Friday, March 5, 2010
Mayflower
Mayflower recounts the story of the Pilgrims preparation for, landing in, and early colonization of New England, but perhaps not the story with which you are familiar. This is the story, based on the historical record, of the Pilgrims' real motivations and exploits in the Plymouth colony. Mayflower also shows the distinct differences between the early colonies in religious persuasion and ethnic heritage, and their role in the growth, survival, and destruction of Plymouth. The story of Pilgrims and Indians living in harmony at the first Thanksgiving is a fable, and the forgotten story of "King Philip's War", the first and bloody war between various Indian tribes and the English settlers is told here in its confusing detail. Shifting sides and broken promises result in the highest death toll in a war (as a percentage of population) ever fought on American soil, and was higher than many foreign wars as well. Still, the small band of English settlers who arrived on the Mayflower and survived the first year sired many present day descendants. Philbrick writes, "In 2002 it was estimated that there were approximately 35 million descendants of the Mayflower passengers in the United States, which represents roughly 10 percent of the total U.S. population." But this book shines a light on the brutal, stubborn, narrow-minded English men, the so-called "Pilgrim fathers", fleeing religious persecution, but full of religious and ethnic intolerance of their own. The more things change, the more they stay the same, it seems...
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I'd tread carefully with Philbrick's book. I give him all the credit in the world for actually writing a book about 17th century American history that made the Best Seller list--a great achievement second-to-none. However, Philbrick's extensive bibliography includes several sources that have been dismissed wholesale by historians over the years. In addition, since he fails to footnote or endnote his work, you have absolutely no idea where he comes up with most of the events he asserts as truths. For example, we have no idea what the master of the Mayflower and its crew did to combat the shoals off of Cape Cod after their arrival and attempt to sail around the Cape, but he manages to compose an entire chapter on it without a mention of lack of sources (the most contemporary source to the event gives a half-a-sentence description of the same, and nothing more).
ReplyDeleteMy suggestion is going back to the sources. For primary sources on Plymouth, try Mourt's Relation, Good Newes From New England, and William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation. If it is King Philip's War you like, try Eric Schultz's King Philip's War (which is exceptional).