Bradford, William
Bradford, William
1590
Austerfield, Yorkshire, England
May 9, 1657
Governor and historian
"And here is to be noted a special providence of God, and a great mercy to this poor people, that here they got seed to plant them corn the next year, or else they might have starved. . . . "
William Bradford was the leader of a religious group called the Pilgrims, who embarked on the famous voyage to the New World (the European term for North America and South America) on board the ship Mayflower. In 1620, after landing on the northeast coast of present-day Massachusetts, the Pilgrims established Plymouth Colony. When the first elected governor, John Carver, died, Bradford took his place. As governor, Bradford grappled with a terrible famine (an extreme scarcity of food) and forged relations with local Native Americans. Bradford's time in office is considered an example of effective early American politics. Although he practiced absolute authority, he was not a tyrant (a ruler who exercises absolute power brutally). In addition to being the governor of Plymouth, Bradford was also an important religious leader and its principal historian. He wrote Of Plymouth Plantation (1630), which remains a valuable source of information about life in colonial America.
Leaves England with Nonconformists
William Bradford was born in 1590 at Austerfield, Yorkshire, in England. His father was William Bradford, a wealthy landowner. His mother, Alice, was the daughter of John Hanson, a village shopkeeper. He was their third child and only son. When his father died on July 15, 1591, Bradford inherited an ample fortune. After his mother died a few years later, he was left in the care of his grandfather and uncles.
Bradford's uncles taught him how to farm, and he probably planned to take over his father's estate one day. When he was twelve years old, however, he became deeply involved in religion. Against the wishes of his family he joined a religious group that called themselves the Nonconformists—later known as Puritans—because they refused to conform to the laws of the Church of England (the official religion of England, also known as the Anglican Church). Their meetings, which were conducted by the Reverend Richard Clyfton, took place in the house of a local postmaster, William Brewster, in Scrooby, Nottinghamshire. At that time England was at the height of the Protestant Reformation, a religious revolution within the Roman Catholic Church that began sweeping across Western Europe in the previous century. (The Protestant Reformation was started by German theologian Martin Luther, who accused Catholic leaders of corruption and misuse of power.) By the early 1600s the spirit of reform had also influenced Protestant groups who were intent on self-purification (freeing themselves as individuals from sin). The Nonconformists believed the Church of England had become far too corrupt to benefit from reforms. They also feared that the king, Charles I, was sympathetic to Catholics. Because of these beliefs, the Nonconformists decided to separate from the Church of England. Since this was considered an act of treason, the Nonconformists were forced to leave England or be punished by imprisonment or even death. In 1608 Bradford joined their migration to Amsterdam, Holland. A year later the Nonconformists settled in Leiden, the Netherlands, where they were allowed to practice their religion freely. By 1611 Bradford was old enough to convert his inheritance into cash. Afterwards, he bought a loom (a frame or machine used to weave cloth) and went into the textile (fabric or cloth) trade. In 1613 Bradford married Dorothy Day and settled in Leiden.
Sails on Mayflower
The Nonconformists remained in Leiden for only a short time. Many younger members, including Bradford, found that making a living was very difficult, and they searched for an area where they could practice their religion and also keep their English traditions and language, even if it meant living under English rule. They petitioned the Virginia Company (a private organization that promoted colonization of the Virginia territory) of London, England, and were granted a patent (an official document giving a right or privilege) for land in the Virginia territory. On September 5, 1620, the group, which Bradford called "Pilgrims," set sail on the Mayflower for the New World.
Along the way the Mayflower encountered stormy weather, and the Pilgrims never arrived in Virginia. Instead they anchored the ship in Cape Cod harbor (off the coast of present-day Massachusetts), a spot that was far north of their original destination. Since that land had not been legally granted to them, Bradford and the Pilgrims drafted and signed the Mayflower Compact in November 1620, a document that claimed ownership of the area. Because the Pilgrims accounted for only forty percent of the people aboard the ship, the agreement also set out to guarantee security against dissension (discord or quarreling) with the rest of the passengers. These settlers, men such as Miles Standish, were outsiders whom the Pilgrims called "strangers." The agreement also provided for a government as well as a new religious society. Although the Mayflower Compact is considered the first democracy established by Europeans in North America there is little proof to support this claim.
