach us about the New World. The fact that it’s showed us that the very first pilgrims had no idea what they were in for was crucial. They were hit with the realization that the Natives would be wild and ferocious instead of calm and tame. They’d known they would be introduced to new ways of life, and disease, but they didn’t suspect that it’d be the most destructive part to the goodwill of the newly born colony.

In Of Plymouth Plantation, by William Bradford, the colonists face trials of many kinds. From ships sinking, to being blown off course, and landing in the winter, they were put in an awful position. Yet, they got through it by, “Showing herein their true love for their friends and brethren; a rare example and worth to be remembered.” They survive by these men who stayed strong. “And yet the Lord so upheld these persons as in this general calamity

To many Europeans in the early 17th century the Americas seemed as a new land of opportunity. John Smith and William Bradford were two of the first men who left England seeking adventure and freedom in the New World. Both groups had difficulties while trying to form their colonies and Smith and Bradford were both elected to lead. While they were both great leaders they had very different lives before their journey from England. While starting their new colonies they also took different approaches to making the land habitable. One of the most notable differences between John Smith and William Bradford was their writing style. John Smith and William Bradford were very different people in

The motives that drove the Pilgrims and Puritans away from anything familiar and the trust they placed in God only proved that they were going to make their life in the new world work, no matter what.

The language Bradford uses in his excerpt is very effective towards his audience as in the use of pathos and different point of views. The main reason and purpose for his whole writing is to tell the history of the plymouth plantation, and the daily struggles of the pilgrims. With this said it could be concluded that the point of view of Bradford could be affected or altered. The point of view in this excerpt is first person which is told on the view of Bradford himself. He himself sees what is happening from his perspective which would make his writing more thorough and accurate. Since his writing would be more detailed it affects the audience differently as his point of view is now broader and give the audience a sense of current situation.

When the first settlers arrived to America they weren't ready for the challenges they were going to come across. Even though they had to start a new life they were brave and didn't let anyone get in the their way. When the pilgrims came across the Atlantic in the Mayflower they didn't have enough food or water for the whole trip. The pilgrims had to learn new things and be brave when they arrived to America. This responsibility of perseverance which is mentioned in two text, William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation and Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, helped the early settlers shape America's identity.

William Bradford said he believed, “Plymouth people were the chosen people to live out their last days in the earthly church” (Daly pg 560). Puritan settlers came to the new world seeking a better life and to get away from the rule of the Catholic Church they wanted to become a primitive Baptist church like in the Old Testament. The Puritans wanted to live their lives in Old Testament biblical way of life; when the settlers came to the, “New England they thought they had landed in God’s country” (Callicott). They thought they were the chosen ones the new

America’s main influence from history has been from a religious standpoint. Common religious beliefs have been ingrained into our government bodies and even into our every day culture and tendencies. Religion has made a major impact on American lively hood since the early days of settlement. Due to Americas strong religious ties, religion has been ingrained in our literature, influencing and directing our culture. The writers Jonathan Edwards and William Bradford have had a major influence on American culture through literature in their writings, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God and Of Plymouth Plantation.

In his book, Philbrick charts out the experiences of the Pilgrims as they were on their search for the New World. He begins by highlighting the main motive behind such a dangerous voyage. The Pilgrims simply wanted religious freedom. In order to free themselves from the Catholic Church, they sailed to Leiden, Holland first. Here they enjoyed religious freedom for a little while; however, they soon realized that their children were becoming very Dutch. In order to still have the same religious rights, but also still be legitimately

When traveling to London from urban areas created overpopulation in the city, and increasingly horrendous conditions, the move to a more prosperous land seemed more and more inviting. This idea was further enhanced by the works of English Richard Hakluyt in novels such as The Principal Navigations, Voyages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, and Voyages, where readers were given false insight into a vastly successful New World, theoretically open for prosperous settlement. Those which moved to London with abortive attempts to find work, or which experienced the scarcity of food/land supplies between 1580 and 1650, found these inviting opportunities as an escape to otherwise, inevitable poverty. Conversely, those living in stable, prosperous societies, with satisfactory social statuses, were less likely to be motivated by the influential works of Richard Hakluyt and the overall conquest of America.

Bradford, instead, writes about the condition of the men who arrived to the shore. He also mentions that, in the New World there was no one to welcome them, more over there was no place to stay in, no houses, no inns. Smith argues about the pleasure of erecting towns and populating them.

The refuges lived in the Netherlands, first in Amsterdam and then in Leiden, and for a short time, were able to worship in the way they believed in without government harassment. However, life Leiden became extremely difficult, many of the refuges, including Bradford barley made enough of a living as textile workers to support their families. Also during this time, The Netherlands are on the brink of war with Catholic Spain. Pressured by the English King James I, the Dutch government began to harass the refuges to the point of damaging their presses that printed the Separatists literature, to stoning them. The Separatists had finally had enough, deciding to make a new life and a new home overseas, in a new country where they could make their own rules and have the freedom of their religion without prejudice or persecution. This decision is how and when William Bradford first started to show his skills as a leader.

Until the late 1400's, Europeans did not know the existence of the two American continents ( North and South America ). To the European explorers, exploring the other side of the Atlantic was like exploring an entire different world, hence the name- the New World. In 1492, Christopher Columbus unknowingly discovered the new continent. His original motives for exploring was to find an easier route to Asia but instead, he discovered the New World. Thus; Spain, France and England began sending out conquistadors and explorers to the uncharted terrains of the new continent. Motives for the Spanish, French, and English explorers varied greatly, however, they were similar in some ways. The motives of the Spanish explorers were acquisition of

Through his writing, Of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford emphasized the divine power and grace of God and how He was the complex being that controlled the consequences of sin and the benefits of being a good Puritan. Bradford once stated that Puritans in England were frequently “taken and clapped up in prison” or “had their houses beset and watched night and day...” For these reasons among others, Bradford and many other Puritans journeyed to America for religious and authoritative refuge. Bradford fervently believed in the capacity of God’s forgiveness but also in His punishments. In reference to seven dignified and respected men, Bradford recognizes that it was their Puritan ideals and faithfulness to their religion that kept them in God’s grace. “And yet the Lord so upheld these persons as in this general calamity they were not at all infected