Mayflower A Story Of Courage Community And War Summary

Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War, written by Nathaniel Philbrick, can be described as a nonfiction that explores the initial fifty-five years of the Pilgrims' lifel in the New World. Philbrick inspects the Pilgrims' voyage by isolating the Mayflower into four fundamental segments; Discovery, Accommodation, Community, and War. In the first section, Philbrick discusses the hardships of the individuals from Jacobean England, and their departure from Holland because of religious tolerance. While in the second segment, Philbrick examines the rising bitterness in neighboring tribes, due to Pilgrims’ close association with the Pokanokets. As the new settlement ascends in Massachusetts, the third section depicts a period of joy

Philbrick’s main purpose in writing the Mayflower was to illustrate to the readers, that the story of the Pilgrims does not end with the First Thanksgiving, nor was it simple as the modern generation perceived it to be. Instead, it is a fifty-five year journey, which is filled with both disastrous and courageous times and whose customs and beliefs are still carried on to us today. The preface of the Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War contains few lines that state the thesis of the book. One of line by Philbrick states that, “I grew up thinking the story of the Pilgrims ended with the First Thanksgiving… however when you look at how the Pilgrims and their children maintained fifty year of peace with the Wampanoag…or how peace suddenly erupted into a war… the story of the Pilgrims did not end with the First Thanksgiving.” (Philbrick 1) These quotes from the Mayflower restate the thesis which is, the history of Plymouth is much more complex than many preserve it to be and it simply does not end with First Thanksgiving, instead the real journey commences after the First

Most of Philbrick’s research comprised of primary sources, however to shield his arguments, some secondary sources were utilized. During the writing of the Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War most of Philbrick’s research time went on reading things such as maps, personal writing of the Pilgrims, English newspapers, documents written by the English, and endless secondary writings. Philbrick’s sources are credible, because the majority of the sources were considered primary sources, such as the English newspapers, English documents on Native American and Pilgrims, and remnants of the Pilgrim’s diaries, and it is proved that primary sources are original documents that has not been altered by anyone. When Philbrick informs his readers about the point of view of the Native Americans and the Pilgrims, both his viewpoint and his sources viewpoint is similar. However, when Philbrick states his arguments and his opinions on the historical events, Philbrick’s viewpoint does differ from his