Humble Beginnings in Plymouth
William Bradford's Journal: "Of Plymouth Plantation"
Review Quotes:
"This is a magnificent piece of literature and encompasses my views of the a settlement from my sermon, "City on a Hill". It really delves into the daily struggles each of the Pilgrims had, but it also explains the trouble they went through in order to separate themselves from the church of England. This is an important work of Puritan Literature" -John Winthrop
"This book is filled with heinous lies. A settlement shouldn't have to follow a religion in order for its members to be saved by God. An individual can only do this if they are saved by grace; the deeds they do, do not matter. I do not recommend this piece of garbage." -Anne Hutchinson
"While I do not agree with the religious rule of the colony, I believe this is an excellent literary work. It explains the lives of countless people wanting to escape the church of England, something I can connect with. It also talks about their troubles surviving in this new land and how they eventually succeed. I would recommend this book to anyone willing to read it." -Thomas Hooker
Book Review: Henry Howland
"Humble Beginnings in Plymouth" is an journal written by William Bradford about the period of time in which he and a group of people known as Pilgrims, crossed the Atlantic Ocean in order to escape religious persecution in England. In 1620, they landed at Plymouth Rock, where they established their colony. Bradford later became the colony's governor. The rest of the book talks about the struggles the colonists had in the winter with regards to the scarcity of food and the high rate of disease. The text also makes reference to the aid the local Native Americans provided them.
I have heard that other reviewers were mixed about this book, some loving it, and some hating it. I do enjoy the overall story of survival and what the Pilgrims did in order to survive as well as Bradford's leadership during this time. The main problem is the religious aspect of the book. These Puritans wanted to separate from the Church of England and created a colony that was run by their religious views. Since not everyone agrees with the idea of Puritanism, I feel it can be a bit problematic. On the other hand, telling the story about what these Pilgrims did for their beliefs is important. Why should we erase an important detail in order to please the crowd? Overall, this is a good book and one worth checking out, even if you have a different belief from that of the Pilgrims.