Colonialism In Modern America

For several decades, since the colonial times, there have been signs of Americanism that has resulted into what is now the modern America of today’s society. The differentiations and obvious similarities between the “old world” and the “new world”, Puritans and our “Founding Fathers”, and Puritan ideology versus Enlightenment ideology have all played an exciting role in what it means to be an American. The subjects of religion, the concept of God, freedom, and the equal rights of man ties into what the beliefs were previously as opposed to how they are today. What does it mean to be an American? To be an American means that you possess the ability to uphold natural rights, have the freedom to discover yourself as a person, and not based upon …show more content…
He was the leader of the Pilgrims, who had become separatists and opposed the Church of England and their allies the Puritans because they felt the church was solely corrupt. Being different from John Winthrop, Bradford was raised on a farm and was taught the styles of farming techniques along with being self-educated, he believed that God also had a plan for his life as well as the Pilgrims. He believed that God determined all the actions of his followers and their thoughts. His beliefs led the Pilgrims on a long road of exile from England and an adventurous journey aboard the Mayflower in November of 1620, where they landed on Plymouth Plantation colony. The many obstacles they faced such as the “starving times” and negotiations with the Wampanoag Indians all resulted in Bradford’s belief that God would bless the Pilgrims with “special providence”. This was the belief that God granted special treatments upon his followers. Amongst the Mayflower, there was a seaman who was condemning the poor as they were sick and said how he would throw them overboard. He states, “But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner; and so was himself the first thrown overboard” (Bradford). Bradford’s principles can be described as such today simply because although we as Americans have the choice and …show more content…
Both literacy figures John Winthrop and William Bradford had opposing views in which they felt the need to eventually separate from the Church of England, or like the Pilgrims become separatists. They both took voyages and built their own colonies in ways they felt served God’s ideal providence. Even though they did not see that their actions were creating Americanization far as religion and the huge concept of God, we can still see how their roles during Puritan Ideology influenced our ways. Today we as Americans are able to reside in our own religions, because of their determination and separation from the church allowed America to be as free in religion as we hold true