William Bradford (1590-1657) was the wise and able governor of the
Plymouth colony for thirty years. During this time he wrote the best
account we have of our colonial beginnings. His narrative, Of Plymouth
Plantation, as he called his work, is a great adventure story. The
account of the little band of Pilgrims who came to Massachusetts in 1620
is filled with hardships, suffering, courage, and faith. The Pilgrims
faced problems hard to solve, for they landed on the bleak coast of New
England at the beginning of the winter. They were three thousand miles
from home, friends, and civilization, but they worked, prayed, and
survived. The leadership of William Bradford is one of the reasons that
the Plymouth settlers were able to survive on the rocky shores of
Massachusetts.
Governor Bradford began his history of the colony soon after the landing
and worked on it, from time to time, for many years. The precious
manuscript was not published, but was kept in the family. Early
historians used it, and at the time of the Revolution it was kept in the
library of the Old South Church in Boston. During the war the manuscript
was stolen, probably by a British soldier, and was lost for years. In
the middle of the nineteenth century, however, it was found in the
library of the Bishop of London. Various Americans tried to persuade the
British to return the historic document to America. Finally the American
ambassador succeeded in bringing the manuscript home in 1897, and it now
is the property of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
If the manuscript were printed just as it was written, it would look
very strange. Bradford did not prepare it for publication, and thus used
many abbreviations and strange contractions. Also, the English language
has changed since the history was written. The following selections have
been pruned somewhat and words have been spelled out, but the governor’s
old-fashioned language is still not easy to read. Be patient and you
will understand it. It is a story of simple faith and courage.
The first part of the history describes the experiences of the Pilgrims
before they came to America. Because they disapproved of the Church of
England, they separated themselves from it. Hence the Pilgrims also are
known as Separatists. They first went to Holland, where they were able
to worship as they pleased. But that country was small and
overpopulated. They found it difficult to make a living there. Also,
they feared their children would grow up more Dutch than English.
Therefore they decided, after much discussion, to leave Europe for
America. It was a hard decision, and some of the Pilgrims were terrified
at the prospect.
Some were afraid of the long sea voyage; others were afraid they would
starve to death. They worried about the change of air, diet, and
drinking water. They were fearful of the Indians and intimidated by the
stories they had heard. The Indians were said to be cruel, barbarous,
treacherous—even cannibal. But men like Bradford argued that “all great
and honorable actions were accompanied with great difficulties.” It was
granted that the difficulties were great and the dangers numerous. But
with the aid of God and courage and patience they would overcome the
obstacles. The brave ones persuaded most of the rest to go.
Thus they hired the Mayflower, a ship only ninety feet long, and left
Europe on September 6, 1620. For more than nine weeks they sailed
westward. At first they had fair winds, but then the autumn storms
caught them and the ship began to leak. Many of the crew wanted to turn
back, but emergency repairs were made, and Governor Bradford says: “They
committed themselves to the will of God and resolved to proceed.” Then
he continues:
After long beating at sea they fell with that land which is called
Cape Cod; the which being made and certainly known to be it, they were
not a little joyful. After some deliberation had amongst themselves
and with the master of the ship, they tacked about and resolved to
stand for the southward (the wind and weather being fair) to find some
place about Hudson’s River for their habitation. But after they had
sailed that course about half the day, they fell amongst dangerous
shoals and roaring breakers, and they were so far entangled therewith
as they conceived themselves in great danger; and the wind shrinking
upon them withal, they resolved to bear up again for the Cape, and
thought themselves happy to get out of those dangers before night
overtook them, as by God’s good providence they did.
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....
But here I cannot but stay and make a pause, and stand half amazed at
this poor people’s present condition; and so I think will the reader,
too, when he well considers the same. Being thus passed the vast
ocean, and a sea of troubles before in their preparation, they had now
no friends to welcome them nor inns to entertain or refresh their
weatherbeaten bodies; no houses or much less towns to repair to, to
seek for succour [_help_]. It is recorded in Scripture as a mercy to
the Apostle and his shipwrecked company that the barbarians showed
them no small kindness in refreshing them, but these savage
barbarians, when they met with them were readier to fill their sides
full of arrows than otherwise. And for the season it was winter, and
they that know the winters of that country know them to be sharp and
violent, and subject to cruel and fierce storms, dangerous to travel
to known places, much more to search an unknown coast.
