As I began to think of writing about the history of Thanksgiving, I remembered a book I had received some years back that made quite an impression on me, called The Light and the Glory. It was written by two Yale graduates named Peter Marshall and David Manuel. Peter was the son of the famous Senate chaplain by the same name, and his mother, Catherine, was a well-known author.The reason for the book is explained in the introductory chapter. Peter was to speak to his Cape Cod congregation on the eve of the first National Day of Repentance. David Manuel was a member of the congregation. Peter read some excerpts from an obscure writing by Christopher Columbus that had been translated into English.In these excerpts Columbus expressed that he had no doubt that it was the Holy Spirit who inspired him to sail to the Indies (not knowing that it was not the Indies but the Bahamas that he would discover). He stated that he had made it his “whole purpose to enjoy His [the Holy Spirit’s] marvelous presence.” David Manuel and the rest of the congregation were stunned by this revelation. Peter had also said that the first settlers had been “called by god to found a Christian nation.” David suddenly wondered if God had a special plan in mind for our nation.

After the meeting, Peter and David talked. That conversation sparked a book.  It reads much like a novel, with colorful language and quotes from original documents frequently inserted. Sometimes there are actions and conversation that are conjecture based on the facts known. It is brimming with spiritual insight. My copy of the book was published in 1977. However, I discovered that an updated and expanded edition was published in 2009, along with two sequels entitled From Sea to Shining Sea (covering 1787 to 1837) and Sounding Forth the Trumpet (covering 1837 to 1860). In that same year, The Light and the Glory for Young Readers: 1492 to 1787 was published. This book can be used to counter the false belief that all of the Founding Fathers were Deists rather than orthodox Christians. It is designed for ages 9 to 12.

There was so much information that seemed so significant that it was hard to write this article in a short version. I had already left out so many details I would have loved to include.  To allow you to choose how much time you will invest in this article, I will offer two options:

OPTION #1 – There was quite a contrast between the story of the Jamestown settlement that began just a few years earlier and the story of the Plymouth settlement. If you would like to read the account of the Jamestown settlers as well as the account of the Pilgrims, scroll down and begin reading at “The English Hypocrisy.”
OPTION #2 – If you wish to read only about the Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth, scroll down and begin reading at “New English Settlers to Carry the Light.”

THE ENGLISH HYPOCRISY

The research of the authors uncovered a story of great hypocrisy. England noted the claims of Spain, Portugal, and France in the New World and felt they should attempt to colonize the unclaimed coastline. Though the first group who attempted it gave up and returned after near starvation, Sir Walter Raleigh had no problem finding Englishmen down on their luck to join a new expedition in 1585. The English were enticed by the same lust for gold and jewels that drew the Spaniards. Queen Elizabeth’s spiritual stance at the time was mainly a desire to protect the Church of England from Protestant “extremists.”

When Sir Raleigh ventured to Roanoke Island off the coast of what is now North Carolina with the second group of settlers, God did not seem to be on their side. They were attacked by hostile Natives, and their supplies were quickly dwindling. The colony’s governor, John White, agreed to sail back to England for more supplies. White left behind his daughter and newborn granddaughter. Back in England everyone was embroiled in fighting off the Spanish invasion. It took him nearly two years to return to Roanoke Island with additional supplies. Upon his return, there was no one to greet him. The only clue was a tree trunk carved with the letters “C R O A.” To this day, no one knows what happened.

A generation passed before anyone could spark the interest of investors or settlers in another venture. The new venture was sold as an opportunity to serve God by bringing the knowledge of the Christian faith to the Natives living in darkness. The hypocrisy began to show up when they sent only one minister with 144 settlers. The settlers were all single men. Their motive was to find the gold and jewels and return to England rich.

It didn’t happen that God’s grace was on this mission, either. They departed in December of 1606. Disagreeable weather kept them anchored off the coast of England for a month, eating up the food meant to last them until they harvested crops in the New World. In addition, numerous arguments broke out. After a stormy voyage, they landed on the James River over five months later, on May 14.

The names of the seven-man council were revealed, and they were immediately in competition with each other. The councilmen disagreed on where the settlement should be located. Jamestown at that time of year was lovely, and it had a drop-off making it easy to tie up the vessel. The majority ignored advice to find a place with fresh water and good drainage, on high ground that would be easy to clear and defend.

