Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford

Thesis:
In an excerpt of William Bradford's of Plymouth Plantation, although the puritans experience hardship in their voyage to America, in their arrival and ion their dealings with the Indians, they will maintain their reverence to god and to one another (their initial reason for leaving England).

Impressing Passage:
But presently, all on the sudden, they heard a great and strange cry, which they knew to be the same voices they heard in the night, though they varied their notes; and one of their company being abroad came running in and cried, "Men, Indians! Indians!" And withal, their arrows came flying amongst them. Their men ran with all speed to recover their arms, as by the good providence of God they did. In the meantime, of those that were there ready, two muskets were discharged at them, and two more stood ready in the entrance of their rendezvous but were commanded not to shoot till they could take full aim at them. And the other two charged again with-all speed, for there were only four had arms there, and defended the barricade, which was first assaulted. The cry of the Indians was dreadful, especially when they saw the men run out of the rendezvous toward the shallop to recover their arms, the Indians wheeling about upon them. But some running out with coats of mail on, and cutlasses in their hands, they soon got their arms land let fly amongst them and quickly stopped their violence. Yet there was a lusty man, and no less valiant, stood behind a tree within half a musket shot, and let his arrows fly at them; he was seen [to] shoot three arrows, which were all avoided. He stood three shots of a musket, till one taking full aim at him and made the bark or splinters of the tree fly about his ears, after which he gave an extraordinary shriek and away they went, all of them. They' left some to keep the shallop and followed them about a quarter of a mile and shouted once or twice, and shot off two or three pieces, and so returned. This they did that they might conceive that they were not afraid of them or any way discouraged.

What impressed me about this passage is that the puritans had just gotten to America and are already claiming that territory as theirs. They prove this by defeating the Indians on the Indian Territory as they are surprise attacked from the woods. The Indians had more of the advantage but the puritans were still able to get their weapons in time to defeat them. This shows that the puritans are already taking pride in their new land in not letting the natives drive them off.

Journal entry:
Last night we were attacked by Indians. It was a shocking sight and sound that surprised us all as they came running out of the forest with their arrows flying in front of them at me brothers that they were chasing. As soon as I could perceive what was happening, I grabbed my weapon and tried to shoot at as many I could. Once I looked to the side and someone had been hit in the arm by and arrow and it sent him to the ground. The sound and power of the muskets surprised the Indians and sent them fleeing into the woods. That was a very memorial night and we give all thanks to god who gave us strength in our first battle on a strange land.