Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War

Book Description

From the bestselling author of In the Heart of the SeaÂ—winner of the National Book AwardÂ—the startling story of the Plymouth Colony

From the perilous ocean crossing to the shared bounty of the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrim settlement of New England has become enshrined as our most sacred national myth. Yet, as bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick reveals in his spellbinding new book, the true story of the Pilgrims is much more than the well-known tale of piety and sacrifice; it is a fifty-five-year epic that is at once tragic, heroic, exhilarating, and profound.

The MayflowerÂ's religious refugees arrived in Plymouth Harbor during a period of crisis for Native Americans as disease spread by European fishermen devastated their populations. Initially the two groupsÂ—the Wampanoags, under the charismatic and calculating chief Massasoit, and the Pilgrims, whose pugnacious military officer Miles Standish was barely five feet tallÂ—maintained a fragile working relationship. But within decades, New England would erupt into King PhilipÂ's War, a savagely bloody conflict that nearly wiped out English colonists and natives alike and forever altered the face of the fledgling colonies and the country that would grow from them.

With towering figures like William Bradford and the distinctly American hero Benjamin Church at the center of his narrative, Philbrick has fashioned a fresh and compelling portrait of the dawn of American historyÂ—a history dominated right from the start by issues of race, violence, and religion.

Customer Reviews:

Mayflower.......2007-10-18

The history presented by Nathaniel Philbrick is very interesting and gives a person a more personable view of the Mayflower families and times (as well as of the Indians in New England). I found his information to be quite complete and filled in a lot of history that has not been published before that I know of.

Unraveling a Myth.......2007-10-18

" Wherever they first set foot on the American continent, it wasn't Plymouth, and it certainly wasn't Plymouth Rock. The first Thanksgiving (in 1621) was indeed attended by Indians as well as Pilgrims, but they didn't sit at the tidy table depicted in Victorian popular art; they "stood, squatted, or sat on the ground as they clustered around outdoor fires, where the deer and birds turned on wooden spits and where pottages -- stews into which varieties of meats and vegetables were thrown -- simmered invitingly."

- Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

How many of us grew up with myths about the Pilgrims and about the first Thanksgiving? We all believed that the Pilgrims and the Indians sat at a beautiful table laden with turkey, cranberries and all of the fixings. Not only was that not the case, they certainly didn't set foot on Plymouth Rock.

Philbrick puts these myths to rest. And he tells us about the beginning of our new country and what was the basis for its foundation. Our myths contained stories about Massasoit and Squanto, Bradford and Winslow and, of course, Miles Standish.

One of the major accounts in the book was that of the King Philip's War. We learned that it really did not have to be. Both sides could have developed solutions which respected the goodness in each other as well as the differences.

We learned about how the Indians were shipped off to foreign places during this war and were separated from all of their families and tribes....never to be heard from again (having been made slaves). Only a few ever made it back like Squanto, for example.

Philbrick discusses why the war occurred after so many years of peace and why the descendants of Massasoit and of Bradford and Winslow came to see things differently than their fathers; losing sight of the faith and the respect for the individual that their forefathers had long revered. They also blocked out the memory of how they all needed one another to survive.

The Mayflower Compact, we learn, is one document that laid the foundations for the country that America was to become. Yet, our forefathers had to live through a nightmare of a war (of their own making) where both sides suffered tremendously. It took many years after the war ended to ever recoup even a portion of what was lost.

Philbrick's book is a story of courage, community and war on both sides as well as a story of how our forefathers lost sight of what the Indians had done for their ancestors and their fathers and what was owed to these people. In doing so, they also lost sight of the need for diplomacy and how to work together to come up with solutions that would be good for both the settlers as well as the Indians.

MAYFLOWER has won many awards and the book deserves all of them. What I have come away with deals first with the myth. This was unraveled for me so that I could understand and gain knowledge of the facts of these early settlements. I learned what worked, what didn't work and why the peaceful compact fell apart. I also learned that we can gain a lot from understanding our past and that we do not have to make the same mistakes over again.

Nathaniel Philbrick has given us hope that our future does not always have to resemble our past. He wrote, "When violence and fear grip a society, there is an almost overpowering temptation to demonize the enemy. But some on both sides refused to succumb. They were the ones whose rambunctious and intrinsically rebellious faith in humanity finally brought the war to an end, and they are the heroes of this story."

During the times that we face now, our heroes can continue to be those leaders and citizens who strive to focus on the faith in humanity and celebrate our differences as well as our similarities finding solutions rather than reasons to turn away from each other.

Four Stars: B+ (Recommend Highly)

Bentley/2007
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War

Not what I was hoping for.......2007-10-13

I couldn't get into this book because it was very different from what I thought it would be. I expected "Mayflower" to be a detailed account of why the pilgrims decided to journey to America, and also a vivid description of what life aboard the Mayflower was actually like. The book did cover those things, but only for a few short pages. Most of the book is devoted to the history of Plymouth Colony and King Philip's War. Author Nataniel Philbrick does an excellent job of shooting down the myths many people believe about what the pilgrim settlement was actually like, but I was much more interested in reading about the actual Mayflower journey and was disappointed that so little information about that event was included in this 400+ page book. "Mayflower" should be called "King Philip's War" so readers know what they're getting into.