Problems beset the settlers. For a while the nights were still chilly, which kept the mosquitoes down. But the heat and humidity of summer in Jamestown brought malaria and other ills. Half of the men were of a lifestyle that made doing physical work unimaginable. There was constant turmoil. A skirmish with the Natives killed one and wounded a fifth of the men. Things grew worse. The wisest councilman, Gosnold, died of the fever. Two of the other councilmen were arrested, one for divisiveness and one for stealing food. Having killed two natives, John Smith was captured and taken to Powhatan, a great leader of the tribes in that area. Smith was an egotistical boaster, who made big promises he didn’t keep. But he was resourceful. He talked his way though his imprisonment. According to Smith, Powhatan’s 12-year-old daughter, Pocohantas, pleaded for his life. Not only was Smith’s life spared, but he came back with corn for the plantation. Of the original 144 settlers, only 38 were still alive.

Meanwhile back in England, there were still glowing sermons about the settlers in Jamestown being there “to the winning of many thousands of wandering sheep into Christ’s fold.” They sent more settlers, and half of them died. The food rations had to stretch even further. In the winter of 1608, a fire burned all but three of the settlers’ huts. Many more died in the cold before new shelters could be built.

The settlers kept relying on corn from the natives instead of being motivated to plant their own crops. They couldn’t get gold off their minds. Captain Newport returned to England with a shipload of ore. In the hot summer of 1608, the swamps brought disease and the waters in the river became salty. The death rate that second year was worse. Nine out of ten would die.

In September of 1608 Captain Newport landed his ship back in Jamestown. His boatload of ore had been nothing more than “Fool’s Gold.” He brought seventy new settlers, very little food, and none of the supplies they needed. By December the food supply was dangerously low.  In April of 1609, some corn was planted. But it rotted in storage and was being eaten by thousands of rats. With no food, the people scattered—some to the oyster banks, some up the river to live on acorns and berries, some to fish, and some to Powhatan. More than half of those who were left to flee died.

People in England were becoming aware of what was really going on in the New World. They could no longer pretend it was a noble venture. The Company used John Smith as their scapegoat. The King appointed two proven leaders, who set out with nine ships in May of 1609.  A hurricane in the Bermuda Triangle split them up. One ship sank, one turned back, and the flagship was stuck in a coral reef. The remaining ship took 400 sickly, starving passengers to Jamestown. They picked the green corn.
What happened next was very dark. After eating the livestock, then the dogs and cats, then rats, field mice, and snakes, then roots of trees and shrubs, then all the leather they could find, the survivors resorted to dead bodies.

The story is long, but things eventually turned around. One turning point was when a young man named John Rolfe desired to marry Powhatan’s daughter, Pocohantas, then an attractive 18-year-old. Both sides seemed thrilled at the prospect of a marriage between a white person and a Native person. A wonderful event with feasting ensued, and Pocohontas was given the Christian name Rebecca. John and Rebecca went to England, but before they could return Rebecca died from pneumonia. John sadly returned to Jamestown alone to experiment with growing tobacco.

The colony continued to struggle, but by 1622, the year of the massacre, it finally began to emerge from the struggle by means of the tobacco crops. More than 1,200 settlers were there by then, and their ten plantations were widely scattered. The Company had crumbled and sold its investments to a group of ten investors called the Adventurers. The Adventurers built an independent ruling system for the colonists.

NEW ENGLISH SETTLERS TO CARRY THE LIGHT

The next English settlers to come to the Atlantic coast realized the necessity of putting all their trust in Christ in order to attempt such a thing. The Church of England at that time was ruled by the House of Bishops. The Bishops became more and more concerned over two growing movements that they considered to be “fanatical.” The largest of the groups, which had come into existence first, still acknowledged the authority of the Church of England. However, they wished to see the the Church purified from within it. They were sarcastically referred to as the “Puritans,” and the name stuck. The other “fanatical” group believed that the Church of England was too corrupt to salvage. They also believed that the only “Head of the Church” was Jesus Christ Himself—not some monarch. They decided to separate from the Church of England and hold their own services. Hence, they were called the “Separatists.”

Queen Elizabeth had been satisfied to execute a few of the “fanatics” on charges of heresy. But her successor, James I, gave the Bishop free reign to force the Separatists to pay money to the Church of England and slap some into prison on fabricated charges. The Separatists were driven underground and pursued religious asylum in Holland. For about six years they worked hard as poor immigrants in Holland. In 1619 they decided that their long hours of hard work were dragging them down, so they must move on.

The Separatists felt that, despite the stories of starvation and hostile Native Americans, perhaps America was the place they should go. They considered also Guiana, South America, with its wealth, fruitfulness, and favorable weather. They prayed for God’s wisdom. They they realized that Guiana was close to where the Spaniards had massacred the French Protestants. It was decided that they should face the dangers of North America, with the help of God.

