William Bradford

William Bradford was basically the leader of the colony at Plymouth. William played many roles in being the leader but I think the main was being the anchor. To come to a completely different land took a lot of courage, and the pilgrims must have needed someone to be the anchor of the town. Someone who could be the leader in the midst of chaos. And William Bradford was that person. Granted someone would step in had he not been there, he still served many roles, along with keeping a colony of people stable.

early settelers' journals

All this week we have been looking at journals. Journals in movies and journals in our books. And every journal we have read has been from the point of view of the settlers. But what if we studied history through the eyes of the Indians? It’s not that I am saying we should disregard the settlers' accounts, but it has to be realized that the Native Americans saw things in a completely different view. What the settlers saw (from what I can put together by journals) were humans. But they weren't humans that resembled those making the same voyage; they were a completely different species. And the difference and radical changes that came with the Native Americans scared the settlers and formed an image in their mind of people who were an enemy and someone to be protected from. But to the Indians, the settlers were invaders. Strange men and women much paler than they and living a very different lifestyle. The Indians loved nature and saw it as a mother to them, while the settlers took land for granted, as something that could be conquered and tamed. Something they had at their disposal and could do with as they pleased. So how would our view of our history, and of what happened to form our country, change if we took it from a Native American point of view? What if we saw ourselves not as those that conquered this strange, new, challenging, and dangerous land? But, as those who had already established a way of life, and were invaded by a culture that saw us as enemies and savages, and then finally, as an allies. Now I’m not claiming to be an expert on either the Native Americans or the settlers, but am throwing out the question, what if? 

first assignment.

So sorry this took so long to get up, this sight and I apparently do not get along at all. But has anyone else noticed when we read the myths, stories, and look at the history behind the Native American culture, they seem like five year olds? The imagination they have is incredible, and they never lose it which is amazing. I wish I could go back to the days when explaining something led to this intricate woven story that made complete sense to me, and anyone else my age at the time. And the fact that they can tie it all back to nature has always captivated me. Once you get past the bizarreness of all that they say, you can finally see the true beauty in the tales and in the words. It’s almost as if some of the greatest writers America has seen couldn’t write with as much passion, character, description, or sense of wonderment, as the Native Americans can.

first blog =)

as sad as i am to say, im actually pretty proud that i figured this out :D