Plymouth Colony founded
While the Mayflower was anchored in Cape Cod harbor in November 1620, Bradford joined an expedition led by Standish. Leaving the Mayflower in a small boat, they entered the harbor, which they called Plymouth harbor, and landed near a rock that is now known as Plymouth Rock. The Pilgrims settled their new colony in December and elected Carver as their first governor. After Carver died in April 1621, Bradford was immediately chosen to take his place. He would be reelected thirty times between 1621 and 1656. During this period, Bradford repeatedly tried to quit the governorship, but he was such an effective and beloved leader that colonists always wanted him to remain in office. Tragically, Bradford's wife drowned in Cape Cod harbor on December 7, 1620. Three years later he was remarried, to a woman named Alice Carpenter Southworth.
Forges relations with Native Americans
Conditions in Plymouth were harsh, and Bradford did all he could as governor to save the colony from disaster. The Pilgrims were devastated by sickness—over half of the population perished—and only a few men were left to do the farming for the colony. Their first winter, in 1620–21, was especially bleak. In the spring the local Wampanoag tribe, led by Chief Massasoit (see entry), taught the Pilgrims how to plant crops such as barley, peas, and corn. Massasoit asked Squanto, another prominent Wampanoag who spoke the English language, to head the effort to help the colonists. (As a teenager Squanto was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Spain, then eventually made his way to England, where he spent a few years.) Squanto is remembered today as the person who saved the Pilgrims from starvation, and he is closely associated with
Bradford writes history of Plymouth
As the principal historian of the Plymouth Colony, William Bradford began writing Of Plymouth Plantation in 1630. He gave a detailed account of the Pilgrims' journey to Plymouth and the subsequent hardships they faced in the New World. It is said that Bradford wrote the history because Massachusetts Bay colonist John Winthrop (see entry) began writing a similar document in 1630 about the Puritan migration. Bradford described the early optimism and faith of the Pilgrims and their eventual corruption by adverse forces. In Book I he compared the Pilgrims to the Israelites of the Old Testament (the first part of the Bible), who traveled out of captivity to the Promised Land. Yet the Pilgrims' battle against evil did not end when they reached the New World. In the opening part of his work, Bradford mentions the "wars and oppositions" that "Satan hath raised, maintained and continued against the saints" in the Plymouth Colony.
In 1646 Bradford started Book II, which is even less optimistic than Book I. By now the Pilgrims had experienced famine and the treachery of "merchant adventurers," businessmen who took advantage of the colonists. They also had conflicts with Native Americans. The Pequot War of 1637 became a major turning point: New England colonists formed an alliance with the Narragansett tribe and attacked a Pequot fort, killing four hundred Pequots in their sleep. Over time, Bradford came to realize that evil comes from people themselves and not simply through the magical power of Satan. He wrote that the Pilgrims had arrived in the New World "knit together as a body in a most strict and sacred bond and covenant of the Lord." He later added, "But (alas) that subtle serpent hath slyly wound in himself under fair pretenses of necessity and the like, to untwist these sacred bonds and ties." Over time Plymouth became less focused on religion and eventually merged with the more prosperous Massachusetts Bay Colony.
the first Thanksgiving. After a bountiful harvest in the fall, the Pilgrims and Wampanoags celebrated the "first Thanksgiving." Another problem for the Pilgrims was that they had no resources for businesses such as fur trading, which was thriving in other colonies, because they knew little about commerce. Pilgrim leaders paid attention to immediate needs rather than long-term plans. Yet they were not completely unskilled in politics and business, having gained experience in self-government through their handling of church affairs. Bradford regarded Plymouth as the site of the New World church for Nonconformists who remained in Europe. Therefore, despite extreme food shortages, he invited more Nonconformists to move to Plymouth from Leiden.
As the colony grew, Bradford recognized the need to befriend more local Native Americans. Although Bradford and the Pilgrims had formed an alliance with Massasoit, who was highly regarded by area tribes, the Pilgrims were threatened by the Narragansett tribe. Further conflict came when Massasoit warned that a group of natives was planning to attack the colonists. On the advice of Massasoit, the troublemakers were rounded up and killed. Bradford never wanted a confrontation with Native Americans, since by keeping good relations with them he was able to alleviate the famine. He eventually achieved peaceful trading relationships with the natives and increased the food supply in Plymouth. Nevertheless this harmony was disturbed when the colonists found themselves in the middle of battles between the Narragansetts and the Mohegans. Tensions continued to mount, and in the Pequot War (1637) the New England colonies united with the Narragansetts to attack a Pequot fort at Mystic, Connecticut. As a result, four hundred Pequots were killed in their sleep.