Meanwhile, the elected pastor of the Separatists in Holland, John Robinson, prayed that God would reveal their purpose in going there. Robinson and a few others began to feel that God was calling them out of a place of bondage to a place where they could make themselves into a spiritual house for the Lord to dwell in. It was like God’s call to the Israelites to leave Babylon and build a new temple for Him in Jerusalem.

But how would they handle the cost of transportation, food, supplies, and a small ship of their own for commercial enterprises in the New World? They wrote to the Virginia Company, but they were on the verge of bankruptcy. A London merchant named Thomas Weston, representing himself and nine other investors called the Adventurers, offered to finance their venture. They accepted the offer, but later events would show that perhaps they should have spent a little more time in prayer before accepting the offer.

Two representatives of the Separatists, John Carver and Robert Cushman, went off to London with Thomas Weston to take care of preparations. While Carver was away getting supplies for the voyage, Weston pressured Cushman into agreeing to some changes in the contract. For the small ship needed to accommodate fishing and trading, they bought an old freighter known as the Speedwell.  They arranged to have the Speedwell pick them up at Delftshaven and from there transport them to Southampton. A larger ship, hired by the Adventurers, would be waiting there—the Mayflower. It could only accommodate a third of their people. John Robinson would have to stay behind with the other two-thirds, and Elder Brewster would have to serve as the acting pastor for those going on the voyage.

The time of departure came. The day before was a day of fasting and prayer, ending with a feast. The following morning, some of those not going to the New World crowded onto the barge with those who were. In Delftshaven they spotted the Speedwell, older and smaller than expected. They spent hours stuffing food and cargo into every space they could find. When the sun rose on July 22, 1620, it was time for the voyagers to leave for America. They all knelt on the dock, and John Robinson somberly asked God’s blessing on the venture. Tears were shed. The voyagers boarded the ship, and they were off.

They soon reached Southampton, where the Mayflower, a ninety-ton ship, was waiting for them. Eighty unfamiliar passengers were on board. Some of them were there because they shared the same view of the Church of England, but others were there for profits they hoped to make in America. There were 41 passengers from the Leyden, Holland, group—16 men, 11 women, and 14 children. The captain, Christopher Jones, was to take them just south of the mouth of the Hudson, within the northern boundary line of the Virginia charter.

Weston sprang his altered contract on them at the last minute, but the Separatists would not agree to it. They wrote a letter of compromise to the Adventurers investors, stating that, if seven years didn’t bring substantial profits, they would continue the relationship longer. Elder Brewster then read a letter from Pastor John Robinson with spiritual advice for the Pilgrims.

Three days after they set sail for America, the Speedwell had a major problem. After re-caulking, the same problem reappeared in gale-force winds. The ship experts in Plymouth, England, could find no loose seams. The risks were too great, so they sold the Speedwell and consolidated the cargo and passengers onto the Mayflower. [They finally set sail again on September 6, 1620.] Some believe that God weeded out those who were having second thoughts about whether the voyage was God’s will. About 20 of those who were to cross the Atlantic were willing to back out at that point.  Another theory is that God wanted to unite the group as one by undergoing the stresses of the voyage together.

There were 102 passengers on board, in low-ceiling parts of the ship [designed for cargo since it was a cargo ship] with the dim light of lanterns. (Captain Jones had graciously offered to bunk with his petty officers so the women and children could have his cabin.) The hatches were closed due to constant storms. There were no cooked meals. Young children were constantly crying.

A few of the crew members cruelly mocked the Pilgrims. Their leader told them he delighted in their sea-sickness and looked forward to putting their dead bodies in the ocean. However, his was the first body to be thrown overboard. A mysterious fever took his life in one day, thereby killing all mockery by the crew members. The only other one to die was someone who failed to drink the lemon juice to avoid scurvy. Another barely escaped death when he sneaked onto the deck and was tossed into the ocean by the severe pitching of the ship.

On one occasion the ship was tipping from side to side, and a loud boom announced the cracking of the cross-beam holding up the main mast. When the Pilgrims began praying, Elder Brewster suddenly remembered the giant screw in his printing press. They used it to raise the beam back into its proper position.

A little over two months from when they had set sail from Plymouth, England, they sighted land on November 6, 1620. It was recognized to be Cape Cod by one of the pilots. The Mayflower was only 100 miles off course. It should take them only about five days or so to get down to the mouth of the Hudson.Dangerous sandbars and riptides, with the added risk of headwinds, convinced Captain Jones that they should go back out to sea and wait a day. Some began to wonder whether it was God’s will for them to go down the Hudson River. After spending time in prayer and discussion, they asked the captain to head for the northern tip of the Cape (now Provincetown, Massachusetts). They anchored inside the Cape on November 11.