Educational book.......2007-09-26

This is a very informative, accurate writing of our history. More people should read and know the real history of our country.

Not what I expected, but.......2007-09-16

the book was still a captivating piece of literature. I read this directly after reading In the Heart of the Sea by Philbrick, and was expecting the same type of story. That was not the case however. The title is a bit misleading in that one thinks they are going to be reading (or at least I did) a story of the journey. The subtitle should have cued me in. The book is about the struggle between the settlers and the natives more so than it is about the voyage to the new world. All that being said, I still loved the book. I gave the book four stars because I wish there was more about the actual voyage, and I think the title is a little misleading. All in all though, it is a superb piece of literature.

Thanksgiving on Thursday (Magic Tree House #27)

Average customer rating:

Jennifer's review
MY BOY LOVES READING IT
It's an okay book
Boring, Boring, & Thanksgivingnesh
The Magic Tree house

Thanksgiving on Thursday (Magic Tree House #27)
Mary Pope Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375806156
Release Date: 2002-09-24

Book Description

The Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to the eve of the first Thanksgiving. There they meet the Pilgrims as well as Squanto, a Native American who helped them. The story offers an age-appropriate, in-depth picture of what life was really like for early settlers, as well as the usual Magic Tree House adventure and excitement.

Customer Reviews:

Jennifer's review.......2007-02-02

Jack and Annie travel back in time to the year of 1621,the time of the Pilgrams.Jack and Annie was sent by Morgan Le Fay to find the art of magic. Jack and Annie were in a forest and spied on the pilgrams when they got there, but Annie saw a dog which scared Jack and alerted the pilgrams. Jack told this fib to Squanto and the pilgrams. After the fib, all of the kids went hunting and gathering while Jack and Annie went into the water, in search for eels and clams in the ocean. After, they went to a house and cooked turkey for the feast. Jack ruined the turkey and felt horrible. It was all right and they had a feast outdoors. Jack and Annie returned home after finding the magic of community.

MY BOY LOVES READING IT.......2007-01-07

My 1st grader hates to put it down, he would rather read Magic Tree House books, than play video games. He even reads them to his class and explains the story for show and tell. In his kindergarten class the teacher would also let him read the Magic Tree House books out loud, not to give her a break, but to promote reading out loud. Great books!

It's an okay book .......2006-11-07

Thanksgiving on Thursday is an okay book because it is about a boy (Jack) and a girl (Annie) that go back in time to the first feast of thanksgiving. They help a woman prepare for the first Thankgiving dinner. They had to gather some of the food for the harvest. Jack gets caught in a snare set for an animal! Read it--it's okay!

Boring, Boring, & Thanksgivingnesh.......2006-10-31

All this book is about how the Indians and Pilgrims started Thanks giving. I read thi book when i was 8. It was alright back then.

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU READ THIS BOOK !!!!

The Magic Tree house.......2006-06-12

The story startes out when Jack and his little sister Annie are on their way to a place called Plymouth. At first they had no idea where they were until Jack was hung after he accidently steped into a trap; they finally found out where they were.

First, this story takes place during the time of the pilgrims coming to the United States from England on a ship well-known as the Mayflower. The story's sequence startes when Jack and Annie are introduced to all the pilgrims and an indian; his name Squanto. Sooner on in the story Jack and Annie learn how to hunt and fish for there own food. While in a women's house Jack learned how to cook over the fire. But, they run into a problem; they didn't know how things ran around there. But a women nice enough told them just that. Her nam was Prinscilla.

Last in the story they have wonderful and unforgiving diner. Also known as the First Thanksgiving Feast. Jack and Annie enjoyed their time in Plymouth because they have learned as much as I did.

I thought that this book was an awesome experience for me because I have learned alot about the pilgrims and what it was like back in the day.

Average customer rating:

Wonderful and historically accurate
My Favorite Book
A great book anyway . . .
A Perennial Favorite
LET'S PRETEND THAT'S A 4 AND A HALF

Constance
Patricia Clapp
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0688109764
Release Date: 1991-09-18

Book Description

The Indians started some sort of rhythmic chanting, with a clapping of their hands to accent it, and I sat a little apart at, one of the fires listening. It was a strange sound that somehow sent my blood pulsing more quickly and made me wish I could stand up and dance round and round the fire, but this I knew would not be fitting. Of a sudden I was aware of someone beside me, and turning, saw Ted Leister easing himself down to the ground. I thought it best to say nothing of the disagreement he and t'other Ted had, so I spoke of the singing.

"It nigh makes me giddy," I said. "'Tis not at all like English singing."

"If it makes you giddy, lie back and close your eyes," Ted Leister told me. "'Twill soon pass."

I did as he suggested, and I could feel the very earth under me throbbing from the beat and beat and beat of the voices and hands. My eyes were closed, but the dizziness got no better and I moved to sit up when I felt Ted's hand push me gently back again, and then he kissed me.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful and historically accurate.......2007-07-11

I picked up "Constance" somewhere - I have no idea where, but my copy is old and yellowed and falling apart. I read it and fell in love with it. I must say - my old copy has a fantastic cover and I much prefer it to the one depicted here. But that's by the by... =)

I'm teaching my (7th grade) son the 1600-1850 time period this year and was able to pull "Constance" off the shelf and introduce him to its delights. It has been the ONLY book he has begged me to continue to read to him outside of planned school reading times. WOO HOO! It warms the cockles of this mother's heart. We've laughed at the funny bits, sobbed our hearts out at the sad bits, and marveled how these people, with their numbers decimated that very first spring, worked together to make a successful community.

