Journal #5

Nika Bogoslovsky
10/5/07
William Bradford

"Besides, what could they see but a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men?"

Summary:

This is William Bradford's collection of writings about sailing on the Mayflower and settling in Massachusetts. He discusses the journey to the Americas, landing and trying to settle. He describes the harsh conditions he and his people are in and the miracles god bestows on them.

Response:

I know that the natives were much more agriculturally advanced over the British. I also know that they ate better, were in better health and stature and that they had better hygiene. That being said, I don't think that is what Bradford, his pilgrims and shipmates really thought was advanced at the time. First arriving in Massachusetts and not seeing tons of buildings and people everywhere, especially when that's what they were used to, I would think anyone would think that the place is less advanced and wild in comparison to their home. Obviously it was problematic that they weren't in tune with farming but back home they didn't need to be, they had evolved into what they needed to know back in England. Just like the natives needed to know how to farm in order to survive, they didn't necessarily have to build buildings and bridges. So it's hard to say who's in the wrong. While it's bad that Bradford automatically labeled the natives savage barbarians and their home wild, he was ignorant in thinking they weren't civilized or advance in anyway, he was just not used to it. As we later find out the native's agricultural skills came of great and dependent use to them. But if we were to reverse the situation and have the natives go to England, they would probably wonder while everyone was so fat or scrawny, smelly and why there were no great crops.