The new destination brought with it a big issue. They would not be under the authority of the Virginia Company. Some of the strangers began to rebel against the decision, so prompt action would have to be taken by the Pilgrim leaders in order to prevent mutiny. They composed what is known as the “Mayflower Compact,” similar to an agreement written in Scrooby, England.

On the sands of Cape Cod, they knelt to thank God for bringing them safely over the ocean and onto land. With winter storms beginning to howl, a wild and savage country in front of them, and the ocean behind them separating them from the civility they once knew, they must put themselves in the hands of God’s grace.

Some men boarded the Mayflower’s boat and went ashore to look for firewood and check out the landscape, and some began assembling their 30-foot boat with oars and a sail, called a “shallop.”  On December 10, ten of the leaders and some seamen went out to explore Cape Cod Bay. The seaspray froze to their coats. The second night they camped near the eastern corner of the bay. At dawn they heard some strange cries, and arrows began to fly. They fired their muskets, and the Native Americans finally fled. They thanked God the arrows caused no injuries, though some coats had holes. They sailed south and broke a rudder in rough seas. They made it to an island and stayed the night there.

On the sunny day that followed, they discovered the island was almost completely enclosed by a perfect natural harbor. They found that the soil on the mainland across the harbor was rich and fertile. The gradual slope from the shore, providing  good drainage and an open field for defense, would be the perfect place to settle. There were four creeks fed by springs having wonderfully sweet water. There were at least 20 acres on the hill that had previously been cleared and prepared for planting, but it appeared that for some reason no one had planted there for several years. Feeling optimistic, they made their necessary repairs and headed back to the Mayflower to share the good news. Their enthusiasm must have been quite dampened upon their return when William Bradford found that his wife had gone overboard and drowned. But he chose to continue the task he felt called to do—plant a colony in America.

It was not because John Smith’s map had designated the chosen site for their community as “New Plymouth” that the Pilgrims chose to name it “Plymouth.” When they had left England, Plymouth was the last town they visited. The Christians there had been very kind to them. The Pilgrims asked Captain Jones to remain as long as possible. The Mayflower could provide the temporary shelter necessary for their survival in the winter weather. Since the attitude of the Pilgrims had deeply touched the heart of the captain, he agreed to stay. They had not complained about their conditions, and they were grateful to God for the smallest blessings.

The Pilgrims laid out the main street, built a palisade wall around the area for defense, and began building a common house. It was a difficult task with such cold hands. A great deal of sickness began to set in. Some succumbed to scurvy, even though they still had some lemon juice left. Colds were contracted by wading from the ship, walking through the snow, and sleeping on cold, damp ground. The colds then turned into pneumonia or tuberculosis. Six Pilgrims died in December and eight in January.
They crowded as many of the sick as possible into the common house. On January 14 the thatched roof caught fire. If they hadn’t quickly carried the gunpowder and muskets out, they may have all been blown up. The timbers didn’t catch fire, but some much-needed clothing was destroyed.

In February there were 17 deaths. In March there were 13. Of the original 102 passengers, they had lost 47. That’s nearly half, but that’s much better than the 80-90% loss in Jamestown. Unlike the people in Jamestown, the more they lost, the closer they became and the more they prayed and trusted in God.

Then something happened in mid-March that began an amazing turn of events. While the men were having a meeting in the common house, they spotted a Native American walking up mainstreet. After staring at the men, his deep voice suddenly bellowed, “Welcome!” Stunned, the Pilgrims finally answered back, “Welcome.” After a long stare, in perfect English he inquired, “Have you got any beer?” [Beer was a very common beverage for the English, given their unreliable water.] They told him it was gone but offered him some brandy. They also gave him a biscuit with butter and cheese, some pudding, and some roast duck. He ate it all as though he were accustomed to it and had a taste for it.

It turns out he was Samoset, chief of the Algonquins of Maine. He had learned English from English fishing captains in Maine and had hitched a ride down the coast with an English captain exploring the coast, Captain Thomas Dermer.  From Samoset they learned they were living in the territory of the Patuxets, a barbaric tribe who had killed every white man who ended up on their shores. Four years before the Pilgrims came, a plague had wiped out the entire tribe. The nearest tribe was 50 miles southwest—the Wampanoags.  Samoset had spent the better part of the previous eight months with their well-respected chief, Massasoit. Samoset spent the night and left with some gifts for Massasoit.

