Of Plymouth Plantation is a narrative written by William Bradford which accounts the Pilgrims’ emigration; first from England to the Netherlands, and from thence to America, where they made their New England settlement in 1620. It describes the hardships they faced along the way, which ultimately led to a prosperous colony whose history has come down through the ages as one of the most important in America’s early foundation. To this day, Bradford’s account is still read and referred to as a key primary source document relating to American history. There is a lot we can learn through this narrative, not only in terms of historical insight, but from a moral standpoint as well.

We can see throughout Of Plymouth Plantation several themes to which the purpose of Bradford’s narrative may be linked. The book begins by describing the religious persecution in England; this leads pilgrims to Holland, where they find their surroundings to be unsatisfactory for the raising of their children. It is for this reason that they decide to embark on the lengthy voyage across the Atlantic ocean, seeking to form their own society in which to freely worship. Some were also on the voyage to America due to economic interests. Thus, the group set sail on 2 ships, the Speedwell and the Mayflower.

Tenacity is a theme that can be constantly found throughout the Plymouth story; this is one moral concept that is evident in the book. Before even reaching America, problems began to arise. One of the ships, the Speedwell, began to experience leaking issues, which prompted some of its passengers to pile on to the Mayflower, whilst those remaining returned to England.

Upon reaching the shores of America, at a point far north of their intended destination of Virginia where they’d received a patent to settle, there was already conflict. The pilgrims had not been granted a patent for the point at which they’d ended up landing, in modern-day New England. This predicament immediately created division among the pilgrims. In order to maintain unity, and to establish some form of government, the Mayflower Compact was written up and signed by a number of the passengers, who were still aboard the ship.

The theme of tenacity continues as further obstacles plague the pilgrims; they are little prepared for the harsh winter weather of New England, which would claim the lives of many of the pilgrims, most of those alive falling ill. This left but a few well enough to take care of the needs of the people. These, in addition to other difficulties of traveling to a relatively unknown part of the world, including the mysterious indigenous people of the land, were all ultimately overcome by the pilgrims in order to achieve their goals. Despite the dire circumstances at hand, they kept their eye on the future; knowing that even if they were to die for this cause, their descendants would be able to live a more prosperous and free life in this new society, thanks to the pilgrims’ efforts.🔹