The Variances Between the Writings of Bradford and Smith

The Variances Between the Writings of Bradford and Smith

Many settlers came to the new world for many reasons. Some came for financial reasons. Other settlers came for adventure, because they were bored with everyday life in Europe. Some immigrants settled North America because they were seeking religious freedom. Two leaders and explorers that journeyed to this new world were William Bradford and John Smith. During their travels they both recorded their sightings and happenings. Although Smith and Bradford came during similar time periods, their writings were very different.

Bradford came with the Puritans to New England searching for religious freedom. Bradford made his writings to be as a document of fact. Bradford included both the good and the bad in his writings. Bradford says, "There was a proud and very profane young man, of a lusty, able body...he would always be condemning the poor people in their sickness and cursing them daily and told them he hoped to cast half them overboard before the journey's end (pg.29)." He was also a God fearing man. Bradford writes, "and thought themselves happy to get out of those dangers before night overtook them, as by God's good providence they did (pg. 30)."

John Smith was another explorer of the time period. His accounts differed much from Bradford's. Smith wrote to persuade people in Europe to come to the new world. Smith writes, "Here nature and liberty afford us that freely which in England we want, or it costs us dearly (pg. 36)." He wished to intrigue prospective "new world" travelers. He wrote as if he were advertising for the new world, telling only the positive things and none of the negative things.

Bradford and Smith's ideas were very different. Bradford's writings were to be used as a document of history and fact. Smith's writings were used for advertisement and to intrigue new world comers. Although Smith and Bradford were writers of the same time period and both traveled to the new world, their writings differed greatly.