We'll be finishing the book tomorrow. I drove him bananas by reading the first sentence of tomorrow's reading, telling him WHO proposed but NOT what the answer or consequence was. He says I'm an evil mother. =D I laughed with joy at his enthusiasm for the book.

My Favorite Book.......2005-11-29

I got this book on a trip to the East Coast when I was ten years old and fell in love. It was my favorite book during all of my early teen years; and though I haven't read it in years, I think it will always hold the place in my heart as my favorite book.

A great book anyway . . ........2005-06-25

I read this long before I knew a key fact about Constance Hopkins, and I thought it was terrific. Of course, I still do. The tone of high spirits forced into apparent submission is perfect. I do think the cover illustration on the Beech Tree edition is awful; the cover on the Dell edition is far better.

Key fact: she is my nine-times-great-grandmother. (Patricia Clapp, the author, is also descended from Constance.) I have dug around in other books and on-line sources about Plimouth Plantation, and the historical facts are dead-on. I don't at the moment remember whether "Constance" mentions that her father was not a Puritan, Dissenter, Separatist; he came not for religious reasons but because he wanted his own farm. Constance, her husband Nicholas, and her brother Giles left Plymouth for the same reason in 1644 -- and also because they were fed up with the Puritan oligarchy in Plymouth.

So her family represents, in many ways, the American quest for independence and farmland -- the Jeffersonian ideal of the free citizen. (Constance's descendants were still farming as late as 1940, though my father left the farm in 1921, finding farming a new form of tyranny.)

A Perennial Favorite.......2005-06-24

This is one of the books that stays in your heart. I first read this some 30 years ago, loved it, re-read it several times, lost track of it, found it again a couple of years ago, and -- surprisingly enough, since I certainly can't say this about all the books I loved when I was in my early teens -- I still loved it. Constance, as she is written in this story, is a very real person to me. I don't know if the real Constance Hopkins was anything like the one in this book, and I don't really care, but Patricia Clapp has done an excellent job here of making two-dimensional history come to life.

LET'S PRETEND THAT'S A 4 AND A HALF.......2003-09-07

I loved this book! Patricia Clapp brings a character to life.A character named Constance Hopkins. So, Con and her family are pilgrims just stepping off the Mayflower to start life in America. They, along with their shipmates, found Plymoth. So anyways, they go through sickness, famines, droughts, and all kinds of stuff! Well, Con is kind of a guy magnet. A "Mayflower Boy," & the two hired men are in love with her! She humors them for a while, and accidently causes feuds. They fight over her!Then, when new-comers arrive, she truly finds love, which is torn between two handsome Constance-crazy young men, Stephen Deane, and Nicholas Snow. Who will she choose? I can tell you one thing...her descision was perfect, even though I felt bad for the other guy. The reason my title says 4 1/2, is because it doesn't seem realistic that like 5 guys could be in love with her. Also, every book is way cute with just a couple romance scenes, but this one is peppered with them, and almost makes it annoying. But, I enjoyed it anyways! Read this book!

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Research Information
Just What I Was Looking For
An excellent history of the Plymouth settlers.

Plymouth Colony: Its History and People
Eugene Aubrey Stratton
Manufacturer: Ancestry Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0916489183

Book Description

This is the first truly complete treatment of the history and genealogy of Plymouth Colony. It includes a concise history of the colony, both chronologically and topically, and more than 300 biographical sketches of its inhabitants. Richly documented and illustrated with maps and photographs, the three-dimensional Plymouth Colony: Its History & People, 1620-1691 was written for historians and genealogists alike and provides and in-depth view of this important epoch in American history. The researcher will find the verbatim transcriptions of important contemporary documents in the eleven appendices invaluable, and the annotated bibliography clearly describes the abundance of primary and secondary literature on Plymouth Colony. Mr. Stratton's work set a new standard worthy of emulation by all serious scholars.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Research Information.......2007-10-01

My husband & I are both descended from The Mayflower - He from William Brewster & Stephen Hopkins and I from William Bradford. This book has added so much information for our Genealogy. I cannot tell you how many times I have used it to add information to our family history file. It has many years of use.

Just What I Was Looking For.......2002-04-13

There are hundreds of books out there about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving and all that goes with the subject. But the majority of these books are written either in a stodgy, encyclopedic (read: Boring!) format, or they are written for children. Well, now I have one that is actually written for adults, as well as in an easy to read manner. Written mainly from a genealogical stance, the author, Eugene Aubrey Stratton, did his "putting flesh on the bones" research; that is, he sought out how the pilgrims lived their daily lives in all aspects of their time and place. Instead of the cartoonish figures we all see come November, Mr. Stratton actually gives an authentic look to these early Americans. He makes the reader feel that they now know the pilgrims, not only through their historical prominence in our early history, but by name, and we feel their hardships, especially of their first winter here. After the first time reading this book, I re-read it, only this time I read the 'Biographical Sketches' section, located toward the back of the book, first, THEN I went to the beginning. My advice to the first time reader is to do the same. You will then know who you are reading about as names are mentioned.
This book is, simply put, the best of its kind. Maybe more genealogists should write our history books! At least they bring history to life!

