Pilgrim’s Patriotism

What we come to know as the spirit of America – the ideas of freedom and democracy, as well as the unique, American form of Christianity – was founded by an unlikely group: a bunch of Radical Protestant Christians who, in 1620, landed on Plymouth Rock and established the first permanent English settlement in North America. They had undertaken this venture “for the glory of God and the advancement of Christian faith.” These were the Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims were a group of English Christians called the “Brownists,” an offshoot of Puritanism. The Puritans were religious zealots who believed that that the Bible was a blueprint for true faith and a godly life, that the Holy Spirits dwelled within them and made them God’s elect, and that all should follow their godly example. The Puritans were named for their desire to “purify” the Church of England, which they felt had been corrupted by its lingering Catholic practices. Of those Puritans, the Brownist faction was one of the most radical because they wanted a separate church from the Church of England. The Church of England was the official religion, so the British monarchy didn’t appreciate the Puritans’ religious views, especially since many of them came from wealthy, well-educated backgrounds and thus held a lot of influence. While he attempted to strike a balance between traditional-minded clergymen and reformist Puritans, radical Puritans like the Brownists were labeled “Separatists” and declared enemies of the English state. This is the group that would become known as Pilgrims.

The Pilgrim fled Britain’s persecution to Holland, a religiously tolerant country that provided them refuge. Yet even with this freedom, they weren’t satisfied. They didn’t want to simply live in peace to practice their faith, for they were far too ambitious. They wanted to create a religious community all to themselves. In the comfortable country of Holland, many Pilgrims worried about maintaining their English identity. Religious leaders fretted that their extravagant lifestyles would corrupt them. They also feared that young Pilgrims would leave their tight-knit community to find new opportunities and, in doing so, fall away from the Faith. With these concerns in mind, Pilgrims Robert Cushman and John Carver approached the London Company in 1619 to negotiate for ownership of a site near the English Virginia settlements. By late 1620, the Pilgrims received a charter from the king to build their colony in North America.

In this remote, dangerous land of America, the Pilgrims planned on building God’s kingdom on Earth. Their Christian faith was at the front of their minds when they built their settlement. They were not naïve about their chances, however. They’d heard stories of all of the failed colonies, and were concerned about violence from natives or Spaniards, possible food or water shortages, and unknown diseases. They voyaged across the Atlantic all through a harrowing fifty-four days, during which two people died on board. After they arrived in Cape Cod, they endured several attacks by Natives, who’d been soured to the English by previous settlers that had enslaved their tribesmen. But they were committed to being martyrs for their faith and endured the hardships. If the Pilgrims were alive today, most people would consider them religious fanatics.

As difficult as it is to believe, the unique American identity came from this founding stock of Pilgrims. The essence of America is the freedom to go out into the wilderness and build your community from the ground up. This is the freedom of the pioneer, the explorer, the settler. The Pilgrims desired their society and they endured much hardship to do so. It’s no wonder then that, a year after they arrived on Plymouth Rock, the Puritans held a feast in celebration of their first successful harvest.

Today, we tell the story of Thanksgiving as the story of these Pilgrims. While the holiday of Thanksgiving is celebrated all around the world, it’s this story of the Pilgrims that inspires us today. So, let us be thankful to the Pilgrims that gave us our freedom.