The Colonial Period: John Smith, William Bradford, and John Winthrop
Bryanna Meade
ENGL 201-B06
Running head: THE COLONIAL PERIOD 1
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During the beginning years of America being discovered, there was a huge amount of
political and religious issues going on in England resulting in many people leaving in search of
freedom in the new world. Well known men such as John Smith, William Bradford, and John
Winthrop, were in search of that freedom and they saw America as a great opportunity to start
fresh and build communities that had nothing to do with England. This time was most notably
called the Colonial period and resulted in many distinguished literary advances. Without the
literature written during this period, literature today would not be where it is today. To fully
grasp the great impact of literature during the Colonial period, it is good to examine who John
Smith, William Bradford, and John Winthrop are, how they are similar or different as historians,
and how they are similar or different as literary writers.
John Smith, William Bradford, and John Winthrop were all notable historians and literary
writers in during the Colonial period. John Smith was an English soldier, explorer, colonial
governor, Admiral of New England, and author during the first English settlement in the early
17th century. According to American Colonies, “Smith played a pivotal role in the exploration
and settlement of America. His leadership at Jamestown, his contacts with Chesapeake Indians
and his Chesapeake Bay voyages – documented in through his maps and journals – helped
ensure the success of early English colonization efforts.” He is mostly known for marrying
Pocahontas rather than being a literary writer. William Bradford was an English Puritan
separatist who escaped persecution from King James 1 of England and then emigrated to the
Plymouth Colony via the Mayflower in 1620. He traveled to the New World so he could live in
religious freedom and he soon become the second governor of the Plymouth Colony. John
Winthrop, the third distinguished man during the Colonial period that is being discussed, was an
English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
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In American Colonies, it says “Winthrop was the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
and the chief figure among the Puritan founders of New England.” All in all, these men were all
important and notable during the Colonial period.
All three of these men have similarities and differences when it comes to them as
historians. For instance, each of these three men were among the first to leave England in search
of adventure and freedom in the New World. One difference is that these men led very different
lives while in England and operated their colonies in different ways. John Smith settled in
Jamestown and lived as an explorer, soldier, and governor. According to the 13 Colonies,
“Jamestown colonists were so busy looking for gold and other exportable resources that they
could barely feed themselves. It was not until 1616, when settlers learned how to grow tobacco,
that it seemed the colony might survive.” William Bradford and John Winthrop; however, were
more similar. Both of these men were English Puritans who settled in the New England Colonies,
Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony. In the 13 Colonies, it says that “with the help
of local natives, the colonists soon got the hang of farming, fishing, and hunting, and prospered.”
This is different that John Smith’s Jamestown because they did not rely on the natives help to
prosper. They were more forceful and closer minded. As a historian, we also hear more about
John Smith than we do of William Bradford and John Winthrop because of the famous story of
Pocahontas. John Smith met and married Pocahontas because she saved him from being killed
twice. Overall, each of these men were great historians that were important in our American
history.
Additionally, these men are very similar and different in regard to them as literary
writers. Each of these men have very different writing styles. John Smith was highly known for
his Map of Virginia. The article, American Literature: Colonial Literature, says that the Map of
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Virginia “is focused centrally on the observations that Smith made about the Native Americans,
particularly regarding their religion and government.” While Smith used drawing and pictures for
his writings, William Bradford used a plainer style to write his recording of the Plymouth
Colony. He wrote this way because he wanted something that was straight forward, clear, and
was clear of imagery. John Winthrop, on the other hand, had training as a lawyer and his writing
reflects that. According to American Literature: Colonial Literature, “the entire self-reflexive
nature of the Journal, A Modell of Christian Charity, lends itself to examination.” Winthrop
focused primarily on sermons and religious style writings.
All in all, by examining these three men, John Winthrop, William Bradford, and John
Smith, we can see the great impact literature had during the Colonial period. If not for this time
of exploration in pursuit of religious freedom and separation from England, the many literary
advances made during this important period would not have been made. Without the literature
written during the Colonial period, literature would not be where it is today.
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References
American literature: Colonial literature. (2016). Infoplease.
Britannica. (2019). American colonies. Encyclopedia Britannica, inc.
The 13 colonies. (2010). History.
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