Which of the aspects of the American Dream (abundant land, veritable wealth, religious fortitude, open hospitality, laborious work ethic, etc. ), established by the early American writers and explorers, do you feel was best conveyed in the writings of Columbus, Smith, and Bradford? Give specifics from the selections to support your claim.(The deadline to post a response to this blog question is midnight Thursday, January 27, 2011)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Tradition Begins
Which of the aspects of the American Dream (abundant land, veritable wealth, religious fortitude, open hospitality, laborious work ethic, etc. ), established by the early American writers and explorers, do you feel was best conveyed in the writings of Columbus, Smith, and Bradford? Give specifics from the selections to support your claim.(The deadline to post a response to this blog question is midnight Thursday, January 27, 2011)
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I believe the hospitality of the people was best conveyed in all of the writings. In the piece by Columbus, for example, he speaks of how the people are shy and will not put up a fight. He states they are harmless. Smith only conveys the people as savages in order to lure the missionaries to come. This makes them feel needed and lead to come. Bradford actually befriends the Indians. He communicates with them and, in return, learns about the land. The Indians are completely harmless in his eyes, also. They even sign an early peace agreement with the cheif to ensure safety. Together, the Pilgrims and Indians celebrate Thanksgiving together in his account. If the Indians were no hospitable, then all of their accounts would be lies. Their peacefullness and cooperative attidudes is evident through these early American writings.
I have to say that the apspect of abundant land was portrayed in all of the excerpts. Columbus speaks of the numerous islands that he and his crew had come across; all that land to conquer. Smith, in his wishing to persuade more settlers to come, portrayed it to be so abundant of land. He describes the capaciousness of the land in America. Finally, Bradford talks about the abundance also. The woods, the land, the space; all for settlers to establish their communities on. Reading through all of these writings, one cannot help but think of it in his/her mind of the vast expanse of space set before these settlers who wrote to describe them.
I think the opportunity to gain abundant land was best conveyed from all the writers. For example, Christopher Columbus mentioned how he discovered many fine islands, and was able to take possession of them without any resistance from the natives. John Smith described how in the “New Land” land is abundant and that many people should consider migrating to America. In the diary of Bradford, he explained how there was abundance in land that was covered with forest. Even though it sounded like the land was awful once the Pilgrims arrived, it seems like it got better once summer came and they could start planting crops. People are grateful whenever they have the chance to receive land now, and I am sure they were grateful then too.
I think the chance to obtain land was best conveyed by all the writers. For instance, Bradford may say that the land is a "hideous and desolate wilderness", but he also describes it as being in great abundance. With this land the Pilgrims were able to plant and harvest a great amount of food, with the indians help. In another account John Smith tries to persuade people to come to America by asking "what can be better than planting and building a foundation?". In this question he hopes to show others that the "New Land" has a lot of land to be offered. In Columbus's letter he describes what he thinks to be America as very beautiful in appearance, fertile in land, and plentiful in rivers. Although, this was not America Columbus's letter still gave many voyagers hope of a home with flourishing land. The importance of land is evident throughout all three writer's works of literature.
I think the aspect of open hospitality was best expressed by all of the writings. For instance, Columbus states that the people on the island of Espanola were timid instead of violent. He also said that once the natives threw aside their fear, they were very ingenious and honest people. Smith, on the other hand, gave the appearance that the natives were savages and in need of missionaries to convert them. In Bradford’s diary, he conveys the Indians as shy at first, but finally befriending the Pilgrims. Bradford also mentions how the Indians helped the Pilgrims learn to grow crops and learn about the new country they were living in. The Indians also joined the Pilgrims when they celebrated the first Thanksgiving. Without the open hospitality of all the native people, these early European explorers probably would not have been able to survive after their long travels.
I think that the aspect of abundant land was very strongly conveyed. Bradford mentions the land being "hideous and desolate" and "full of woods and thickets" but then contines to state that they could "view from this wilderness a more goodly country to feed their hopes". I think that shows that he understood it was winter and land would be barren, but he also saw potential in the land. He thinks it is much better land than in England and would be sufficient enough for their needs come summer time. In Smith's piece he says "what can be better than planting and building a foundation" and "what can be be more pleasurable than being here, planting vines, fruits, or herbs?". This shows Smith clearly sees how abundant and fertile America's land is. He speaks of planting fruits and herbs, this shows the land is very suitable for planting and harvesting food for the pilgrims. Even though Christopher Columbus was not in America, he spoke of "beautiful mountains, large cultivated tracts,woods, fertile fields, and everything adapted to the purposes of agriculture". This still gave hope to the Pilgrims for a great amount of fertile and usable land.
