PUR - Early Colonial Literature Lesson

Please view the following presentation, which will give you an overview of the Puritans, their writing style, and some early Puritan leaders. As you review the information, please take notes, as this presentation will provide you with a foundation for understanding the texts we will study in this unit. Please be patient while the presentation loads - depending on your internet connection, it may take some time. Ensure that your speakers are turned up, and use the controls at the bottom of the presentation to advance the slides.

William Bradford and Of Plymouth Plantation

 As you learned in the presentation above, William Bradford (1590-1657) sailed to Plymouth on the Mayflower. He then served as Governor of Plymouth Colony for over thirty years. Beginning in 1630, Bradford started writing a history of the Plymouth Colony under the title Of Plymouth Plantation.

Reading Assignment

You are now ready to read excerpts from Of Plymouth Plantation. Pay close attention to Bradford's plain style, religious references, and detailed accounts of the hardships the Pilgrims faced. Please look at the link below for Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation. 

Of Plymouth Plantation Text Link Links to an external site.

Of Plymouth Plantation Audio Link Links to an external site.

John Winthrop

As you learned in the presentation above, John Winthrop was a wealthy Puritan lawyer who led a group of Puritans to Massachusetts, where they founded Boston. This began the Great Migration, which would eventually result in the settlement of over 20,000 Puritans and others in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. While still on board their ship, The Arabella, Winthrop addressed the settlers and exhorted them to form a community that would be an example of Christian living for the rest of the world to follow. Boston was to be this "City Upon a Hill."

Reading Assignment

You are now ready to read the final paragraphs of Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity," usually referred to as "City Upon a Hill" after the speech's most famous phrase. Remember that Winthrop was a Puritan and had been a lawyer, so this text is like a sermon and this excerpt like a closing argument during trial. Pay close attention to his advice for how the settlers can survive as a community, his argument's foundation in Biblical teachings, and his claims about what will happen if they do not live according to God's laws. Consider carefully why he would offer these settlers the vision of themselves as a model city for the rest of the world and the impact that might have on their behavior.

"A Model of Christian Charity" (AKA City Upon a Hill) Text Link Links to an external site.

"A Model of Christian Charity" (AKA City Upon a Hill) Audio Link Links to an external site.

Bradford and Winthrop Self-Assessment

Now that you have read and understood Of Plymouth Plantation and "City Upon a Hill," practice your comprehension in the activity below:

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