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Virginia, Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation And A Model Of Christian Charity

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ESSAY: EARLY COLONIAL LITERATURE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SMITH, BRADFORD, AND WINTHROP. Thesis statement: Early colonial literature, such as Smith’s The General History of Virginia, Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, and Winthrop’s A Model of Christian Charity, reveal patterns in colonial thought, in particular the biblical influence found therein and is the basis upon which the rest of early American ideology was built on. The early colonial period in America was deeply intertwined with Christian and biblical influence, which permeated throughout the literature of this period. This influence laid the groundwork and the formation of early American ideology, and the American legal system. The Puritans and Pilgrims viewed America as a special …show more content…

He states in the preface, that his intent was to produce an accurate record “unto the simple truth in all things” (Belasco, 2019, p. 144). Unlike Captain Smith (more of an explorer), Bradford writings are interwoven with Christian thought and biblical references which underscore, in this author’s opinion, the depth the Pilgrim’s faith had in their everyday life, as well as the providential nature of their undertaking. John Winthrop's sermon A Model of Christian Charity articulates the vision of the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a "City upon a Hill," emphasizing the “covenant...the Puritans had entered into with their God, who they believed had given them divine commission to establish a colony” (Belasco, 2019, pgs. 1). 172, 184). The. Winthrop's sermon reflects the religious fervor and communal ideals of the Puritan settlers, who sought to create a society based on principles of Christian love, charity, and moral purity. This Christian or brotherly love, according to Winthrop, was of most importance in this period: “to seek out a place of cohabitation and consortship under a due form of government both civil and ecclesiastical” (Noll, 2012, p. 8). While Noll argues that it was time and place specific, this sermon embodies the concept of America as a being a chosen land with a special covenant with God (Noll, 2012, p. 7). Winthrop uses

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