Compare And Contrast William Bradford And John Smith

The author John Smith, a pilgrim who arrived to the Americas, wrote a description of the new land in his book “ A Description of New England ”. In this book Smith shows a wonderful world of vast food and pleasure. Also, William Bradford another pilgrim who arrived to Plymouth on the coast of Massachusetts, wrote a book called “ Of Plymouth Plantation ” in which he describes what really happened, how the pilgrims actually lived. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast both authors and their books. John Smith wrote about the wonderful place the New World was, on the other hand, William Bradford wrote about the realities and difficulties of the New World.

“The General History of Virginia” and “Of Plymouth Plantation” are similar and different in many ways. They are the first settlers of America and came for different reasons, different goals, and different ways of life. Although they were different they both risked their lives for a new life in return. John Smith and William Bradford were two different people. John Smith was an Adventurer and William Bradford was a Puritan. Their differences and similarities personified through two works of writing.

As there are similarities between these two great writers there are also differences. One difference is their cultural background. In 1761, Wheatley came into America as a young slave girl stolen

Although both men were similar in many ways the outcomes they faced were very different. One a rhode scholar,and the other incarcerated for life, and no parole. Due to what obstacles they faced,and the twist and turns they encountered,Made them what they are today.

Smith believed that self, self-interest, and self-determination, all were mechanisms where individuals are motivated to gain wealth and power for individual gain and group gain. Smith believed that ‘self' is a matrix of reason and passion (Levine, 1998). Furthermore, Smith believed that sympathy leads to empathy, and our individual self-determination leads to accumulation of wealth that benefits others as well as us (Levine, 1998). Examples of this concept are evident in our current economic society today. We see Bill Gates and Microsoft providing technology to communicate more efficiently, Henry Ford's posterity changing the transportation market, and many others who impact man with their accumulation of wealth.

To many Europeans in the early 17th century the Americas seemed as a new land of opportunity. John Smith and William Bradford were two of the first men who left England seeking adventure and freedom in the New World. Both groups had difficulties while trying to form their colonies and Smith and Bradford were both elected to lead. While they were both great leaders they had very different lives before their journey from England. While starting their new colonies they also took different approaches to making the land habitable. One of the most notable differences between John Smith and William Bradford was their writing style. John Smith and William Bradford were very different people in

While Patrick Henry and Benjamin Franklin both believed in patriotism and realism they both differed in the politics. They both wanted patriotism and wisdom, but one wanted a whole new government and one wanted the same government, but wanted to make it better for the people and their enemies.

Smith was badly burned in 1606 from a gunpowder explosion and forced to return back to England. In 1614 he returned with an expedition to map the New England coastline. He would never return to Virginia again after this. He would from then on only promote colonizing the New England area. His efforts to promote colonizing were blocked by weather, pirates and lack of funding. He then resorted to writing about colonization. In his writing he elaborated about how wonderful it was in the new world. He would say that the fish practically jump into your boat when you go fishing and things such as that. He made the new world seem better than it really was so people would want to travel here and settle in it. His plan worked because year after year more and more people flocked to the New England hoping to colonize and not have to worry about running out

This colony was quite different from Virginia. In Plymouth, everyone was each others backbone, meaning everyone helped each other out. Whether it was crops or building etc. Everybody was entitled to religious freedom, their rights. One difference though is that Bradford was more caring of his people and he remained there the rest of his life.

Once Smith and Bradford arrive in America, the difference in their use of religion in their writings is more evident. John Smith hardly writes of religion and its impact on daily life again. His narrative is focused more on the relations of the settlers, the Indians, and the adventures that ensue. His use of religion is merely used to explain what he cannot. Smith writes “But now was all our provision spent, the sturgeon gone, all helps abandoned, each hour expecting the fury of the savages, when God, the patron of all good endeavors, in that desperate extremity so changed the heart of the savages that they brought such plenty on their fruits and provision as no man wanted.”(30). In this example, Smith does not understand why the savages have brought them food and saved them from starvation. So his explanation is that God must have intervened the situation. Bradford uses religion to analyze almost all situations in daily life. His opinions of Thomas Morton and Merrymount illustrate this. Bradford writes “...some tending to a lasciviousness, and other to the detraction and scandal of some persons, which he affixed to this idle or idol maypole…and here I may take occasion to bewail the mischief that this wicked man began in these parts, and which since, base covetousness prevailing in men that should know better, has now at length got the upper

Well both Virginia and Plymouth had a reason for colonizing in the americas. It natural that any foreigner would want more money and especially in a placed where no one has touched it. They both had a purpose of being here in the americas, the colonist had good soil for the plantations and for growing new different groups in the field, and the pilgrims had a very rocky soil and it limited their farming skills, so the colonists had an advantage. The pilgrims were more involved in conflicts with the native americans that the colonists, they were both were but more them. The colonists from Virginia and plymouth both came for the british monarchy of England. Both colonies had some starvation rapidly going on in their civilizations and also a numerous titanic load of people died. When they arrived in the americas the native americans helped them by supplying food because they were not used to the different soils and plantations that they had back in england. The people of Virginia wanted to be wealthy and the puritans from plymouth came because of religious freedom and because they had religious persecution in their native homelands. Bradford stays as governor in the colonies until the rest of his life and John Smith does not stay, he leaves after an accidental incident happened and he leaves the americas and goes back to england. Both of their journey were not that of easy, they both suffered from

Benjamin Franklin and John Winthrop—although having contrasting ideas of societal principles—both portray their visions and beliefs through their religious backings and their discussions and actions regarding charity. As Franklin aimed to portray and achieve a sense of individualism and self-discipline, and Winthrop worked to implicate a communal and interdependent society, both attempted to put these ideas into practice, ultimately reaching unexpected conclusions.

Christopher Columbus and Charles Lindbergh had a journey, very different but also very similar. They created a near impossible task and went forward until they completed the task. These two men changed history by following their dreams putting their names in the history books. These two men have done great thing although they are similar, yet different. Christopher accomplished his goal 400 years before Charles did.

They both are slaves, and they worked on plantations. Which means they worked for the masters. They were very bold and brave, they were never really scare, and determined to get what they want and were there going, but they also suffered consequences. There are many ways they are different from each other.

Throughout history, there have been great leaders, some for the good of humanity, and some for the not-so good of humanity. The one element all leaders have in common is in some way, have changed the course of history. The one great leader I have found to be interesting and envision of a great leader is William Bradford, an original passenger on the Mayflower, and the first ever governor elected on what is to become, American Soil.