R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed on + 1438 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
What an interesting book! A huge research undertaking as one can tell by the 27 page bibliography, Philbrick details the Pilgrim settling in our country. It is difficult to summarize this read in a short review but I'll try. Philbrick begins with the planning and arrangements which were made as the Pilgrims prepared to leave their Dutch homes. Inexperienced and naive, they made so many planning mistakes that they arrived on our shores with depleted food stores. The Pilgrims were so ill prepared to make their homes in an unsettled area that it is a wonder they survived and probably would not have done so except for the aid of Massasoit's hand of friendship. Accustomed to living in populated areas, they learned as they lived and many perished because of the harsh conditions. Imagine arriving on our east coast in December, having to locate a place to build your home and then building in the midwinter.
The first Thanksgiving was far different from what we learn in grade school as the group feasted primarily on wild game and native grown corn and squash. They ate standing because of the lack of furniture, all of which needed to be built as needed. All went well until the second generation which did not understand the harsh conditions under which their parents survived. As with any clash of cultures, misunderstandings began to arise until war finally broke out between the settlers and the Indian tribes. At first inter-tribal warring continued until it became apparent that in order to survive they must band together. Both sides committed atrocity after atrocity.
Some of the settlers came to believe that the only good Indian was a dead Indian. Indeed, passions became so fierce that at one point even friendly Indians were imprisoned, killed and/or isolated from the settlers. Until the settlers learned that the only way to fight hostile groups was to fight as they did rather than as Europeans, it appeared that the Indians would push the settlers into the ocean. While many names are mentioned, one that struck me as instrumental in settler survival was Benjamin Church who recruited friendly natives into his forces and successfully pursued the hostiles.
The first Thanksgiving was far different from what we learn in grade school as the group feasted primarily on wild game and native grown corn and squash. They ate standing because of the lack of furniture, all of which needed to be built as needed. All went well until the second generation which did not understand the harsh conditions under which their parents survived. As with any clash of cultures, misunderstandings began to arise until war finally broke out between the settlers and the Indian tribes. At first inter-tribal warring continued until it became apparent that in order to survive they must band together. Both sides committed atrocity after atrocity.
Some of the settlers came to believe that the only good Indian was a dead Indian. Indeed, passions became so fierce that at one point even friendly Indians were imprisoned, killed and/or isolated from the settlers. Until the settlers learned that the only way to fight hostile groups was to fight as they did rather than as Europeans, it appeared that the Indians would push the settlers into the ocean. While many names are mentioned, one that struck me as instrumental in settler survival was Benjamin Church who recruited friendly natives into his forces and successfully pursued the hostiles.
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