Comparing The Mayflower: A Story Of Courage, Community, And War
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For many years the Mayflower has been known for its voyage to the new world as a beacon for hope for a new life. Most people today remember the Mayflower as a symbol for the first thanksgiving between Native Americans and the Pilgrims. Nathaniel Philbrick’s book Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War, however, brings a new light on the subject exploring politics and power balance among the Native American tribes and the new English settlers. In Philbrick’s book he focuses on the relationship of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag and, how this affected the new colonies. Both of them benefited from the new alliance and found that they relied on each other to survive. The Wampanoag helped the Pilgrims survive in the winter and, in return the Pilgrims made the Wampanoag a vital…show more content… In the beginning, of Philbrick’s book the reader is introduced to the colonist arriving to the beach of Plymouth beaten and battered from there voyage. As stated by Philbrick when the colonist finally reached the shore “ they saw dozen or so Indians working around a large dark object” From the first sighting of the Native Americans the Pilgrims seek for their advice from fellow Native Squanto a English speaking Native. Squanto would teach the colonist ways to survive the harsh winters of the New World and, also how to grow fresh crops. Squanto belonged to the Wampanoag tribe in which the Pilgrims would come to rely on for the years that would follow due to the relationship of Squanto and his tribe members. Although, the Pilgrims favored the Wampanoag other’s that followed the Pilgrims to the new world did not grow fond of the tribe. As the colonies grew they were in search of new land this led to them proposing a deal to buy the land from Massasoit and the Wampanoag. This began a series of business agreements between Massasoit and the Pilgrims’ in which created a monopoly for the