Bradford: A Founder

We all know the founders of America. As Americans, we all know and respect the men that founded our nation; men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and many others. We all know the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. These were all great men who we all know about, but were there other founders of this country? Where did the ideas for the Constitution come from? Thomas Jefferson once admitted that the Declaration of Independence had no original ideas. The founders didn’t come up with these ideas and principles by themselves. There were other men who help pave the way for the Constitution to come forth, and I believe that it’s only fair that these “other men” be considered founders of this country as well.

On March 19, 1590 in Austerfield, Yorkshire, England, a boy was baptized. Although this boy’s family was fairly prosperous, his childhood would not be easy. The boy’s father, mother, and grandfather had all passed away by the time he was seven years old, and the boy was often plagued with sickness, causing him to not be able to work. However, the boy decided that there was a purpose for his life, so he decided to turn to reading, and he became very familiar with many classic works of literature and scripture. The Bible, for example, was his main topic of study, and he became very familiar and passionate with Christianity and religion.

William Bradford changed the world. If there was never a William Bradford, then there would’ve never been a free America. The most shocking part about this, though, is that religion was Bradford’s way of life. Why is this so shocking? Well, it’s like I said before: with no Bradford, we would have no freedom. If Bradford’s way of life was religion, then our freedom is based and founded on principles of Christianity and religion.

William Bradford was more than just a
Pilgrim. He was a founder of America.

This is my point: William Bradford and the Pilgrims came to America for religious freedom. If this point can be proved, then we come one step closer to proving a much more important point, that is: God is the reason for our freedom. This is a very important issue today. If Americans can understand that our freedom came from God, then Americans can understand that the government cannot take our freedom away. Once Americans can understand this, we can be unified in throwing off abusive, oppressive government. William Bradford is a huge reason for our freedom, because he wrote the Mayflower Compact, which was very influential to the establishment of our freedom.

The Pilgrims laid the foundation for this nation, our government, and ultimately the Constitution. Even before the Constitution, the first major governing document in the colonies was the Mayflower Compact. This document is only two paragraphs long, and it mentions God five times and Christianity/faith twice. The reason for the Mayflower Compact was religious freedom, because the Pilgrims didn’t want another ruler to take their freedom to worship God away. In England, the Pilgrims were oppressed, and they came to America to worship God. America was founded on principles of faith.

Much later, as the U.S. Constitution was being framed, the founders of our country structured our government very similarly to the Pilgrim’s government. For example, the Mayflower Compact says, “covenant and combine our selves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation”. This calls for unity between people, just like the U.S. Constitution calls for unity between the states. The Mayflower Compact also mentions, “by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices…for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.” The Mayflower Compact, just like the U.S. Constitution, called for equality, fair laws, and obedience to those laws.

Guess who was the key figure in framing the Mayflower Compact? By writing this document, William Bradford helped to pave the way for freedom and for the Constitution. Why is freedom so important, though? You must remember that the reason for the Pilgrims coming to America was religious freedom. Without religious freedom, the Pilgrims would have no reason to come to America. Therefore, if the Constitution was framed like the Mayflower Compact, and the Mayflower Compact was framed on principles of religious freedom, then the reason for our nation today is God. That is why William Bradford was so important to this nation. Without William Bradford, the reason for America may not have been God, and if God hadn’t been the reason for America, then America wouldn’t have had assistance from God, and therefore, it wouldn’t exist. Without William Bradford, there would be no America. That is why William Bradford was a founder and a hero.