Entry A: WillIam Bradford

William Bradford was born in 1590 in the Yorkshire farming community of Austerfield, England. In his early childhood, both parents died. The boy was shuttled among several relatives, never staying long anywhere.He was about 12 when he happened into the neighboring town of Scrooby. A church service was in progress which astonished him by its fellowship and its lack of ritual. Time and again he returned, drawn to the congregation’s fervor for reform. By the age of 17 Bradford was a fully committed member, sharing the radical idea of separating from the official Church of England - a dangerous decision, for Separatist leaders were hunted and imprisoned. When the congregation learned that the king, James I, intended to "harry them from the land," they fled to the Netherlands. Here, for 12 years, first in Amsterdam and then in Leiden, Bradford and the rest of the exiles lived and worshipped according to their beliefs. Life in the old university town of Leiden was difficult. Many of the refugees, including Bradford, eked out a bare living as textile workers. The church, now led by the charismatic John Robinson, faced other problems. The Netherlands teetered on the brink of war with Catholic Spain and the Dutch government, pressured by their English ally King James, harassed the refugees. Presses printing Separatist tracts were smashed and some of the English had rocks thrown at them.

Thesis Statement

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 manitain their reverance to God and to one another [their initial reason for fleeing England].

Of Plymouth Plantation

But presently, all on the sudden, they heard a great and strange cry, which they knew to be the same voices they heard in the night, though they varied their notes; and one of their company being abroad came running in and cried, "Men, Indians! Indians!" And withal, their arrows came flying amongst them. Their men ran with all speed to recover their arms, as by the good providence of God they did. In the meantime, of those that were there ready, two muskets were discharged at them, and two more stood ready in the entrance of their rendezvous but were commanded not to shoot till they could take full aim at them. And the other two charged again with-all speed, for there were only four had arms there, and defended the barricade, which was first assaulted. The cry of the Indians was dreadful, especially when they saw the men run out of the rendezvous toward the shallop to recover their arms, the Indians wheeling about upon them. But some running out with coats of mail on, and cutlasses in their hands, they soon got their arms land let fly amongst them and quickly stopped their violence. Yet there was a lusty man, and no less valiant, stood behind a tree within half a musket shot, and let his arrows fly at them; he was seen [to] shoot three arrows, which were all avoided. He stood three shots of a musket, till one taking full aim at him and made the bark or splinters of the tree fly about his ears, after which he gave an extraordinary shriek and away they went, all of them. They' left some to keep the shallop and followed them about a quarter of a mile and shouted once or twice, and shot off two or three pieces, and so returned. This they did that they might conceive that they were not afraid of them or any way discouraged.
Thus it pleased God to vanquish their enemies and give them deliverance; and by His special providence so to dispose that not any one of them were either hurt or hit, though their arrows came close by them and on every side [of] them; and sundry of their coats, which hung up in the barricade, were shot through and through. Afterwards they gave God solemn thanks and praise for their deliverance, and gathered up a bundle of their arrows and sent them into England afterward by the master of the ship, and called that place the First Encounter.

Reflection of the Passage

The reason I liked this passage of the story so much was because it had alot of action and held suspense. When the Indians attacked the Pilgrims it used such descritive words and phrases that I actually could picture what was happening in the scene!

Diary Entry

Dear Diary, November 13, 1620
Today me and a group of other passengers off of the Mayflower (whose names I have yet to learn) decided we should probably go and look for some water and food source. So we set out with our weapons and headed south until suddenly we were walking along the shore of the cape when up ahead we saw what looked like a bunch of people with some kind of animal. We kept walking towards them when they all of a sudden veered off the shore and headed into the forest. I signaled to the group to follow them and when we tried to follow them into the forest we lost our way very quickly! So we kept searching for them and I noticed we were getting deeper and deeper into the forest and we had lost the trail. The sun had started to set and we still hadn't found any water when we came upon a pond with a harbor leading up to it. we walked across and on the other side it looked as though a village had been set up and we found some food and decided to take it back to our village. We then decided to leave and found our way back to our village where we shared our findings with our people and we've decided to research who these mystery people are tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Tom

Edward Taylor

Thesis Statement- In the poem "Huswifery" bu Edward Taylor, the author uses diction, literary conceit, and rhyme to explain how you need to keep your soul clean and managed like you home in order to gain the grace of God.

In this poem it impressed me how Edward Taylor describes his life to making a cloak. It seems like a weird combination but he made it work as though they were meant to be put together. He ends up sending a message that you need to work hard all your life, which is like making the thread for the coat, and it will pay off by you going to heaven, and with your result of a cloak.

