Mayflower Essay

Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community, and War is the work of Nathaniel Philbrick. Essentially he attempts to explore the initial 55 years of the pilgrims life in the New World. He focuses on both social as well as economic ties involving the English and the Native American fellow citizens. The two communities evolve from fear to a cooperative alliance to a disastrous war within a very short period. More their actions as well as beliefs would eventually shape the growth and structure of the region that would be the US. The author traces this account from the Pilgrims exodus from England to the death of the Pokanoket leader in King Philips war. The principal argument presented by the author pertains to the social and cultural changes brought to the new found land.

As a good historian he explores the subject of Pilgrims carefully. This he does by examining diverse cultural and social aspects that they were deeply tied to. Cautiously he examines the contents of religious as well as ethical values that are currently rooted in the modern America. Yet from a hazardous ocean voyage to the mutual gift of the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrim resolution of New England has turned to be preserved within the Americas most hallowed national myths.

Evaluating the content of the book Philbrick ascends beyond the common borders of writing to dig for deeper historical aspects of Pilgrims. From this point he paints a picture of how the brokered peace altered the American course as well as cultural aspects. In this book he reveals the real encounter of the Pilgrims, their impact, sacrifice in the land. To prove his point he delves into the Mayflowers religious refugees arrival at Plymouth. From here he narrates the episodes of the Native Americans who were diseased by Europeans devastated by their glowing population.

Using a vivid description of the Mayflower voyage he delves into the working relationship of the two communities. Hence, he illustrates the nature of Wampanoags, who were lead by their enigmatic and cunning chief Massasoit, and the Pilgrims, whose confrontational military leader Miles Standish had a very volatile relationship (Philbrick 133).

Nathaniel Philbrick has proved to be a credible author. The manner he has argued for his case in the book testifies to this. Therefore, delving into the historical significance of the Pilgrims he can be said to have presented a superb portrayal of the first 55 years. And this illustrates that by delving into the social, religious and cultural context he satisfied the elementals of his argument. As is apparent in the book he employed both primary and secondary sources to examine and verify his argument.

For instance, the scope of Thanksgiving illustrates his engagement with the both Natives and the Pilgrims. More so, the crisp exploration of the decades of uncertainty to the eruption of King Philips War, that turned to be savagely disastrous and almost wiped the English colonists as well as the Natives alike, is profoundly portrayed as the pivot that forever changed the cause of the colonies and the nation that sprouted from them.

On a critical approach the changes that were effected by the pilgrims illustrates the complex alliances that had aided in forging a common goal among the Pilgrims and the Natives. Hence, by borrowing from the ancient records he depicts how the Indians were characterized as savages while novel records shifts the blame to the imperialist. However, Mayflower candidly depicts both the English and Indians as human beings, prone to ere but making the best decisions in the time of adversity (Philbrick 145).

Also fascinating is the often unnoticed anecdote of the Plymouth voyagers relations with other protectorates including the disorderly merrymakers of Merrymount, the bigger and more affluent Massachusetts Bay Colony, in addition to even the Dutch in New Netherlands.

"The Mayflower and the Pilgrims New World" is the ideal beginning for young readers to this impressive narrative, at once catastrophic and heroic. Tailored specifically for middle-grade scholars, this book presents a capital of supplemental substances such as new maps plus snaps, a time line, and a catalog of characters for supplementary understanding and accessibility.

The book is exceptional though Philbrick have confidently shunned the typical overarching ethical issues and equally takes no sides. By narrating the story of the former America, he attempts to correlate it explicitly to the later US history. According to his observations, the history presents how once a flourishing land evolved to be a community of land-lust, disparaging expendiency, racism, and war. All in all, the only problem with this work is that the author seems to talk more of the war than other essential issues. However, it is a good book that can be improved through further critical studies.

Work cited

Philbrick, Nathaniel.Mayflower.NY: Penguin, 2007.