An excellent history of the Plymouth settlers........1999-01-07

In doing research on my own ancestor who was a passanger on the Mayflower and one of the original Pilgrims, I have used over 50 books. This one is by far the best. Very readable, this book provides an excellent narative of many of the events of the first 70 years at Plymouth, and detailed descriptions of many of the Pilgrims. For anyone interested in this era, this book is a must.

. . . If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620

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Mayflower History Comes Alive
A Wonderful Resource; A Great Story
This book is hard to put down!
Great Book
Just Like You Were There!!!

. . . If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620
Ann McGovern
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0590451618

Book Description

What kind of ship was the Mayflower? How did the Pilgrims feel when they saw land? What was the first building in Plymouth? In lively question-and-answer style, this fact-filled book answers all sorts of questions about the Pilgrims' journey on the Mayflower and their first year in America.

Boys and girls will find out why the Pilgrims left England to live in America, what they took with them on board the Mayflower, and the hardships they endured. They'll learn what the Mayflower Compact was, how the Pilgrims made a peace treaty with the Indians, and how these brave settlers managed to survive in their new land.

Ms McGovern has carefully researched the Pilgrims' journey and their first year in America. Her portrayal is full of fascinating detail about their everyday life. Young readers will be intrigued to discover that Pilgrim boys and girls slept on corn husk mattresses they made themselves, and that most of the houses had only one chair -- which was reserved for the man of the house!

The humorous, true-to-life illustrations serve as effective complements to the informative, fun-to-read text.

Customer Reviews:

Mayflower History Comes Alive.......2007-08-02

"There were no bathrooms on the Mayflower ship.... You would wear the same clothes day after day, night after night, for sixty-six days and night"--from the book.

You'll also find answers to such questions as: Were the people on the ship friends? Would you have had any fun on the Mayflower? Did the Pilgrims have any medicine? Would YOU live in a log cabin?

This and more interesting information and stories await you (read other reviews). [Suitable for the intermediate grades and up.]

A Wonderful Resource; A Great Story.......2004-06-24

I am a teacher who was looking for a book for my students to use when we study Thanksgiving. Without a doubt, this story is one of the best that we use. It is a great introduction to reading non-fiction, and it provides a wealth of information for students, parents, and teachers.

My students love the story. They can easily understand the Question-Answer format, and it is not overwhelming in its content. It's written in an 'easy reading' style that the students can understand. They are really interested in what the kids did during this time, especially what they did for fun.

I recommend this book to any student who wants to know more about the Pilgrims and their arrival to America. I also recommend this to any adult who is looking for a wonderful non-fiction book for their favorite child(ren).

This book is hard to put down!.......2001-11-09

I got "If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620" for our Thanksgiving unit based on several glowing recommendations. I was not disappointed. Both my 5 yo and I had a hard stopping once we got started. I learned things about the Pilgrims I'd never known. And, the content is fascinating for children. It covered such curious topics as Did they bathe on the Mayflower?, What did they eat?, How were people who broke the law punished?, What did children do? It was written to entertain anyone over the age of 4. It's a question/answer book and exceptionally well done.

Great Book.......2001-07-12

I purchased this book for my Grandchildren but this is not only a great book for 4-8 year olds but for anyone over 4. You might learn some things you didn't know. By the way, if you ever go to Plymouth you can go on the Mayflower II, and be sure to visit Plimoth Plantation (it's like going back in time to 1630).

Just Like You Were There!!!.......1999-10-14

This book by Ann McGovern depicts the life that you would have had on the Mayflower. You get a sense and almost feel like you are there with the rest of the pilgrims in 1620. The detail is just great and is a book that all kids should read from a historical standpoint.

Mayflower Pilgrim Family Genealogies through Five Generations (Volume Six, Second Edition - Stephen Hopkins)

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Mayflower Pilgrim Family Genealogies through Five Generations (Volume Six, Second Edition - Stephen Hopkins)
John D. Austin
Manufacturer: Mayflower Families
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0930270053

A Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower, 1620 (Dear America Series)

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Wonderful Book!
Five Stars
Blast from the past with a pilgrim girl
Pretty Good Look at Pilgrim Life
A View of the Unexplored Fronteir

A Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower, 1620 (Dear America Series)
Kathryn Lasky
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 059050214X

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Book!.......2007-09-23

I've read almost all of the Dear America series! These are excellent books to read to nursing home patients!

These books take you into the past; into the lives of the people of the time period.

Patience Whipple showed profound courage and strength by overcoming heartbreaking odds to survive.

Highly recommend this book!

Five Stars.......2007-08-08

A wonderful beginning to the Dear America Series. Remember Patience Whipple better known as Mem is a twelve year old girl on the Mayflower with her parents and little sister Blessing. Set up in a diary form Mem writes about the voyage, her new friend Hummy and her experiences on the Mayflower and the first couple months at Plymouth Rock. She meets one of the Native Americans Squanto, experiences losing her new friend Hummy, her mother's illness and death, and her father's remarriage. Kathryn Lasky made Mem such a delightful and wonderful girl and paints a vivid picture of life on the Mayflower and at Plymouth Rock.

