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| Mayflower |
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| William Bradford (1590-1657) |
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| A colony in Plymouth |
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| Congregational Church in Plymouth |
Puritanism is an offshoot of Reformation in 17th and 18th centuries in England. Henry VIII, the King of England, broke away from Catholic Church hierarchy in 1534and established the Church of England (the Anglican Church) in 1534 and declared himself as the head of the church (The Act of Supremacy) to stop the interference of church in political and personal affairs. This paved the way for reforming the church as there was a widespread revolt against the dominance of papacy throughout Europe. Between 1536 and 1541, the king destroyed many monasteries and acquired their property and wealth. The Puritans voiced their protest against the corruption and moral depravity of the church authorities and against the supremacy of the king in religious affairs. So they wished to purify the Church of England and establish a morally strong institution without separating themselves from it. The teachings of John Calvin, a protestant Theologian, influenced their views. His teachings emphasized the sovereignty of the scriptures and divine predestination- a doctrine which believes that God chooses those who will enter heaven based on His Omnipotence and grace.
The Pilgrims were the first migrants who defied the supremacy of the king and church and they desired a complete separation from both catholic and Anglican church practices (so called Separatists). First they went to Amsterdam and stayed there for one year. From there they moved to Leiden, Holland and remained there for ten years. Considering their status as non-citizens and afraid of their children losing touch with English language and heritage, some of them they made plans to settle in Northern Virginia. Under the leadership of William Bradford they set sail to Virginia on a ship called “Mayflower” in 1620. Their ship was caught in a storm. Finally they established their colony in Plymouth on the western side of Cape Cod Bay.
After the death of the settlement’s first Governor, John Carver, William Bradford (1590-1657) was elected as Governor who was later reelected nearly thirty times and worked as Governor till 1656 and got a charter from the Virginia Company called “Mayflower Compact” to set up their own government. Bradford organized the colony’s democratic institutions and traditions of self-government. Though he was a Congregationalist, he welcomed all separatist groups to New England region. In his two-volume book ‘History of Plymouth Plantation”, 1620-1647, he described vividly the sea voyage and the challenges faced by the settlers. In his poems and other articles he described the virtues of Puritanism and the sacrifices made by the founders of Plymouth Colony. In collaboration with Edward Winslow he wrote a journal called “Mourt’s Relation.” William Brewster(1566-1644) served as the Church Elder of the Plymouth colony and also as an advisor to Governor Bradford. He continued his role as the religious leader till a pastor, Ralph Smith arrived in 1629.
The pilgrims laid foundation to religious freedom, democratic spirit, American folklore and tradition. They devised methods for running basic economy, political, social and educational life of the American society. They tried to maintain good relations with Native Americans and set a model “for interracial diplomacy that was followed with varying success by later Puritan colonies.” They celebrated a three-day celebration called “Thanksgiving” in Nov.1621 to thank god for the rich harvest and also to express gratitude to native Indians who taught them survival skills. Even now Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November to commemorate this historic event. According to New England colonial historian Alden Vaughn “Justice, tolerance, decisiveness and amity became the keystones of Plymouth’s Indian policy.” Unlike later Puritans the Pilgrims did not engage in witch hunts and persecute dissenters. The Plymouth colony’s principles of industry, faith in providential guidance of God, respect for conscience and democratic governance later became the defining values of the United States.
Most of the pilgrims were not well-educated and came from poorer
sections of the society. They worked hard by building houses, planting fields,
working in the gardens and hunting animals. Their food was also simple like a
thick porridge or bread made from Indian corn and with some kind of meat, fowl
or fish. Due to shortage of ministers and increased intolerance and poverty and
failure of getting a new charter for exclusive government from the crown, the Plymouth
Colony had been finally incorporated into the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1689.
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28th August, 2020 Somaseshu Gutala
