William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation

America as a country is known for their pride of being an “independent nation”, however the land of the free has not always been free from the nation across the pond. When the pilgrims first arrived in the New World, all they wanted was for Britain to help them. When the colonists were fighting in what seemed like a war they would never win, Loyalists stuck with their home country despite their lack of freedom. Great writers of American Literature were representatives of the two sides and were determined to set this country apart from the rest of the world, even if that meant going to war or asking other countries for help. In William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, he talks about the successes of the pilgrims so far as if trying to convince
Whatever the cost, they wanted this country to become something greater than what it was. In closing his work, Paine states that “by perseverance and fortitude we have the prospect of a glorious issue; by cowardice and submission, the sad choice of a variety of evils-a ravaged country-a depopulated city…and a future race to provide for, whose fathers we shall doubt of” (Paine 336). In one final attempt to convince his readers, he tells them if they work hard America can prosper without Britain. Paine is so determined to be independent from Britain because he believes, even though they were in a rough state, they would manage to do well and become one of the most successful countries in the world. His faith in America helps him to convince the readers to think positively and keep fighting. William Bradford, however, has other concerns, and admits “others still…break away under one pretense other. And this, I fear, will be the ruin of New England, at least of the churches of God there, and will provoke the Lord’s displeasure against them” (Bradford 90). He believes if they can not somehow get help, the colonies will fail and will never prosper. Therefore, he is trying to convince people not only in the colonies but also in England that they are a strong nation no matter how small or insignificant. Bradford is beginning to doubt that the country can prosper because the colonists don’t work hard enough. Paine and Bradford both want America to succeed, and are willing to do anything in order to achieve