Blast from the past with a pilgrim girl.......2006-08-05

Remember Patience Whipple is a pilgrim child on the Mayflower. When Remember comes ashore, things get tough. Lots of people are dying, including a member of her family, and it's harder still when her best friend has to go back to Holland. I first saw the movie version of this book, and I just had to read it. After a slow beginning, it gets better and better. This is not quite as good as the other "Dear America" books that I have enjoyed--but like the other books, this one made me feel as though I was back in the past with the characters.

Pretty Good Look at Pilgrim Life.......2006-06-01

This is a pretty good book about a pilgrim girl coming to America in the early 17th century. I give it four stars because even though the writing is descriptive and well-paced, the main character is too headstrong and stereotypical for me. Also, I didn't feel any really strong emotions while reading this book. However, I do recommend it as a beginner for the series because it is set before any of the other books in the series.

A View of the Unexplored Fronteir.......2006-01-20

The book A Journey to the New World is the fictional yet accurate account of the pilgrims' settlement in America, the new world, to be free from the king's religious oppression. The story is told in diary form, through young Remember Patience Whipple, making it easier for younger readers to comprehend but benefit in full. The book is the beginning of a new nation, an unexplored future of pain and suffering, joy and happiness. The book is finly illustrated; another great accomplishment by Kathryn Lasky.

A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony

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I highly recomend it.
Dry Textbook, Requires Effort
A Classic Study that Redefined the Pilgrims
Life in Old Plymouth
PROOF OF THE INERTIA OF HISTORICAL CONTINUITY

A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony
John Demos
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0195128907

Amazon.com

The customary modern image of the New England Puritans is a dark one: the Puritans, religious dissenters who valued propriety and order, are seen as a witch-hunting, suspicious tribe, and their very name carries connotations of grimness and primness.

Thirty years ago, at the outset of his career as a historian, John Demos decided to reexamine that view in light of the evidence. Among the findings that he reports in A Little Commonwealth is the surprising discovery that the Puritans were not so, well, puritanical. They were not, Demos argues, especially consumed by ideology, and in their daily lives, "religion seems to figure in a somewhat haphazard and occasional way." The Puritans, he continues, had no unusual objections to sexuality or fun-seeking, except where such activities endangered social harmony--and the Puritans were indeed fiercely protective of group stability. Demos examines such documents as the transcripts of divorce proceedings to suggest that Puritan women enjoyed, if not equal rights, then better consideration than most women in other English colonies in the New World. He looks closely into the material culture of the Puritans, which shows some odd discrepancies: for instance, although few households possessed more than a single chair (usually reserved for the elderly), many contained elaborate wardrobes--for, Demos writes, "clothing was not only a good investment for a man of some means; it was also a way of demonstrating his standing in the larger community and of confirming his own self-image."

In questioning the view of the Puritans as a plain-dressing, plain-living, haunted, and repressed sect, Demos provides a close and intriguing look at the New England past. Reissued on the 30th anniversary of its first publication, A Little Commonwealth deserves a wide audience today. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

The year 2000 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of A Little Commonwealth by Bancroft Prize-winning scholar John Demos. This groundbreaking study examines the family in the context of the colony founded by the Pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower. Basing his work on physical artifacts, wills, estate inventories, and a variety of legal and official enactments, Demos portrays the family as a structure of roles and relationships, emphasizing those of husband and wife, parent and child, and master and servant. The book's most startling insights come from a reconsideration of commonly-held views of American Puritans and of the ways in which they dealt with one another. Demos concludes that Puritan "repression" was not as strongly directed against sexuality as against the expression of hostile and aggressive impulses, and he shows how this pattern reflected prevalent modes of family life and child-rearing. The result is an in-depth study of the ordinary life of a colonial community, located in the broader environment of seventeenth-century America. Demos has provided a new foreword and a list of further reading for this second edition, which will offer a new generation of readers access to this classic study.

Customer Reviews:

I highly recomend it. .......2007-01-06

Although written in 1970 it provides an interesting look at every aspect of colonial life in New England. I highly recomend it for everyone interested in this period of history. Academic but not boring.

Dry Textbook, Requires Effort.......2006-12-22

Mr. Demos certainly did a tremendous amount of research in preparing this work, as his information is plentiful, organized, and lends support to his theories.

However, one should be warned that the writing style is quite dry, his refences to numbers and factoids are unending, and the entertainment quotient of the book is near zero. As a reference volume, there are plenty of interesting tables and charts to glean. As a flowing, historical piece that tells a story which brings the Old Colony's residents to life, it is lacking.

A Classic Study that Redefined the Pilgrims.......2005-12-29

I first read this book while in graduate school during the late 1970s, and I am glad it has been reissued in this new edition. John Demos was one of a group of "new social historians" in the latter 1960s that made colonial New England his domain and reinterpreted what we know about the Puritans "from the bottom up." Including Kenneth A. Lockridge ("A New England Town," 1970), Philip J. Greven ("Four Generations," 1970), and a few others, these historians employed the analysis of legal documents, especially wills and probate records, to uncover the past of the more "ordinary" New Englanders. Concentrating on small units in their study--Demos on Plymouth, Lockridge on Dedham, and Greven on Andover--they also employed, for the first time, material culture analysis of buildings, the accoutrements of everyday life, and findings from historical archeology and anthropology to understand better the nature of colonial New England.

