How Did Historians Understand Life In Plymouth Colony

William Bradford was the former governor of the Plymouth colony and lived in the 17th century. In the book Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick explores what life was like after the First Thanksgiving. By looking at Bradford’s life, historians can understand what life was like in Plymouth. The main way Bradford's life can help historians understand life in Plymouth in the 17th century is religion. While Bradford was alive, he had an apparent zealous attitude when it came to his faith and God. Historians can learn from his zeal about how people in colonial Plymouth lived. Before the Plymouth colony was founded, a group of devout Christians, the Puritans, lived in England and wanted to find a new land to freely practice their faith. In the seventeenth

The Puritans went aboard the Mayflower and arrived in Plymouth, where they settled. Puritanism originated within the Church of England during the 16th century and their mission was to purify the Church and to also establish a middle ground between Catholicism and Protestantism. They desired to purify the Church by eliminating every symbol of Catholic influence. In the year 1603 when James I became King of England, Puritan leaders asked for reforms to the Church including the abolition of bishops but this was denied. Contrary to what they had hoped, English leaders became more repressive and Puritans wanted a means of escape so they chose to sail to the New World (Kang 148). Bradford was one of these settlers and lived a life dedicated to God. He became the governor of Plymouth after the former one had passed away (Philbrick 103). His intent on moving to America was not political, but rather to create a community that was one with God. He desired that everyone would live together and worship each other in the same church. He had also desired to create a community of Saints (Philbrick

He later said that if New England continued through its degenerate ways, God would wreak vengeance on them. In his view, the catalyst for this apocalypse was present over thirty years ago when Thomas Morton began to sell guns to the Native Americans in the region. Bradford argued that arming the Natives was a symptom of complacency in his colony. He also argued that the gun-toting Native Americans would be the way God would punish hush people (Philbrick 187-188). Bradford’s views can be related to life in Plymouth by how he understood God and his belief in the colony. The Puritans sailed from England to Plymouth to express their religious beliefs somewhere where they would not be harassed. Bradford was passionate about God, like many of the Puritans that sailed to the New World. Historians can use the accounts of Bradford to understand more about Plymouth. Bradford’s views can be related to life in Plymouth by how he understood God and his belief in the colony. The Puritans sailed from England to Plymouth to express their religious beliefs somewhere where they would not be