Unit 2 covers William Bradford's life and works

1. Literatura Norteamericana I
American Literature I
Ricardo Menéndez
10 ECTS Credits 2015-2016

2. Authors & Contents 1st Term
Study Block I
 Early American Literature
 Captain John Smith – Oct 7th
 William Bradford – Oct 14th
 Anne Bradstreet – Oct 21st
 Mary Rowlandson – Oct 28th
 The American Enlightment
 Jonathan Edwards – Nov 4th
 Benjamin Franklin – Nov 11th
 Olaudah Equiano – Nov 18th
 Phillis Wheatley – Nov 25th
 Romanticism (part I)
 Washington Irving – Dec 2nd
 James Fenimore Cooper – Dec 9th
 Ralph Waldo Emerson – Dec 16th
 Henry David Thoroeau – Jan 13th
 Review past exams – Jan 20th
Ricardo Menéndez UNED 2015-2016 ricmenendez@madrid.uned.es

3. “
”
Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought
safe to land, they fell upon their knees and
blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them
over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered
them from all the perils and miseries thereof
 Biography
 On his Literary Works
 Online resources
 Q&A
Ricardo Menéndez UNED 2015-2016 ricmenendez@madrid.uned.es
William Bradford (1590-1657)

4. Objectives of the Unit
 Assess to what extent Puritanism not only shaped seventeenth-century colonial
discourse, but also provided an enduring religious and political vision of the New
World
 Learn about the prominent role of William Bradford, leader of the Pilgrims,
founder and Governor of Plymouth Colony
 Understand what the Mayflower Compact (co-authored by William Bradford) is
 Analyze the conventions of the convention of Puritan history
Of Plymouth Plantation  First and foremost example of American Providentialist Historiography
 Explore how basic principles of Puritan plain style were applied in early
American Literature
 Discuss how indigenous inhabitants of America began to be seen through the
prism of Puritan preconceptions
 Compare William Bradford’s and Capt. Smith’s rhetoric devices and strategies
Ricardo Menéndez UNED 2015-2016 ricmenendez@madrid.uned.es
Unit 2 – William Bradford

5. Biography (I)
 Born in Austerfield in the Yorkshire
 Spiritually moved by sermons of non conformist minister Richard Clyfton.
Started attending Separtist meeting at the age of 12
 Formally joined the ‘Separtists’ (strict Calvinist Protestants) from Scrooby,
Nottingamshire in 1606 when they founded their church. The Separtists live
acording to the Second Book of Corinthians:
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,
saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;
and I will receive you (King James Bible)
 The Scrooby congregation flee to Holland in 1608, fearful for their lives
 Despite Dutch religious liberty they struggle economically. They seek a colony
act in New England, considered ‘the promised land’ for them and therefore a
pilgrimage. They become known as Pilgrim Fathers more than Puritans.
Ricardo Menéndez UNED 2015-2016 ricmenendez@madrid.uned.es
Unit 2 – William Bradford

6. Biography (&II)
 They travel from Leiden (Holland) to England aboard a ship bought for
travelling to the Americas, called the Speedwell in July 1620.
 The ship proves unworthy for long distance voyages. They then hire a
merchant ship, After some major strife, the Mayflower leaves Plymouth in
September 1620, reaching Cape Cod 66 days later on November 11th, 1620
 The place where they disembarked was named Plymouth
 The Mayflower Compact was a civil agreement between the Leiden group
and the rest of passengers to provide social and economic freedom
 William Bradford was appointed second Governor of Plymouth Colony. He
was re-elected thirty times
 William Bradford’s relevance goes beyond his great historical importance. He
holds a center role in Early American Literature.
Ricardo Menéndez UNED 2015-2016 ricmenendez@madrid.uned.es
Unit 2 – William Bradford

7. Literary Works
 Co-author of the Mayflower Compact
 Of Plymouth Plantation (two volumes)
 1st Volume: 12 chapters describing from events that led the Scrooby group to
move to Leidon and the voyage and colony beginnings. Written mostly in 1630.
Finished between 1646 and 1650 though unpublished until the Nineteenth Century
 2nd Volume: In form of annals from 1620 to 1646 and reflects the author’s gradual
disappointment at the loss of unity in a once cohesive community
 For this Unit we will be reading two passages from
 Book I, Chapter IX. Of Their Voyage and How they Passed the Sea; and of Their Safe Arrival at Cape Cod
 Book II, Capter XII. Anno 1621
 Besides his accounts he also wrote a journal, some poems, and a series of
dialogues
 Self educated but with a vast knowledge. He learned Latin, Greek, Dutch, and
was specially skilled in Hebrew which he learned to “see with his own eyes
the ancient oracles in their native beauty”
Ricardo Menéndez UNED 2015-2016 ricmenendez@madrid.uned.es
Unit 2 – William Bradford
An agreement between the Pilgrims (‘The Saints’)
and the rest of the passengers (‘The Strangers’)
to establish a government. It was based
simultaneously upon a majoritarian model (taking
into account that women and children could not
vote) and the settlers' allegiance to the king

8. Online Resources and Interesting Facts
 Excellent 3 minute History.com video part of a Thanksgiving playlist explains the
voyage of the Mayflower in full detail:
http://www.history.com/topics/mayflower/videos/deconstructing-history-mayflower
 Resources and Links suggested in the ‘Curso Virtual’
 William Bradford on Literature Online
 Text ‘Of Plymouth Plantation’ (1590-1657) on Archive.org
https://archive.org/details/bradfordshistor01courgoog
 Audio of History of the Plymouth Settlement (1608-1650) on Librivox.org
https://librivox.org/bradfords-history-of-the-plymouth-settlement-by-william-bradford/
 Curious Fact: Thanksgiving is, as the textbook explains, a fabricated holiday that
appeared some 200 years after the events that are celebrated actually occurred.
http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving/videos/bet-you-didnt-know-thanksgiving
Ricardo Menéndez UNED 2015-2016 ricmenendez@madrid.uned.es
Unit 2 – William Bradford

9. Online Resources and Interesting Facts
 Robert Walter Weir’s painting Embarkation of the Pilgrims depicts William Bradford
at center, kneeling in the background, symbolically behind Governor John Carver
(holding hat) whom Bradford would succeed
 There is an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to the known direct descendants of
William Bradford including relevant Americans such as Noah Webster, George Eastman,
Clint Eastwood or the Baldwin brothers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_descendants_of_William_Bradford_(Plymouth_governor)
Ricardo Menéndez UNED 2015-2016 ricmenendez@madrid.uned.es
Unit 2 – William Bradford

10. Questions & Answers?
Thank you
Remember to complete
Self Evaluation &
Exploratory Questions
from the Book
Online Self Evaluation Quiz
Unit 2 – William Bradford