Excerpts from William Bradford’s Diary
William Bradford, an early leader of Plymouth Colony
This week’s #fridaypfisterfix comes to you a day early because, well, it’s Thanksgiving! And in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I decided to take a stab at imagining what William Bradford, the leader of Plymouth Colony, would have written in his diary in the early days of the Pilgrims. Below are the fictitious (yet historically-based) musings of William Bradford (as I imagined them)…
May 5, 1621
Feeling the warm winds of summer, hopefully the health of my people will be rejuvenated as we set forth to build our village and plant our crops. I feel guilty, having subjected 102 members of our congregation to the perils of the Atlantic on a 66-day voyage of faith and courage. The Pilgrims made me their leader in England and trusted me to take them West on the Mayflower to a better life. But we were not totally prepared for the trials and tribulations of this New World. We struggled to clear the land, but winter came on too fast and we lived on the ship. Our food was just adequate but with a steady diet of heavy salt in our meat, our immune systems were weakened. And then to have 45 die during our first winter, this religious freedom from England is coming at such a cost! How do I deal with disease, an enemy I can’t even see, who attacks without notice and moves without tracks? I only hope as their leader, I have the strength to continue our original commitment to carve out a future in this New World for ourselves and our children — a future that reflects our freedom of religion and choice! I was so sure of our future. Now, doubt is seeping into my bones. I have to go now, there is someone at the door.
July 4, 1621
Over half the homes are now under construction. I have been hard on the men, but we need to be ready for our second winter. The soil here is so hard. It defies our best efforts to plant crops, nothing like our soft soil back home. Yesterday, a strange fellow came into the village and can you believe it… he spoke English! Squanto was his name. He is a Wampanoag tribe member but was taught English as a boy from the fur traders. I really like this kid and I think we can work together. It has been difficult for us to communicate with the local Wampanoag Native Americans. They seem to be unsure of us and our intentions. They keep calling me pale-face (they should have seen my mother), but besides that and their various spirits and gods, they seem to be a happy lot. As the days become longer, I realize how much I miss Dorothy. Marrying my first love and then bringing her to the New World, we had it all. But then to have her fall overboard and drown during our first month! I had to be strong for those who lost family members this past winter and the four lost this summer, but between losing Dorothy and the others to disease… damn, it tries my very soul! I’ll go now, to check the crops.
September 7, 1621
All the homes have been completed and our first roads look great. We only lost three more members of our Colony; but, with the sunshine and our first crops being harvested, we all are feeling invigorated in this New World. Squanto has shown us new techniques for planting in this type of soil and we have taught him how to use metal implements, rather than sharpened stones, to plow with. Everyone is so happy and the future appears more assured. We finally decided on a name for our settlement — Plymouth Colony. Even Squanto thought it had a good ring to it… imagine that! Up to now, I still had a few individuals who felt we never should have left England. They actually felt our God had forsaken them in this primitive sanctuary. This week, they have begun to see the light, with no disease and surrounded by such vast natural beauty that defines this wilderness. It may not be the Garden of Eden, but with Divine intervention, we have shaped this colony and our futures. I’m so proud of them.
November 11, 1621
Today is our First Anniversary of landing in the New World. Our homes have withstood the fall winds and our fireplaces have kept us warm. Our harvest was good. Thanks to Squanto, we have learned to work this soil and, with hunting and fishing, our food supply should hold till spring. I felt we needed to give thanks to our Creator and to our Native American friends for helping us get through a very difficult year. A year where, many times, I didn’t know the answer; but I kept doing what I prayed was right for all of us. A year where we looked to each other for strength and answers and then were lifted up by a stranger, a person of entirely different faith and appearance… imagine that! We will give thanks in the form of a dinner, where we will invite all our friends and ask them to share their blessings with us. Dorothy would be proud; she was always the party planner. I asked Squanto to invite as many Wampanoag people as he could. This morning, he told me the drums have said tribal members are coming from as far away as a two-day walk. He said the local Chief was impressed with Plymouth Colony, though at first he wasn’t sure we would make it. That’s why he sent me. I was placing the credit a bit higher up! Our original number of 102 Pilgrims now stands at 50, but we are as close a group as one will ever find. I guess the saying of “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” does hold water. I’m excited about our future, unsure and filled with trepidation, but the strength that got us here will take us to there and beyond. Now, I need to go down to the stream for a bath. The guests will be here before I’m ready. Heck, if this Thankful dinner works out tonight, who knows, it might catch on!
That story was 400 years ago this month!
As I read several articles on the first Thanksgiving Dinner, I couldn’t help but see parallels with our own Thanksgiving this year. We surely have had 18 months we’d love to forget, and the future is no slam dunk, but look how far we’ve come!
We have a lot to be thankful for…
My heart goes out and I pray for all those individuals who have lost loved ones during this time. I lost my mom last month, so I am truly right there holding your hand. We need to have faith and we need to be strong as we set examples for the next generation of folks who are watching us for cues on how to get through life when it may not seem fair.
As parents, this year-and-a-half has been such a challenge to calm our children, day by day, and to find answers to questions never before asked in our generation or our parents’ generation. But we have made it this far and the future truly looks so much brighter than just one year ago. We really do have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day!
On behalf of my staff, my family, and myself, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a meaningful and loving Thanksgiving weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving Readers,
- Dr. Pfister