Besides, what could they see but a hideous and desolate wilderness,
full of wild beasts and wild men—and what multitudes there might be of
them they knew not. Neither could they, as it were, go up to the top
of Pisgah [_the mountain that Moses climbed to see the Promised Land_]
to view from this wilderness a more goodly country to feed their
hopes; for which way soever they turned their eyes (save upward to the
heavens) they could have little solace or content in respect of any
outward objects. For summer being done, all things stand upon them
with a weather-beaten face, and the whole country, full of woods and
thickets, represented a wild and savage hue. If they looked behind
them, there was the mighty ocean which they had passed and was now as
a main bar and gulf to separate them from all the civil parts of the
world....
What could now sustain them but the Spirit of God and His grace? May
not and ought not the children of these fathers rightly say: “Our
fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were
ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and
He heard their voice and looked on their adversity,” etc. “Let them
therefore praise the Lord, because He is good; and His mercies endure
forever. Yea, let them which have been redeemed of the Lord, show how
He hath delivered them from the hand of the oppressor. When they
wandered in the desert wilderness out of the way, and found no city to
dwell in, both hungry and thirsty, their soul was overwhelmed in them.
Let them confess before the Lord His loving kindness and His wonderful
works before the sons of men.”
For the next three weeks the Pilgrims explored Cape Cod, looking for a
suitable place to land and build their homes. They found Plymouth Bay
and sailed the Mayflower into it on December 16. On Christmas Day, 1620,
they began to erect the first house. But during their explorations they
were attacked by the Indians. This was on December 6:
So they [_the exploring party_] ranged up and down all that day, but
found no people, nor any place they liked. When the sun grew low, they
hasted out of the woods to meet with their shallop [_small boat_], to
whom they made signs to come to them into a creek hard by, which they
did at high water; of which they were very glad, for they had not seen
each other all that day since the morning. So they made them a
barricade as usually they did every night, with logs, stakes and thick
pine boughs, the height of a man, leaving it open to leeward, partly
to shelter them from the cold and wind (making their fire in the
middle and lying round about it) and partly to defend them from any
sudden assaults of the savages, if they should surround them; so being
very weary, they betook them to rest. But about midnight they heard a
hideous and great cry, and their sentinel called, “Arm! arm!” So they
bestirred them and stood to their arms and shot off a couple of
muskets, and then the noise ceased....
So they rested till about five of the clock in the morning; for the
tide, and their purpose to go from thence, made them be stirring
betimes [_early_]. So after prayer they prepared for breakfast, and it
being day dawning, it was thought best to be carrying things down to
the boat. But some said it was not best to carry the arms down; others
said they would be the readier, for they had lapped [_wrapped_] them
up in their coats [_as protection_] from the dew; but some three or
four would not carry theirs till they went themselves. Yet as it fell
out, the water being not high enough, they laid them down on the bank
side and came up to breakfast.
But presently, all on the sudden, they heard a great and strange cry,
which they knew to be the same voices they heard in the night, though
they varied their notes; and one of their company being abroad came
running in and cried, “Men, Indians! Indians!” And withal, their
arrows came flying amongst them. Their men ran with all speed to
recover their arms, as by the good providence of God they did. In the
meantime, of those that were there ready, two muskets were discharged
at them, and two more stood ready in the entrance of their rendezvous
but were commanded not to shoot till they could take full aim at them.
And the other two charged again with all speed, for there were only
four [_who_] had arms there, and defended the barricade, which was
first assaulted.
The cry of the Indians was dreadful, especially when they saw there
men run out of the rendezvous toward the shallop to recover their
arms, the Indians wheeling about upon them. But some running out with
coats of mail on, and cutlasses in their hands, they soon got their
arms and let fly amongst them and quickly stopped their violence. Yet
there was a lusty man, and no less valiant, [_who_] stood behind a
tree within half a musket shot, and let his arrows fly at them; he was
seen [_to_] shoot three arrows, which were all avoided. He stood three
shots of a musket, till one taking full aim at him made the bark or
splinters of the tree fly about his ears, after which he gave an
extraordinary shriek and away they went, all of them....
Thus it pleased God to vanquish their enemies and give them
deliverance; and by His special providence so to dispose that not any
one of them were either hurt or hit, though their arrows came close by
them and on every side [_of_] them; and sundry [_several_] of their
coats, which hung up in the barricade, were shot through and through.
Afterwards they gave God solemn thanks and praise for their
deliverance, and gathered up a bundle of their arrows and sent them
into England afterward by the master of the ship, and called that
place the First Encounter.