Compare And Contrast John Smith And William Bradford

John Smith and William Bradford were prominent writers and colonial leaders during the Puritan and Pilgrim era. However, both had different ways of conveying their thoughts and experiences during their travels and time in the New World. Those different ways included, but were not limited to, how they wrote about their interactions with the Native Americans, how the crews interacted with each other, and how God was perceived in their eyes. While adventuring in the New World, both colonial leaders wrote about how men interacted with their crews. In the General History of Virginia, Smith described the relationship between the captain and his men as every man for himself. The captain did not bother helping the people who were dying due to sickness, mostly due to the fear that they would also contract the disease that they carried. This usually led to fighting among the group, it lasted even after Smith was kidnapped by the Indians. It was not until the Indians gave the colonists food, that the fighting calmed down. Bradford described a different relationship between himself and his followers. The rich and healthy were helping the sick, doing everything for them until they recovered. It did not matter if they contracted a disease from them or not, all that mattered was that they
These included, but were not limited to, the crews’ interactions with each other, the mens’ interactions with Native Americans, and how God was perceived in their eyes. They were men of God, who experienced hardships while in the New World. Those hardships were eventually overcome with the help of God and the Native Americans in both Smith and Bradford accounts. The men described different ways of how their men affected their journey; in Smith’s account, his men were not as helpful when compared to Bradford’s men. Nevertheless, both crews eventually overcame their differences and survived the New