William Bradford: The First Thanksgiving
During their first winter in the Plymouth Colony (1620–21), the Pilgrims were devastated by sickness—over half of the population perished—and only a few men were left to do the farming for the colony. In the spring the local Wampanoag tribe, led by Chief Massasoit, taught the Pilgrims how to plant crops such as barley, peas, and corn. After a bountiful harvest in the fall, the Pilgrims and Wampanoags celebrated the "first Thanksgiving." This event is portrayed in William Bradford: The First Thanksgiving (1992), a thirty-minute animated film originally broadcast on the Family Entertainment television network. The film is available on videocassette.
Deals with "merchant adventurers"
The Native Americans were not the only group that caused problems for the upright Pilgrims at Plymouth. They also had to contend with the "strangers," or those who were not Pilgrims. Many of these men came over on the Mayflower as servants, and others were already in North America. Known also as "merchant adventurers," they represented businessmen in London. Men such as Standish, John Alden, and Richard Warren were useful to Bradford. However, many "merchant adventurers," who had names like "Oldham the mad trader" and "Lyford the lewd parson," were criminals and tried to cheat the colonists. Bradford dealt with these men the best he could, usually forgiving their crimes.
In 1627, Bradford made a business deal that benefitted the entire colony. His plan called for the Pilgrims to buy out the merchant adventurers and divide their property evenly among the colonists. As a result, the outcast merchants became part of the Pilgrim society and Bradford labeled them "Old Comers." In order to buy them out, Bradford joined seven Pilgrims and four merchants from London in taking on the debt. These twelve men, known as the "Undertakers," began engaging in fishing and trading businesses in order to raise money. However, they had little success with these ventures. In 1631 they still owed money after some of the "Undertakers" resigned. Bradford, Standish, and Alden all had to sell land to pay off the rest of the debt.
Given absolute authority
During his first few years in office, Bradford frequently practiced absolute authority (governing free from restraint). Although historians have labeled the Plymouth Colony a democracy, there is little proof to support this claim. The people who signed the Mayflower Compact may have exercised power as a group, but they gave all authority to the governor. When Bradford became governor in 1621, he served as principal judge and treasurer until 1637. He oversaw trade and agriculture, managed profits, and assigned plots of land to settlers. Since he held executive and legislative authority, only he could decide when freemen (former indentured servants who had earned their freedom) were allowed to take part in government. Bradford was also allowed to make decisions without the advice of other government authorities and businessmen.
Throughout his career, Bradford never showed any desire for power and gain. In 1630, the "Warwick Patent" was granted to him from the Council for New England. This document made Bradford, and whoever else he chose, proprietors (owners) of Plymouth. He immediately shared his rights with the "Old Comers." In 1636 Bradford joined a committee that drafted laws defining the duties of the governor, his assistant, and the general court. They also defined seven capital offenses (crimes that require the death penalty). In 1639 the grand jury of Plymouth protested the power possessed by the "Old Comers." It was finally decided by the court that Bradford should give up the "Warwick Patent" to freemen. This is the only known challenge of Bradford's authority as governor.
Writes history
In addition to being governor of Plymouth, Bradford was also considered its principal historian. He began writing Of Plymouth Plantation, Book I, in 1630 (the work was published in 1856). In this segment he portrays the Pilgrims as being optimistic about their prospects in the New World, which they considered the "Promised Land." Bradford started Book II in 1646 after many years of hardship in Plymouth. The optimism of Book I is dampened by the realization that corrupt men, not an invisible evil force like Satan, were responsible for the downfall of the colony. Bradford maintained his faith in the goodness of God, however, and continued as governor of Plymouth until the end of his life. He tried to forge relations with the wealthy and powerful Massachusetts Bay Colony, but met resistance from Massachusetts Bay residents. He also welcomed the "Great Migration" of 20,000 Puritans (1628–42) to New England. Bradford died on May 9, 1657, in Plymouth Colony. His efforts at colonial union were fulfilled in 1692 when the Plymouth Colony finally merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
For further reference
Elliott, Emory, and others, eds. American Literature: A Prentice Hall Anthology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1991, pp. 66–67.
Hays, Wilma Pitchford. Rebel Pilgrim: A Biography of Governor William Bradford. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1969.
Johnson, Allen, and others, eds. Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Scribner, pp. 559–63.
Stephen, Leslie, and Sidney Lee, eds. The Dictionary of National Biography. London, England: Oxford University Press, 1917, pp. 1069–73.
"William Bradford" in The Puritans: American Literature Colonial Period (1608-1700).http://falcon.jmu.edu/-ramseyil/amicol.htm Available July 13, 1999.
William Bradford: The First Thanksgiving. Family Entertainment Network, 1992. Videocassette recording.