Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647: the complete text,

“Bradford’s history is a story of a simple people inspired by an ardent faith to a dauntless courage in danger, a resourcefulness in dealing with new problems, an impregnable fortitude in adversity that exalts and heartens one in an age of uncertainty, when courage falters and faith grows dim. It is this story, told by a great human being, that has made the Pilgrim Fathers in a sense the spiritual ancestors of all Americans, all pioneers.” Thus Samuel Eliot Morison, the pre-eminent American historian in this field, in his Preface to this great American classic. For the first time the printed text of Bradford’s history has been compared word for word with the original manuscript; for the first time the difficult abbreviations and contractions used by Bradford have been filled out and his archaic and variant spellings made uniform. This edition has double value: it presents Governor Bradford’s text in readable form and it provides contemporary readers with a history of that text and its enduring significance by the historian clearly elect to interpret it. Frontmatter Introduction (page xxiii) THE FIRST BOOK I The Separatist Interpretation of the Reformation in England, 1550-1607 (page 3) II Of their Departure into Holland and their Troubles thereabout, with some of the many Difficulties they found and met withal. Anno 1608 (page 11) III Of their Settling in Holland, and their Manner of Living, and Entertainment there. (page 16) IV Showing the Reasons and Causes of Their Removal (page 23) V Showing What Means They Used for Preparation to This Weighty Voyage (page 28) VI Concerning the Agreements and Articles between them and such Merchants and Others as Adventured Moneys; with Other Things Falling out about Making their Provisions (page 36) VII Of their Departure from Leyden, and other things thereabout; with their Arrival at Southampton, where they all met together and took in their Provisions (page 47) VIII Of the Troubles that befell them on the Coast, and at Sea, being forced after much Trouble to leave one of their Ships and some of their Company behind them (page 52) IX Of their Voyage, and how they Passed the Sea; and of their Safe Arrival at Cape Cod (page 58) X Showing How they Sought out a place of Habitation; and What Befell them Thereabout (page 64) THE SECOND BOOK (page 73) XI The Remainder of Anno 1620 (page 75) XII Anno 1621 (page 85) XIII Anno 1622 (page 98) XIV Anno Domini 1623 (page 116) XV Anno Domini 1624 (page 140) XVI Anno Domini 1625 (page 165) XVII Anno Domini 1626 (page 179) XVIII Anno Domini 1627 (page 184) XIX Anno Domini 1628 (page 197) XX Anno Domini 1629 (page 213) XXI Anno Domini 1630 (page 226) XXII Anno Domini 1631 (page 237) XXIII Anno Domini 1632 (page 250) XXIV Anno Domini 1633 (page 256) XXV Anno Domini 1634 (page 262) XXVI Anno Domini 1635 (page 272) XXVII Anno Domini 1636 (page 286) XXVIII Anno Domini 1637 (page 294) XXIX Anno Domini 1638 (page 299) XXX Anno Domini 1639 and Anno Domini 1640 (page 304) XXXI Anno Domini 1641 (page 312) XXXII Anno Domini 1642 (page 316) XXXIII Anno Domini 1643 (page 324) XXXIV Anno Domini 1644 (page 333) XXXV Anno Domini 1645 (page 339) XXXVI Anno Domini 1646 (page 345) Appendices I Bradford's "Late Observation Worthy to be Noted" of 1646 (page 351) II Correspondence with the Virginia Company; Blackweil's Unfortunate Voyage, 1618-19 (page 353) III Correspondence of June I620 between the Leyden Committee and their Agents in London (page 360) IV The Rev. John Robinson's Farewell Letters to John Carver (page 367) V Letters from London and Leyden that Came in the Charity, March 1624 (page 372) VI Correspondence with the Dutch at Manhattan, 1627 (page 378) VII Letters of Sherley and Hatherley to Bradford and Others, 1627-1635 (page 381) VIII Governor Winthrop's Letters on the Pequot War (page 394) IX Terminating the Undertakers' Agreement with their London Partners, 1641 (page 399) X Opinions of Three Ministers on Unnatural Vice, 1642 (page 404) XI Conclusion of Business with London Partners, 1642-3 (page 414) XII Official Documents (page 421) XIII Passengers in the Mayflower (page 441) INDEX AND FAMILIAR QUOTATIONS It is well known unto the godly and judicious, how ever since the first breaking out of the light of the gospel in our honourable nation of England, (which was the first of nations whom the Lord adorned therewith after the gross darkness of popery which had covered and overspread the Christian world,) what wars and oppositions ever since, Satan hath raised, maintained and continued against the Saints, from time to time, in one sort or other. Records the history of Plymouth Plantation as written by Bradford in his journals of 1620-1647