Mayflower: Question 1

1) What beliefs and character traits that typified the Pilgrims enabled them to survive in the hostile environment that greeted them in the New World? Did some of the same traits that helped them survive limit them in other ways? How so?

The Pilgrims were primarily defined by the fact that faith was of the utmost importance. In fact, due to their Puritan values that clashed with the values professed by the Church of England, the Pilgrims had already gained valuable experience in crafting an identity in a new (though in this case not exactly "hostile") environment: the Dutch city of Leiden. Despite being outsiders in Holland, the Pilgrims were stubbornly determined to live without restrictions on their faith that existed in mother England. Because they rejected the authority of the bishops of the Anglican church, the position of minister was an integral part of the Pilgrims' religious community. William Brewster, the minister at the time of the voyage of the Mayflower, provided great moral support for the community when conditions looked bleak. Eventually, the position of governor took importance for the colony, and the leadership of William Bradford enabled the colony to succeed in its first, most difficult years.

Ironically, many of the Pilgrims' failures can also be attributed to the ideals of faith and determination. Without taking a religious position, one could almost say that the Pilgrims relied too much on God's divine providence. When the band of explorers led by Miles Standish made some foolhardy decisions, such as stealing the native supply of corn, the Pilgrims were perhaps too complacent, in that they underestimated the strength of the neighboring Indian tribes. Also, the Pilgrims' determination, at times, tended to be a detriment to their progress. The instance when the Pilgrims became almost obsessed with building forts comes to mind. The Pilgrims certainly could not have succeeded had they not possessed this strong determination, but they probably would have been better off had they not been so haughty.