Previously, historians had relied heavily upon letters, diaries, sermons, autobiographies, and other writings to construct their portrait of the Puritans of the seventeenth century. Almost by definition, this documentary record skewed the account toward telling the story of New England's social and political elites. The use of these new materials transformed our understanding of this time and place in American history. It may be hard to appreciate how exciting this approach to American history seemed at the time. These historians, using both the tools of social science and measured statistical analysis, rescued from obscurity the everyday lives of the rank and file who settled New England. William Bradford, Cotton Mather, John Winthrop, and other elites remained significant, but the story was now so much broader and interesting. It was such a breath of fresh air! Many of us in graduate school at the time embraced their lead and sought to apply at least some of their methodologies to our own work.

"A Little Commonwealth: Family Life in Plymouth Colony" is one of the best of these "new social histories." John Demos unearthed, in some cases literally through archaeological excavations, the style of life present at Plymouth Plantation. In the process he transformed our understanding of these religious separatists. He makes some startling revelations, destroying many old myths about marriage, family, and lifestyle. The basic organizing unit, according to Demos, was the nuclear family. He inferred this from probate records, but he also noted that the small size of the houses forced the exclusion of extended families under one roof. He was criticized for this conclusion, but subsequent research seems to support much of what he wrote. He also found that children married later than had been previously believed, between 23 and 28 years, starting their lives apart from their parents after greater maturity. He also found that the typical family numbered between seven and ten children, had an infant mortality rate of one in ten, that twenty percent of women died in childbirth, and that a man aged 21 could expect to live until 69.2 years but a woman at age 21 had a life expectancy of only 62.2 years.

By far the most path-breaking part of "A Little Commonwealth" deals with Puritan childrearing and the formation of the child's character. During the first year, Demos argues, a baby would receive much nurturing and support. Tranquility was the objective. In the second year, the child was weaned, usually had to deal with a younger sibling, and most interesting underwent an effort to break the spirit and bend it to the will the parents. Taking place in a crowded house, this experience was traumatic to say the least, and Demos asserts that it led to a set of psychological issues that revolved not so much around sex as a "tight cluster of anxieties about aggression" (pp. 134-37). Demos makes the case that fear of aggression, conflict, and loss are the dominant themes of Puritan life in the seventeenth century. At the same time, the Puritan family could be warm and supportive, and joy and fun was also part and parcel of their existence.

Equally important, Demos helps overturn the longstanding stereotype of Puritans. H. L. Mencken once said that the definition of Puritanism was "The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy." Demos pretty much destroys this idea in "A Little Commonwealth" as well. They liked to dress colorfully, have parties, dance, sing, and drink. Despite their traumatic upbringings, he thinks they were not so nearly repressed as previously believed.

This is a very important benchmark in the history of early America and still deserving of serious consideration 35 years after its first publication.

Life in Old Plymouth.......2005-08-12

In this study Demos examines family life as it was for the Pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower, before they joined with the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The book is in three main sections: the physical setting (housing, furnishings, and clothing); the structure of the household (family connections, including servants); and individual development (childhood, coming of age, and old age). The most striking thing is how all aspects of communal life were controlled by the Court: although laws were not draconian, they spelled out how one was to conduct his or her life pretty thoroughly. Mess up and you would be punished. But it's also true that people were not that different back then, either: parents still cared for their children and worried about their futures by making provisions for them; families were at the core of society's welfare; even women were given rights denied them in the mother country. It's interesting that even these first settlers saw the American continent as a vast area just waiting to be colonized, and one of the biggest problems facing the authorities was how to keep settlers from wanting to spread out too far from Plymouth itself, thus weakening communal ties. A highly recommended book.

PROOF OF THE INERTIA OF HISTORICAL CONTINUITY.......2005-07-02

I found the book to be informative, but not particularly revealing. After reading such books as OLD JULES, by Mari Sandoz (his daughter), and A BEAUTIFUL CRUEL COUNTRY, by Eva Antonia Wilbur-Cruz, as well as comparing my life's experiences with those of the Colony (not to mention my own Ms. entitled IT IS EASIER TO FORGIVE THAN TO FORGET, about mother's childhod, her marriage, and the raising of four boys alone during the Great Depression) what impresses me most is the continuity of life styles from one generation to another subject, of course, to the influences of the community in which lives are lived.
I have a degree in History from SFSU that I attended in the 70s, and I agree with what appear to be conclusions of Academics on the subject of mingling disciplines. I believe that the truth of history is best described when there is such a comingling. I came to the conclusion that Historical Continuity is more a matter of emotion than of logic (that cannot be ignored), and that if we can relate emotionally to the vital situation of those about whom we read, we will become better informed. There is little value in repeating what the author reports except as it differs from the values and norms of our own lives. Then, faced with consequential differences, we must adjust our minds to pass judgment based on reality laced with understanding. In the end, we may well discover that given the same circumstances our lives would differ less from those of the past than we think. There are some who proclaim that life is a gift, but I would argue, as might the residents of THE LITTLE COMMONWEALTH, that it is more a duty to perform. How well one performs that duty depends upon our duality; our individuality versus the demands of the community into which we just happened to have been born. I found myself relating my own life experiences, to those of the members of the COMMONWEALTH, and except for the religious severity of the witchhunt imported from Europe, found that I had little difficulty appreciating their situation.

