Closing Questions
Of Plymouth Plantation
1. What actions did the pilgrims take to survive the struggles they faced? (purple question)
2. What does "The Starving Time" convey about the Puritans' attitudes toward suffering and self-sacrifice? (green question)
Works Cited
"Mayflower Compact". History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 03 Sept. 2014
"Plain Style". English.Illinois.edu. University of Illinois. Web. 04 Sept. 2014
"Plymouth Colony". History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 03 Sept. 2014
"Puritanism." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. 04 Sep. 2014.
"William Bradford". History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 04 Sept. 2014
"The Mayflower". History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 02 Sept. 2014
Perspective
Themes
Written by William Bradford, in first person, on his journey to the New World on the Mayflower, arriving at Cape Cod and the hardships they went through to survive in the New World. William Bradford was a governor of the Plymouth colony in the New World.
Writing Style
- religion - he would describe some event that happened and not mention anything of it, but at the end of the story he would bring up one thing or another that dealt with church or God etc. (values of Puritanism) - kindness towards those whom one does not know, aka the Indians
- Self sacrifice - esp. in the Starving times- how much he and his fellow travellers risked to create a new place to live with more freedom than in England
Setting
Structure
Mayflower while on its voyage to the New World through storms and heavy winds, and the Plymouth colony from the arrival of the Mayflower in November 1620 and through the harsh winter, to the first Thanksgiving.
- narrative
- goes in chronological order
- written like a diary/journal
- Part of a larger collection of annual accounts of the lives of pilgrims at Plymouth
- Written to inspire future generations
- organized by subject
By William Bradford
Key Events
Of Plymouth Plantation was mostly written in "Plain Style" which concentrates on using the most straight-forward form of language available while still sending a clear and thoughtful message, using little symbolism and ambiguity but more concrete and understandable words. Using shorter words instead of long words, and using individual words as opposed to phrases. Concentrates on being easy to understand, and having short descriptions rather than full explanations.
-Mayflower’s arrival at Cape Cod
-After a 3 month voyage full of storms and high winds, the Mayflower and its crew arrived at Cape Cod just before
-Harsh first winter
-During this time half of the Mayflower’s crew died, due to diseases, such as scurvy, caused by the harsh conditions. The crew also lacked reliable sources of food causing many members to die from malnutrition.
-Meeting with Samoset and Squanto
-Samoset first met with the settlers speaking poor but understandable English, and then led the settlers to meet with Squanto, another Indian able to speak English. Squanto then showed the settlers how to grow corn, as well as where and how to catch fish in the area.
-First Thanksgiving
-After the settlers had their first successful harvest thanks to help from the Indians, a celebration was held including a feast consisting mostly of fish, fowl, wild turkey, and corn.
Plymouth Colony
- 101 original inhabitants (including John Smith)
- landed in Cape Cod and finally anchored at Plymouth rock in December
- During the first winter, over half of the original settlers died because of disease
- A storm prevented them from arriving near the Hudson River and so they settled for Cape Cod instead
- They lived on the ship until March when they had finished transporting supplies and building settlements
- Squanto (an escapee from England) acted as a mediator between the colonists and the Native Americans
- Fall 1621 - shared a meal with Massasoit and the Pokanoket tribe, aka Thanksgiving
Presentation by Chloe Alexander and Kevin Beahm
The Mayflower Compact
- Signed by 41 colonists on the Mayflower before arriving at Plymouth MA
- First written framework of government in the United States
- Written to prevent altercations between Puritans and non-separatists
- They arrived a few hundred miles from the borders of English governmental authority, so they decided to create their own
- It stated that all members on board and their families (signed only by men who had families) had to accept whatever form of government was established once ashore
- Remained in effect until they were absorbed by Mass Bay in 1691
The Mayflower
- The Mayflower was usually a merchant ship
- It would normally transport wine and dry goods
- Brought over 102 people to America
- 40 of the people were Separatists trying to get more religious freedom
Puritanism
- Religious reform movement starting in the late 16th century.
- Puritanism is a branch of Protestantism
- Set out to purify everything that was wrong with the Church of England.
- Both Pilgrims and Puritans supported Puritanism, the difference being that Puritans stayed with the church and looked to reform from within, and the Pilgrims broke away from the church completely.
- Both Pilgrims and Puritans came to the New World after being persecuted by the Church of England.
William Bradford
- Inspired by Puritan teachings and joined the Separatists in 1606
- John Robinson led Bradford and other Separatists to Leyden, in the Netherlands in 1609
- They sailed to America in 1620 to escape the Dutch on the Mayflower
- Signed the Mayflower Compact upon arrival to Plymouth, MA
- Bradford was elected governor in 1621 and was reelected
- Did not allow Plymouth to become a Bible commonwealth
- Began writing annual accounts of the life of the pilgrims in 1630