Hasso 1 Norman Hasso #54525431 Professor Kats Reflection Paper #1 William Bradford in description of his travels to the new

world describes the voyage and arrival as a work of Gods blessing, as if describing the Israelites entering the Promised Land. From the start of the voyage, Bradford attributes the positive aspects of the voyage as the sheer divine work. Starting with the evil young man falling ill, Bradford refers to the illness as the hand of God (Bradford 58). In his view, this journey is not one whose success is led by him and the crew, but by Gods hand guiding them into a promised land where God wants them to be. Whats important to notice is that the voyage is by no means a simple trek across the ocean where everything simply falls into place smoothly, but rather a tumultuous journey where at any given moment it would seem as though the ship is in risk of falling apart. In the event of a young man being thrown overboard his survival is marked as a miracle and Bradford is very keen to note that he becomes a profitable member in both church and commonwealth as if God knew to save this man (Bradford 59). He does not simply attribute things to chance, but shows that to have a man die that would become a profitable member of society and church, would not be the divine will. However, in those days most men would fall into the description of being involved in church and commonwealth. In Bradfords mind, God wanted him and his men to have this land and had he hadnt they would have never made it to the land. Upon the arrival in the harbor, the passengers fell upon their knees and bless the God of Heaven (Bradford 61). Just like in Deuteronomy where the Lord instructs that offerings be made after arrival in the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 26:1-2). To Bradford this is the land that the Lord wants them to have and that nothing but the blessings of God could lead to success in

Hasso 2 this land. He cites the travels around the Italian coast and how Seneca was terribly afraid of the sea as it can be dangerous and cruel (Bradford 61). Seneca does not want to just sail a short distance using the sea around Italy to save travel time because he is just much too afraid of the sea. However, in comparison to a voyage around a well charted area like Italy with fairly decent weather, a travel to the New World would be the modern day equivalent of climbing Mount Everest versus for instance hiking to the top of the hill. Bradford basically shows that considering the vast dangers of the voyage, it would not have been possible to arrive without divine intervention and that the Lord must be thanked for his blessings in safe travel, which again was not very safe. Although for those days, the death toll of 1 passenger was probably nothing short of a miracle for such a long travel (Bradford 59). Bradford goes on to discuss the Israelites looking over the Promised Land from mount Pisgah, which in winter time looked very intimidating with the wilderness that lay below (Bradford 62). Essentially, he draws an analogy between the ancient day Israelites and him and his passengers coming to the new world. As he says in regards to the Israelites, what could now sustain them but the Spirit of God (Bradford 62). This is how he feels towards this new land that he has come to. The new world is by no means an open field planted with grain or tobacco that just beckons to be harvested but rather a harsh land with trees and shrubbery that without Gods blessings there is no way that him and his fellow men will be able to successfully inhabit the land. Bradford views everything from the journey to being freed from the oppressive hand of the English to the hand of God leading him and his man as God had led the Israelites in the past (Bradford 63). The reality is Bradford in his men have entered a land needing much work and embarked on a dangerous voyage with lots of difficulties, but Bradford in all things views the

Hasso 3 hand of God as present and feels that he has entered a modern day Promised Land that God wanted him and his men to have.