How the Pilgrim Fathers Lived
This letter was written in 1621 By Edward Winslow. Winslow came to the new world on the Mayflower the previous year. The letter is not addressed to anyone in particular, but the recipient must have been someone he considered a friend, as well as someone who had the authority to send a �supply of men� to the new world. Winslow mentions in the first paragraph that although a letter had not arrived for him on the most recent ship, he was fulfilling his promise to share his experiences with the receiver of the letter.
The document contains information about the living conditions in the new world. It mostly focuses on the abundant food supply and the relationship between the colonists and Indians. It closes with an expectance that the recipient of the letter would be traveling to the new world and advises the person of some things to know and to bring.
Winslow describes his experience in the new land as bountiful. After surviving a harsh winter, seven dwellings had been built and there was more than enough food for everyone to eat. The pilgrims raised crops of corn and barley and both were plentiful at the time the letter was written. Venison and fowl were hunted by the pilgrims and the Indians and the meat provided was enough for the people to feast and celebrate for three days. Fish, lobster, and other seafood were abundant as well. Herbs, fruits and berries were also available and delicious. The weather was mentioned as being a little hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than it was in England, but Winslow seemed to be enjoying the clear and seasonable climate.
The pilgrims made peace with the Indian leader, Massasoit. The Indians were portrayed by the author as loving and faithful in their covenant of peace. It seems, by the description in the letter that the pilgrims and the Indians had developed a reciprocal relationship and both groups felt comfortable enough to go to the other for help. There was also enough...