Anne Bradstreet

Out of the three poems that we read I chose "In Reference to Her Children as my favorite. I love how she compares her children to little birds and her empty house to an empty nest once all of her birds fly away. This poem, to me, has alot more feeling in it than the others. She isn't acting like a puritain as much in this poem. She doesn;t refer to God after every stanza which is something new for her because in the Puritain Doctrine everyone is suppossed to live only for God and in this poem it seems that she is living for her children more than God.


"In Reference to Her Children"-Anne Bradstreet

I had eight birds hatched in one nest,Four cocks there were, and hens the rest.I nursed them up with pain and care,Nor cost, nor labour did I spare,Till at the last they felt their wing,Mounted the trees, and learned to sing;Chief of the brood then took his flightTo regions far and left me quite.My mournful chirps I after send,Till he return, or I do end:Leave not thy nest, thy dam and sire,Fly back and sing amidst this choir.My second bird did take her flight,And with her mate flew out of sight;Southward they both their course did bend,And seasons twain they there did spend,Till after blown by southern gales,They norward steered with filled sails.A prettier bird was no where seen,Along the beach among the treen.I have a third of colour white,On whom I placed no small delight;Coupled with mate loving and true,Hath also bid her dam adieu;And where Aurora first appears,She now hath perched to spend her years.One to the academy flewTo chat among that learned crew;Ambition moves still in his breastThat he might chant above the restStriving for more than to do well,That nightingales he might excel.My fifth, whose down is yet scarce gone,Is 'mongst the shrubs and bushes flown,And as his wings increase in strength,On higher boughs he'll perch at length.My other three still with me nest,Until they're grown, then as the rest,Or here or there they'll take their flight,As is ordained, so shall they light.If birds could weep, then would my tearsLet others know what are my fearsLest this my brood some harm should catch,And be surprised for want of watch,Whilst pecking corn and void of care,They fall un'wares in fowler's snare,Or whilst on trees they sit and sing,Some untoward boy at them do fling,Or whilst allured with bell and glass,The net be spread, and caught, alas.Or lest by lime-twigs they be foiled,Or by some greedy hawks be spoiled.O would my young, ye saw my breast,And knew what thoughts there sadly rest,Great was my pain when I you fed,Long did I keep you soft and warm,And with my wings kept off all harm,My cares are more and fears than ever,My throbs such now as 'fore were never.Alas, my birds, you wisdom want,Of perils you are ignorant;Oft times in grass, on trees, in flight,Sore accidents on you may light.O to your safety have an eye,So happy may you live and die.Meanwhile my days in tunes I'll spend,Till my weak lays with me shall end.In shady woods I'll sit and sing,And things that past to mind I'll bring.Once young and pleasant, as are you,But former toys (no joys) adieu.My age I will not once lament,But sing, my time so near is spent.And from the top bough take my flightInto a country beyond sight,Where old ones instantly grow young,And there with seraphims set song;No seasons cold, nor storms they see;But spring lasts to eternity.When each of you shall in your nestAmong your young ones take your rest,In chirping language, oft them tell,You had a dam that loved you well,That did what could be done for young,And nursed you up till you were strong,And 'fore she once would let you fly,She showed you joy and misery;Taught what was good, and what was ill,What would save life, and what would kill.Thus gone, amongst you I may live,And dead, yet speak, and counsel give:Farewell, my birds, farewell adieu,I happy am, if well with you

Jonhathan Edward's Collage

This is a collage that we made that represents all of the images pictured in the sermon made by Johnathan Edward!

E. The Slave Narrative
1. Favorite Passage:

An Excerpt from The Life of Gustavus Vassa-

I now saw myself deprived of all chance of returning to my native country, or even the least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore, which I now considered as friendly; and I even wished for my former slavery in preference to my present situation, which was filled with horrors of every kind, still heightened by my ignorance of what I was to undergo. I was not long suffered to indulge my grief; I was soon put down under the decks, and there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never experienced in my life: so that, with the loathsomeness of the stench, and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste any thing. I now wished for the last friend, death, to relieve me; but soon, to my grief, two of the white men offered me eatables; and, on my refusing to eat, one of them held me fast by the hands, and laid me across.

2. The Life of Gustavus Vassa Essential Question:

How does freedom affect the life of an individual?
In Olaudah Equiano's The Life of Gustavus Vassa, Equianos' life has been affected a great deal because of the lack of freedom he has been given. Not only has he become a slave, but the chance of a good life, any other white male has been given since birth, was not given to Equiano, but rather, hardship and deprivation. Without freedom, Equiano is forced to live a life of slavery, enduring a life of misery and despair. Moreover, it is because Equiano did not have this beloved freedom did he find his internal strength and he was successfully able to release himself from the hands of slavery. Therefore, lack of freedom may usually affect mankind in a terrible manner, but, if man were to turn this idea around, they can make their weakness, become a strength.