William Bradford Influence

There are many influential individuals that can be recognized in in American history. One influential individual is William Bradford. He has made marks in history such as his involvement with the separatist’s, his voyage on the Mayflower, and becoming the governor of the Plymouth colony. Bradford lived a successful life and was a leader starting from a very young age. William Bradford always questioned the majority and made decisions based on his own beliefs and what he felt was best for the people he cared for.
William Bradford was an English separatist born in 1590 in the Yorkshire farming community of Auster field, England. He came from a wealthy and influential family that owned a large amount of land for farming. By the age of seven,
“They favored removing themselves from England entirely, and they defied the orders of the king by leaving for European protestant nations,” (Schweikart and Allen, 27). This was because their disobedience involving religion resulted in persecution and even death. The group settled in the Netherlands and in 1613, Bradford married Dorothy May who was the daughter of a well-off family in Amsterdam. “The couple was married in a civil service, as the Separatists could find no example of a religious service in the Scriptures,” (Schmidt, 37). In 1617, William and Dorothy Bradford had their first child John Bradford.
William Bradford was considered a politician. His major political role was as the governor of the Plymouth colony settlement. Bradford was the governor for thirty years. In these years, he was looked highly upon by the settler’s for being trustworthy and ensuring success within their settlement. One of his most well-known traits as governor was his belief in religious tolerance. This means he accepted people of all religions and believed in freedom of choice. Bradford’s overall goal as governor was to ensure happiness and success amongst all the people in his