Journal #6

Nika Bogoslovsky
10/5/07
2nd William Bradford

"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 perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element."

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:

Prior to arrival of the pilgrims, the plague had wiped out a good 95-99% of the native population. Somehow, the plague wiped most people out when they were harvesting all their crops; thanks to God, that is, according to Bradford and his Pilgrims. Obviously everything Bradford found, being food, shelter, supplies etc. was because of the native people who had lived there. There is no doubt that millions of people had populated the place before Bradford or anyone got there and that they had lived healthy and comfortable but plague got to them, and unfortunately Bradford saw this as a sign and blessing from God. While it's terrible that so many suffered and died, I can understand why Bradford would think it a sign from God. Here is this group in the cold New England winter after a bitter voyage with no comforts or food around. All would seem lost and hopeless until food and supplies are found; they shouldn't have survived, but they did. Why is the food there ready to eat? How come there aren't any people protecting it? Well it must be from God. Bradford, being that religious and believing so strongly that his mission was of God would no doubt think that any means of survival was the hand of God. Clearly it was really because of the natives, and either he was ignorant in thinking that there had once been people there or he thought that God had introduced the plague to these people in order for he and his people to settle and live there. When they should have died, I can understand why he would think God helped them out.