William Bradford

  By: Gabi Rodriguez

    The son of a Puritan farmer, William Bradford was born in Yorkshire, England. At the age of seventeen, he joined the Separatist church The Church of England was applying pressure to the religion. In fear of persecution, Bradford fled to Amsterdam along with the Separatists. In 1609, Bradford immigrated with a congregation led by John Robinson to the Netherlands. No more than one years’ time, the group migrated with the rest of the church to Holland where they remained for eleven years. Shortly, Bradford met his 16 year old wife, Dorothy May after going back to Amsterdam. Bradford later then embarked on The Mayflower for the voyage to what later became known as The New World. He and The Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621. William Bradford was elected and served as governor of the colony for thirty- one terms. In his later years, Bradford published one of the most important early chronicles of the settlement of New England. William Bradford started his most successful book beginning in 1630.

    Of Plymouth Plantation, is a detailed manuscript about the founding and early settlement of Plymouth. In detail, he explains the hardships and struggles the Puritans went through their first years experienced in the Americas. Although he never lived long enough to see his manuscript published, it was known and recognized as the most valuable and accurate historical reference in American history. Many New England historians often referenced it. His manuscript can be considered of Calvinistic spirit meaning he referenced many biblical allusions and frequent remembrance that God was in their everyday lives.

Here is a link to Of Plymouth Plantation:

https://mith.umd.edu//eada/html/display.php?docs=bradford_history.xml

 Works Cited:

https://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap1/bradford.html

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Of_Plymouth_Plantation      

 https://yuaneducation.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/of-plymouth-plantation/