Into a New Land

After the Pilgrim (Puritans) struggled in the Mayflower ship, their suffering still continued as they landed in a new land. There were some difficulties they face in a new land. First, before the puritans landed in Plymouth, they landed in Cape Cod peninsula, Massachusetts. The passengers decided to step off from Mayflower ship to explore the land. After they explored the land, they found Native Americans graves. Next to those graves, there were some corn. The corn served for the dead, but the Puritans steal it to be eaten by them. When they were stealing the corn, Native Americans saw them and they were angry with that. Like what is told by one of the passengers of Mayflower ship, William Bradford, stated in his book,

“When they met with them, they were readier to fill their sides full of arrows than otherwise.”

As said by William, the Native Americans saw them stealing the corn and then they appointed arrows to the Puritans. With fear, the puritans ran away back to the ship and then sailed again.  

Then, they landed in a new land. Second, as the puritans landed in a Plymouth shore in 22nd December 1620, they decided to build houses. But they were also worried about food and then they knew that the winter would come sooner. Some of the puritans built houses, some of them such as women and child were stay in Mayflower ship. Again, they experienced bad things on the day when the first winter came. The Puritans found it difficult to survive because the weather was terribly cold, they didn't have enough shelter, and they didn't have many preparations for the winter. They ran out of food, and they were unable to plant corps during the winter. The weather was so rough, nearly half of the Puritans died because they were starving or infected by diseases. Each day, there was two or three person died in that winter. During their hard time, about six or seven people who were healthy and strong enough to face this weather.  They didn't get sick or weak. They were very helpful in this difficult period. William Bradford also mentioned in his book, 

“with abundance of toil and hazard of their own health, fetched them wood, made them fires, dressed them meat, made their beds, washed their loathsome clothes, clothed and unclothed them. In a word, did all the homely and necessary offices for them which dainty and queasy stomachs cannot endure to hear named.”

With that, we can know that six or seven people who were healthy and not ill, were willing to help each other. They were very loyal and devoted to take care of the people who are sick. They mutually share their love. After the winter finished, they were also didn't have plan to face the next winter. They didn't know the right way to plant in that area. Moreover, they didn't know what they were going to plant. 

In conclusion, all of the Puritans face really hard time in the new land, half of them died during the first winter because they couldn't bear the bad weather. But some of them survived along the first winter and take care of each other. 

by : ZAHRA AMALIA 1206221336



References:
1.http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/the-mayflower-plymouth-massachusetts-bay-colony.html#lesson
2.The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2002, Literature The Reader's Choice, American Literature – Interactive Student Edition, "Of Plymouth Plantation", p.71