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Not quite the Thanksgiving tale
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Was not what I expected
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The Pilgrims, but not as we know them

Plymouth Plantation 1620 - 1647
William Bradford
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0075542811

Book Description

Modern Library College Editions

William Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation" is a remarkable work by a man who himself was something of a marvel. It remains one of the most readable seventeenth-century American books, attractive to us as much for its artfulness as for its high seriousness, the work of a good storyteller with intelligence and wit. Edited, with an Introduction, by Francis Murphy.

Customer Reviews:

Not quite the Thanksgiving tale.......2004-05-03

I don't honestly know who reads Of Plymouth Plantation the most. Professors conducting research? Students assigned to read it? As I am neither, and decided to go ahead and try something daring, perhaps my thoughts are of some value. I say daring when referring to this work by the Puritan leader William Bradford primarily because reading documents of that era is somewhat difficult. The work spans the years 1620 to 1647, so the language is closer to Shakespeare than it is to us. Already we can see notable improvement from the bard, but sometimes the going is rough. It certainly helps that in this edition, Samuel Eliot Morison has standardized the spelling, written out in full the abbreviations, and provided useful footnotes. Believe me, it makes a difference. It also helps that this first governor of the Plymouth colony, who came over on the Mayflower, writes in a reasonably clear style. The evidence may be found in the many letters written by other Pilgrims and their friends back in England that are inserted into the text. By comparison, Bradford is the model of clarity and simplicity. I'm dwelling on the language point because I think this is the sort of thing that probably turns off the casual reader with an interest in the earliest era of colonial times. There are many easier ways to learn about the Pilgrims, but there is obviously a certain authenticity to reading a primary source, even if it can be difficult going at times.

The other main issue with reading a source like this is its limitation. Bradford was hardly the only source of information, and what he presents can be choppy at times, dry at others. He spends little time on exciting matters such as the Pequot war, one of the earliest confrontations with Indian tribes, but writes extensively on finance issues with traders and suppliers. As most of the material is a year-by-year account of brief highlights, there's a fair amount missing that would make for a clearer story. The best sections, to my way of thinking, were the earlier ones covering the time up to the Mayflower voyage. There Bradford takes the time to really write about their lives and their thoughts as they leave England for the Netherlands and how they got along there.

Despite the difficulties, there is much insight to be gained here. Puritans are not the easiest group of people for modern readers to understand. Countless times Bradford casually would say something like "But in that year it pleased God that (insert terrible calamity here)" Whether it was illness, some natural disaster, or whatever, it seemed to be accepted as just God's will and nothing to get upset about. Whether this represented their actual reaction at the time or only Bradford's official note of it is unclear. What is clear is that Of Plymouth Plantation is of more use for history than for ethical philosophy. The Puritans remain a very odd people with some very odd and occasionally horrifying standards. Certain acts, for example, done with barnyard animals would result in execution for the perpetrator. The same acts done to an eight-year-old girl warranted only a fine and a whipping. The flip side of Puritan character, of course, is that these were really strong willed people. They stuck it out even with a death rate of more than half their population succumbing in the earliest years. It is clear not only from Bradford but the letters of other participants that they considered the life they chose, however difficult, to be the one that they were going to see through come what may. This, perhaps, is the most memorable feature of their story.

Great!.......2002-12-30

Excellent book! I read this in combination with the Governer William Bradford's Letter Book and Mourts Relations and Good Newes from New England by Edward Winslow. I am really glad that I have done it this way, because there is further information in the Good Newes from New England that fills in the gaps of certain events.
This is William Bradford's point of view, and the information in it is amazing. If you are into history, then it doesn't get any better than this. Its not very often that you have the opportunity to see events through someone elses eyes, and this does it.

Was not what I expected.......2002-07-09

I was suprised at how gossipy William Bradford was. He told tales about his neighbors and friends and described how the pilgrims constantly bickered with traders and their benefactors over money. My whole fantasy about what I thought the Pilgrims were like has completely changed. Now I consider them petty, self-righteous gossip mongers. The book was good for general information about preparation for their trip and what they actually did when they got here, but as far as historical fact goes, I was unimpressed. Bradford discusses people who stray from the flock, "outsiders" who get girls pregnant, drunkards, and preachers who were not to his liking. It was more like a "dish" session n the Jenny Jones show than something I would be proud to uphold as historical fact to the rest of the nation.

Excellent Adventure Tale.......2001-04-22

I came across this book quite by accident and didn't think it would be much of a read. Generally speaking I don't read histories and one from the early 1600's was a pretty daunting task - or so I thought. In fact, it was a great tale of adventure and faith and an extremely insightful and thought provoking book about how this country was started and what it must have looked like to those who arrived here some 350 years ago.I really did love this book.

