In an excerpt from William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation, although the Puritans experience hardship in their voyage to America, in their initial arrival and in their dealings with the Indians, they still maintain their reverence to god and to one another (their initial reason for fleeing England).
Passage~
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 the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element. And no marvel if they were thus joyful, seeing wise Seneca was so affected with sailing a few miles on the coast of his own Italy, as he affirmed, that he had rather remain twenty years on his way by land than pass by sea to any place in a short time, so tedious and dreadful was the same unto him.
http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/Departments/English/coke/bradford.htm
Reflection on Passage~
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 the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element. And no marvel if they were thus joyful, seeing wise Seneca was so affected with sailing a few miles on the coast of his own Italy, as he affirmed, that he had rather remain twenty years on his way by land than pass by sea to any place in a short time, so tedious and dreadful was the same unto him.
http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/Departments/English/coke/bradford.htm
Reflection on Passage~
The success of the Puritans making it to America brought them bliss as they blessed their god and the world around them. This passage filled me with joy as I imagined the puritans blessing the world one minute, and their god the next. It was obvious to see how important religion is to the Puritans, for the entire time on the ship they continued to believe that god will always be with them and help them in their time of need. Also, as I read this passage, I could almost see the pilgrims kneeling down to the earth, blessing god, with tears falling from their eyes in merriment. After everything the Puritans had been through, they deserved every bit of joy and pride overcoming their emotions. Furthermore, not only were the Puritans delighted for making it to America, but they were also excited about their free life that lay ahead of them.
Political Extension~
When American Colonists arrived in America, they hoped for a better life, which theme is never ending as immigrants continue to arrive in America in search of a better life, or better known as “the American Dream”. In this political cartoon, a man is portrayed with a terrible life, going out into the world and trying to fix things for himself and his family. Likewise, this hardship is reminiscent of the Puritans in Europe who, once without religious freedom, came to America as religious dissenters, in search of the freedom they lacked. Furthermore, this cartoon also displays the same lost man holding a sign which reads, "Go home, Illegal". This action depicts that this man was able to steal a few things and make this new place his new home. He came to the country with nothing, yet he becomes empowered to voice his opinion and to refuse others such passage into America. This is very similar to the colonists for they came to America disregarding the Indians and calling them savages as they took their land in pride. Now the question is, how does the freedom of an individual affect their character?
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