William Bradford

This is an essay I wrote for school.


Nearly four hundred years ago, America wasn't similar to the nation in it's current state. Times have changed. We have a life of ease instead of hard labor. We have freedoms that other countries covet. However, freedom is not free, and does not happen suddenly. My demonstration takes us to the roots of our freedom and to the seventeenth century.
England was a nation strict on religion. Every citizen had to worship at the same church, even if they disagreed with the creed. Violators of this rule were persecuted. Enter William Bradford, son of a farmer, but without any higher education. As he matured, he distanced himself from the crowd and followed a non-conformist group.
However, if William Bradford's group was discovered, they would face being tortured, as well as the possibility of death. The non-conformists had to find a safe haven from their tyrant motherland. They fled to Holland for a twelve year period. Nevertheless, these pilgrims wanted something greater. They sailed to America for the freedom they were desperate to have.
During the voyage to the new world, the pilgrims were faced with cruel hardships. Storms ravaged their ship, The Mayflower. Once, a merciless storm hit the boat so hard, a beam used for bolster snapped under the conditions. Fortunately, a carpenter was on The Mayflower, and saved the ship by using his professional skills. With perseverance, the puritan pilgrims arrived at their destination.
Once in America, the harsh environment hit the settlers hard. Because of malnutrition and illnesses, pilgrims died in devastating numbers. Even Bradford fell to disease. However, unlike some, he conquered the illness keeping him captive. Unfortunately, disease, as well as lack of nutrition, claimed many lives in the early month's of our country. Nearly half of the puritans perished in this time period.
The pilgrims needed help adapting to their new land. However, they had company. Indians inhabited America long before William Bradford and his group arrived. These Indians knew the land. They knew what would grow and what wouldn't. Nevertheless, they were shy. They would creep around, and flee if anyone came near. Then one day, an Indian named Samoset came to Bradford's camp. Samoset spoke broken English, but gave the pilgrims a sense of friendliness. Samoset said that he knew another Indian who spoke better English that could help. His name would be Squanto.
Squanto, as well as Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoag Indians, came to the settlement. A peace treaty was created between the Wampanoags and the pilgrims. Once the treaty was completed, Squanto instructed the puritans how to garden, fish, and to use the land. After harvest, fowl was abundant in the area. Therefore, wild turkeys were consumed.
As celebration to the unity of pilgrims and Wampanoags, as well as the harvest, they feasted for three days. Games were played to bring added recreation. This was the first Thanksgiving.
This story is chronicled by William Bradford in the document, "Of Plymouth Plantation". He wrote of the events for a hope for legacies to continue the puritan beliefs. Chapters one through nine were stored in the church records. However, in the Revolutionary War, the puritan church was invaded by British soldiers. Therefore, Bradford's collection was unable to be found. Nearly a hundred years later, the remainder of "Of Plymouth Plantation" was discovered and can be viewed at the Boston State House to this day.
For the freedom we possess today, our country conquered rejection, torture, and death. I only told a fraction of the story of freedom, but this small part reflects the greater picture.