Mayflower Paper
Theodore McPhail
Wednesday, August 27th, 2014
Mr. Mac
History 201
Prompt: Using Nathaniel Philbrick’s book Mayflower, complete a 5 page essay answering the following prompt: Nathanial Philbrick writes, "When Philip's warriors attacked in
June of 1675, it was not because relentless and faceless forces had given the Indians no other choice. Those forces had existed from the beginning." (xiv) What forces lead to King Phillips war and how did those forces change the way historians have viewed the Pilgrim myth?
Mayflower paper
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick discovers the first fiftyfive years of the Pilgrims' life, and their journey to, and through the New
World. Philbrick mainly focuses on the social and economic relationships between the
English and their Native American neighbors. The two groups evolve from distrust to a cooperative alliance to a bloody war within this short time frame. On top of just focusing on the social and economic relationships, he used two men to describe what is going on in this time frame. As Philbrick states to cover his thesis about his book, “fifty – six – year intergenerational saga of discovery, accommodation, community, and war – a pattern that was repeated time and time again as the United States worked its way west
1
and ultimately into the world.”
1
Nathaniel Philbrick, Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community, and War (New York; Penguin
Group. 2006) XV
A variety of forces helped to change the way that historians are viewing the Pilgrim myth, the view of the Pilgrims being a peaceful religious group in search of creating a place of free and secure worship but rather over time as a people who looked out for their own gain by taking any opportunity that was available to them. Personal ambitions were at the forefront of the colonization, but were not as prominent as they were to be seen in the later descendants. The early colonists were only thinking of
Wednesday, August 27th, 2014
Mr. Mac
History 201
Prompt: Using Nathaniel Philbrick’s book Mayflower, complete a 5 page essay answering the following prompt: Nathanial Philbrick writes, "When Philip's warriors attacked in
June of 1675, it was not because relentless and faceless forces had given the Indians no other choice. Those forces had existed from the beginning." (xiv) What forces lead to King Phillips war and how did those forces change the way historians have viewed the Pilgrim myth?
Mayflower paper
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick discovers the first fiftyfive years of the Pilgrims' life, and their journey to, and through the New
World. Philbrick mainly focuses on the social and economic relationships between the
English and their Native American neighbors. The two groups evolve from distrust to a cooperative alliance to a bloody war within this short time frame. On top of just focusing on the social and economic relationships, he used two men to describe what is going on in this time frame. As Philbrick states to cover his thesis about his book, “fifty – six – year intergenerational saga of discovery, accommodation, community, and war – a pattern that was repeated time and time again as the United States worked its way west
1
and ultimately into the world.”
1
Nathaniel Philbrick, Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community, and War (New York; Penguin
Group. 2006) XV
A variety of forces helped to change the way that historians are viewing the Pilgrim myth, the view of the Pilgrims being a peaceful religious group in search of creating a place of free and secure worship but rather over time as a people who looked out for their own gain by taking any opportunity that was available to them. Personal ambitions were at the forefront of the colonization, but were not as prominent as they were to be seen in the later descendants. The early colonists were only thinking of