William
Bradford was born in Austerfield, England
in about 1590. He joined the Separatists, a Puritan
religious group who were highly critical of the Anglican
Church.
They were followers of Robert Browne, a preacher who thought the Church
of England should abolish bishops, ecclesiastical courts and other
relics of Roman Catholicism such as kneeling
and the use of priestly vestment and altars. The Separatists also
believed that the government was too tolerant towards those who were
guilty of adultery, drunkenness and breaching the Sabbath.
The Separatists, who held their church services in secret, were persecuted
and several members were imprisoned for their activities. The Dutch
government had a reputation for tolerance towards dissenters and in
1608 Bradford and a group of Separatists decided to emigrate to Holland.
Bradford and his friends soon became disillusioned with life in their
new home in Leyden. They could only find low-paid work and they feared
that their children were losing their English identity.
In 1620 Bradford, John Carver, Edward
Winslow, William Brewster and other
Separatists based in Holland decided to emigrate to America. One hundred
and two people boarded the Mayflower
in Delft Harbour and after crossing the Atlantic they decided to settle
at a place they called Plymouth in Massachusetts
Bay.
The Separatists established their own government and John
Carver was elected governor of the colony. The plan was for the
pilgrims to live on fish caught from the sea. However, they were not
very successful at this, and by the spring of 1621 half of them had
died of starvation or disease. This included Bradford's wife who had
drowned in Cape Cod harbour.
When John Carver died in 1621 Bradford
became the new governor of the colony. He was re-elected governor
30 times during the next thirty-four years and developed a reputation
as a firm and fair leader. He completed his book, a History
of Plymouth Plantation, just before his death in 1656.
(1)
William Bradford, History of the Plymouth Plantation (1651)
They (the Plymouth settlers) had no friends to welcome them, no inns
to entertain or refresh their weather-beaten bodies, no houses or
much less towns to repair to. The season was winter, and they that
know the winters of this country know them to be sharp and violent,
and subject to cruel and fierce storms, dangerous to travel to known
places, much more to search an unknown coast. Besides, what could
they see but a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts
and wild men.
(2)
William Bradford, journal (1621)
At times there were but six or seven strong enough to hunt, cook
and care for the entire company. These men and women at great risk
to their own health spared no pains, night or day.
(3)
William Bradford reported that things had improved by the summer
of 1621.
They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit
up their houses and dwellings against the winter, being all well recovered
in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. Some were
exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which
they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All
the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl,
as winter approached. Besides waterfowl there was great store of wild
turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc.
(4)
In 1630 John Billington was found guilty of murdering John Newcomen
and was executed. William Bradford, as governor, recorded what happened
in his journal.
John Billington the elder, one that came over with the first, was
found guilty of willful murder, by plain and notorious evidence. And
was accordingly executed. He and some of his had often been punished
before, being one of the profanest families among them; they came
from London. He waylaid a young man, one John Newcomen, about a former
quarrel and shot him with a gun, whereof he died.
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