John Smith and William Bradford
John Smith's persuasive pamphlet and William Bradford's OfPlymouth Plantation each present a different picture of the same pre-colonial land of NewEngland. Smith's writing painted a colorful picture of thenew land, whereas Bradford's historical account shows early New England was notHeaven on Earth. Mr. Bradford and Mr. Smith are writing about one land, butthey present two different accounts of the life in the land.John Smith's writing is his ideal vision of what the new land could bewith the best of people colonizing the new land. John Smith's fine piece ofliterature may also be considered a beautifully worded, finely tuned piece ofpropaganda. Mr. Smith wrote this selection to influence people to leave theirlives in England and cross the globe to start a new life in a strange land.John Smith described a a land where little work was needed, and riches could beeasily acquired. A man with little fishing ability could catch one hundred, twohundred, or three hundred fish a day.
He tells of animals perfect for huntingthat give plenty of food to live on, and rich furs that could be traded formoney. The similarities between A Description of New England and Of PlymouthPlantation are so few that it is hard to believe they are even about the samegeneral area. William Bradford believed that God helped them through Hisbountiful grace, and turned the New England wilderness into a Heavenly Paradise. Bradford'saccount depicts many hardships that had to be overcome by the Pilgrims, beforetheir ideal land began to take shape. With time and God's grace, John Smith's propaganda would become a neartruth in Providence, but it was not easy for the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims begin to grow crops, catch fish, and huntplenty of food. The settlers were not treated kindlyby the sailors, and the Indians were not very welcoming at first. After the pact is made with theIndians, the Pilgrims begin to reap some of the benefits promised by Smith, butit all takes much work. The unity that Smith envisioned for all menin the new land was never realized either. When they finally were able to stay on land, they found theIndians less than sociable, and the land too rugged to develop large farms. Many of thesedifferences would be erased over time, but Smith's vision did not come tofruition quickly or easily for these pioneers. John Smith envisioned a land where all men wouldlive in peace and harmony, a vision that would not be fulfilled in New Englandor any of the New World. The first wintertook its toll on the colonists.
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Acceptance Essays
