William Bradford Biography

William Bradford
Author Biography
• William Bradford joined the crusade for religious reform at age 12.
• In 1620, Bradford and his wife, Dorothy, left behind their four year old son to join nearly 40 other Separatists on the ship Mayflower.
• During the long, difficult journey to America, disagreements broke out among the group and Bradford took decisive action. He helped create the Mayflower Compact, often called the first U.S. Constitution. During his 30 years as governor, he continued to document the challenges of the growing colony, which owed its survival to his energy, vision, and expert diplomacy.
• His chronicle, Of Plymouth Plantation, is our best history of these adventurous times.
• He was inspired by the ideals of the
Puritans, a Protestant religious group that wanted to purify the Church of England and create simpler, more democratic way to worship. By 17, Bradford had joined the radical Puritans known was Separatists, who called for a total break with the official church.
• Bradford was an effective in forging alliances with local Native American tribes such as the Wampanoag, a union of tribes led by Massasoit. The Wampanoag, who had lost 80% of their population to small pox shortly before the arrival of Pilgrims, was in need of help. So through this mutual need, Bradford and Massasoit were able to create a strong alliance that lasted throughout their lifetimes.

• The purpose for the emigration of the Separatists from England dealt with religious freedom and the persecution of those who would not adhere to the corrupt philosophies and laws of the church at the time.
Bradford’s history dispels many myths and misinformation about Plymouth Plantation, its relationships to the Native Americans and the Virginia Colony, and the events surrounding the Pilgrims’ first years in America. When the Pilgrims first arrived, the Native Americans would try to approach them but they would just run away. But in March, a certain Indian came boldly and spoke to them in broken English. This became a start of a mutual relationship and then they decided to make peace with Squanto and it would stay intact for 24 years. The conditions were: neither he nor any of his should injure or do hurt to any of their people, that if any of his did hurt to any of their, he should send the offender, that they might punish him, that if anything were taken away from any of theirs, he should cause it to be restored,; and they should do the like to this, if any did unjustly war against him, they would aid him; if any did war against them, he should aid them, he should send to his neighbors confederates to certify them of this, that they might not wrong them, but might be likewise comprised in the conditions of peace, and lastly, that when their men came to them, they should leave their bows and arrows behind
them.
• “Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element…” This passage shows the way Puritans viewed God. They thought everything was related to God’s word will and the Bible. This passage basically says that as soon as they arrived they thanked God because in their minds without God’s help and orders they would've never made it to the new world.
• It mentions a lot of dates like, 11th of November and 16th of March, because Puritans’ style of writing was to be very information and help teach. Also Puritans were not very sad by the fact that a lot of their people died in the winter. It is written as they carried on with their normal tasks like doing all homely and necessary stuff.