To me, it seems as though open hospitality was the most established of the four. Whenever Columbus wrote back to Spain of his trip to the "New Land", he went into great detail of how the people were shy and afraid at first but soon welcomed them with open arms. In a way, Smith's writings encompassed this idea also. He spoke of how the natives were a savage people in need of religious conversion. Of course, fine upstanding Christians would want to come and help out these poor people. Finally, in Bradford's writing, he describes how the Pilgrims were near the brink of extinction whenever they were saved by the Indians. Food, resources, and assistance were all given away freely to the Pilgrims by these fine, hospitable folk. Without the hospitality of these people, there is no doubt the Pilgrims would not have done what they did.
I think that the aspect of abundant land was best established in the early American writing's of Columbus, Smith, and Bradford. In Christopher Columbus' work, he says he finds two pieces of land. One being three hundred and twenty-two miles wide and the other five hundred and sixty-four miles wide. He also tells that the land is very fertile. Smith goes on to suggests that there is an abundance of fertile land and many places to fish. Bradford desscribes the land as "hideous and desolate." He then says, "to view from this wilderness a more goodly country to feed their hopes." Clearly, all three authors convey the point of abundant land. Additionally, they explain how the abundant land will supply them places to grow crops and build so that they will survive. Abundant land is a very evident aspect in the early American literature.
I believe that religious fortitude is best conveyed in the writings of Columbus, Smith, and Bradford. In Bradford's writing he says that it is God's will for them to go to the New World. Bradford also speaks of cursing and punishing those who sin and do wrong. In John Smith's writings he speaks of converting the savages into Christians. Aditionally, Smith writes about God's blessing on the land for them to plant and build. In the writings of Smith and Bradford religious fortidude is a theme that is very prevelent. Their works of literature show that religion was very important to the Puritans.
I think the hospitatlity of the people is the best depicted in the writings of Columbus, Smith, and Bradford. Columbus described the natives as timid, honest, and ingenuous. He also said that even though they have weapons, they choose not to use them. Although Smith describes the Indians as savages, I do not think that he believed this. He only said they were savages to persuade the missionaries to come to the new world to teach the Indians about Christianity. Bradford actually makes a peace agreement with a group of Indians. One Indian Squanto actually lives with the Pilgrims until he died. Bradford and the Pilgrims share the first Thanksgiving with the Indians. Hospitality of the people in the new lands is very evident in all three of these writings.
I think the amavement and ability to get land obvious area showas the most wn in the three writers books. For Christopher Columbus, he wrote about how beautiful the tropical land was of what he belived to be America. Smith was telling everyone how wonderful the land was just to get people to come over on that ocean voyage. Bradford was the last of the three writers to come to the new land. Unfortunately for Bradford, he left for the new world thinking it would be an elaborate experience, but was actually a cold dead land since he came in the middle of winter. The land was obviously very important in the writtings of these writers
I believe that the ability to acquire great wealth was best conveyed by the writers. Each writer talked not only about the wealth of precious metals and gems but also about the monumental amount of land to be owned. For example, Christopher Columbus wrote about the gold that the natives traded away so easily and about the beauty and quality of the land he had discovered. John Smith goes on to tell of an abundant resource of fertile land that was found. Finally, even though Bradford’s writings describe it as “hideous and desolate,” the land is still a very important theme in his documentation as he continues later in a more positive note to explain that good things can come from the wilderness he sees. Each writer strongly emphasizes the possible wealth that this new world can offer.
When I read each of the exerts I found that the strongest focus of the explorer's writing was the abundance of land. Although all the writers did not land in the same spot and see what the other saw the abundance of land was a reoccurring point made by all of them. In Christopher's letter to the queen he writes about the multiple islands he found on his travels. Each island was hospitable and spacious. Also in John Smith's letter he talks of the very large island he landed on. Once again the point is made that the land is abundant and extremely fertile. Every writer seemed to really sell America by making the important point of its largely abundant space.
I think that the hospitality of the people was best conveyed throughout the writings. In Columbus' piece of writing, he said the people were very shy. However, he also learned that they were actually nice and honest. In Smith's work, he described them as savages. He may not have truly seen them this way, but having knowledge of the value of religion, what better way to persuade people to come than to describe people who need God? In Bradford's diary, he wrote good things about the natives. He mentioned how they helped the pilgrims when they were in need. I believe each writer conveyed the hospitality of the people very well.
I think that the aspect of veritable wealth is the most common throughout the works of all three of these explorers. Christopher Colombus elaborates on the generosity of the natives in giving gold, cotton and other precious objects, illustrating that the new land is full of these resources. John Smith tells of the abundance of fish and how each and every man can grow rich from fishing as a side job. Lastly, Bradford, after have lived in the new land for a few months, sees the promise of a bright future with the help of the Indians. Each man wrote of the opportunity for man to create wealth for himself and his family
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