Bradford is an engaging writer whose prose isn't hard to understand. In places his understatement about the death and hardship faced almost constantly is even amusing. Nothing of the kind of challenges that the Leyden pilgrims faced in Massachusetts will seem familiar to a modern reader. Just the same, the fact that it all happened is fascinating. One can almost imagine being there, looking over the decks of the Mayflower and facing all that December gray and wilderness and wondering what you were doing coming here. Told in first person it reads like an adventure as much as a history.

The pilgrims here are also quite human and not at all the diorama characters of a first graders Thanksgiving craft project. They face social challenges and the horrors of death and disease. Attacks by natives actually occured on occasion. The dream of a sort of providence is one that proves difficult in the real world. Bradford mourns the loss of these ideals and the people who imported them. There's something a little sad in his later passages, whether it be age or a truly lost paradise one never really knows. But what Bradford imagined as a sort of religious nirvana clearly doesn't pan out in the end. Nevertheless it is well worth the journey. I highly recommend a read of this American classic.

The Pilgrims, but not as we know them.......1999-05-03

Contrary to a previous review, Bradford can in all accuracy be labelled a Puritan, though he himself would not have appreciated the title, it being a word used as a jibe by their opponents. Nowadays, the word has come to refer to a theological standpoint, independent of political positioning. Hence an Anglican might be a Puritan (see Master Alden who came over on the Mayflower), and a Separatist would be even more likely to be one. Puritans might also be called "the hotter sort" of Protestants, for their strictness in matters scriptural, and Puritan theology is entirely in keeping with Bradford's position and beliefs, both political and religious, as a Separatist.

Previous reviewers seem to have approached the book with differring expectations. If you want to read about John and Priscilla, go to Longfellow, and if you want to read about Constance of the Mayflower, then you won't find her here (except in the records for the 1623 land division, maybe) - and indeed few of the myths of the Pilgrim Story can be found in Bradford's history. This might dissappoint some people who like to paint their history with honest toil and romance, Plymouth Rocks and Thanksgivings, but to a more attentive reader, Bradford has delights enough to keep anybody satisfied. His style is at times cumbersome, and the language of the 1640s(ish) can often obscure the already confusing legal language of some of the letters and contracts in the book. The language and style, though, are part of the book's character. Bradford's reticence in always referring to himself as either "The Governor" or "Governor Bradford" is not only quaint but also instructive, and to dismiss is as tedious is not to give it its due attention.

Overall, Bradford still keeps a sense of adventure and dedication: adventure that the reader may share when confronted with sudden unfamiliar truths of the divisions which separated the Pilgrims, or the decidedly economic flavour to some of the reasons for their departure from Holland. Even to witness on a page before you the first time in any known source that the word "Pilgrims" was used to describe the settlers at Plymouth, is enough to make the reader feel privileged.

Customer Reviews:

Squanto the great indian!.......2006-11-08

I have been reading this wonderful book called Squanto, If you didn't
read it well don't worry I'll tell you a little bit about him.
Squanto is about your age in this book.White men came to his island.
They where leaving but Squanto wanted to go with them.
He didn't know where he was going.He heard a voise saying
"were going to London!".Squanto stayed there for 3 years.He went back
and saw...............nothing

THE COOL BOOK ABOUT SQUANTO.......2006-11-08

I thought that book was a cool book. In the begening of the book the white men wanted Squanto to go with them to London.So Squanto said yes. So Squanto went with the white men. It took 1 year to get to America to London.Squanto had a comfty new bed that he had to get use to.Next he stayed there for a few years.

A Great Nonfiction Book.......2006-11-08

In this book ,Squanto Friend of the pilgrims,there is a boy named Squanto and in the book it tells how he is a Patuxet. One day he was walking along a path and saw a ship and knew it was a white man's ship. He didn't wait one second to tell his people what he saw. So he ran as fast as he could when he raeched his village Squanot went strate to his home. Squanto told his mom and dad about the ship he saw. His mom was not very happy about this but on the ather hand Squanto' dad was theriled to hear this news and he told him to tell the chief. Also the chief was happy about this news....The next day Squanto went to find the white men and make friends with them. Squanto found the white men over a hill finally they became friends.That is my version of this story.

Awesome Squanto.......2006-11-08

Squanto went with the white men to meet oher people. Squanto wanted to go home but all the ships were full.After one year Squanto lived with his best friend Charles Robbins. Then one day he heard a ship was avalible. He got on the ship and in a few days later. They went huning and Squanto dicided to go home and he got half way there and Caption Hunt and cought him and tied his ankles and wrists with rope.a slave market in spain.Two chrishtens bought him and let him go. He wentto England.Hewent home and he found a little boy and asked him where his tribe was
and the little boy said they had a disease.everyone caughtit and died.The little boy asked him if he wanted tocome to his tibe andhe said" YES". The End!

Squanto the great indian!!.......2006-11-08

Squanto friend of the pilgims is a great book! It gives a lot of information about Squanto.He was a nice person he wanted to meet the white men. When the white men came to their land Squanto went to meet them. Squanto was in a bush hiding from the white men {pilgrims} one of the white men pulled up gun and shot a bird Squanto jumped out and ducked. He met the white men and sailed to London with the pilgrims. He stayed there for many years. When he went back home he was captured and taken back to London and was a slave but two pastors freed him. when he came home his tribe was gone there was nothing left for him.

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