A few days later Samoset returned with a Patuxet named Squanto. An unusual chain of events in Squanto’s life seemed perfectly planned by God to help the Pilgrims. In 1605 Squanto and four other Natives had been captured by Captain George Weymouth and taken to England.  The English had hoped to gain knowledge of the tribes of New England and the best locations for colonies. Nine years later Squanto made it back home, but another captain captured Squanto, nineteen other Patuxets, and seven Nausets and sold them at a slave-trading port in Spain. Squanto was one of the few slaves in that port who were bought and rescued by friars living in that area. The friars taught the slaves about Christianity. Squanto found an Englishman sailing for London. In London he was able to live with a wealthy merchant and his family while he awaited a chance to sail to New England. When Squanto arrived home six months before the arrival of the Pilgrims, he was devastated to find there wasn’t one member of his tribe who was still alive. He wandered into the camp of Massasoit, who felt sorry for him.

Squanto’s life seemed meaningless until Samoset told him of a small group of friendly English settlers living on the Patuxet land who might soon die of starvation.  They had little supplies of food and only seed for grain. Massasoit and his sixty warriors were going to visit the Pilgrims with Samoset as their interpreter, and Squanto went along.

Massasoit was led into one of the houses while a fanfare of trumpet and drum was played. They drank a toast to Massasoit. The result of that meeting was a peace treaty promising mutual aid that would be in effect for forty years. [Apparently, years later the relationship between the Wampanoag tribe’s new leader and the colonists deteriorated. There seems to be conflicting stories of what actually happened, but a major war between the colonists scattered around New England with their Native allies and other opposing tribes erupted into an ugly and devastating war called “King Philip’s War.” The leader who replaced Massasoit had taken the English name Philip.] When the rest of the Natives left that day, Squanto stayed.

Squanto taught the Pilgrims many things. He taught them how to catch eels, which they found to be tasty. He taught them something that would bring about their survival– how to plant corn and fertilize it with fish. The result was 20 acres of corn doing very well. He taught them how to hunt deer, plant pumpkins with the corn, make maple syrup, determine which herbs were good for food or for medicine, and find good berries. He taught them how to make an enclosure for catching fish. He also taught them how they could earn income by getting beaver pelts. [Unfortunately, Bradford recorded that later Squanto began using his partnership with the Pilgrims for his own benefit. He convinced other Natives that he had the power to turn the Pilgrims for or against them and that they could unleash plagues against them. They gave him gifts to make sure they would be in the good graces of the Pilgrims. Squanto feared for his life when Massasoit discovered what he had been doing. He died of a fever in 1623 while with Bradford. He asked Bradford to pray that he would go to Heaven to be with the Pilgrims’ God. It’s so sad that someone so greatly used by God made such a bad choice.]

There were hard times and good times. Governor Carver died of an apparent brain hemorrhage. William Bradford was unanimously elected to take his place. Captain Jones decided he must finally take the Mayflower back to England. As the ship sailed away, the reality of the loss of their last sure link to England must have hit them. But May of 1621 brought a joyous occasion. A widow and widower decided to marry. In the beautiful summer that followed, progress was made on the new homes. There was a successful trading trip up north. The harvest in the fall seemed to bring in more than sufficient corn to last through the winter.

The Pilgrims were full of gratitude. They were thankful to God and to Squanto and to the friendly Wampanoag tribe. Governor Bradford decided to proclaim a time of rejoicing over the harvest, probably in October. Massasoit and ninety other members of his tribe came. The tribe members provided five dressed deer for the feasting, and the Pilgrims had been successful in hunting a good supply of fowl.  Perhaps they had vegetables from their gardens and tasty berries. The authors suggested they had popcorn the Natives taught them how to make, yet others say it isn’t possible to pop the type of corn grown in that area. Winslow’s letter mentioned recreation. Perhaps they had foot races and wrestling. The letter also mentioned “excercising arms.” They may have had shooting competitions with muskets and arrows. They were having such a great time that the celebration continued for three days.

Shortly after the celebration of thanksgiving, on November 9, 1621, a ship called the Fortune dropped off 35 more settlers on her way to Virginia. Among them was Robert Cushman, who had been willing to compromise on the Pilgrims’ original agreement with Weston. The new settlers brought no food, clothing, tools, or bedding. The leaders had to make a sobering decision. In order to make sure their food would last into summer, they must all live on half rations until then.

On top of that, Weston was still angry about the Pilgrims’ unwillingness to sign the altered contract. He was even more upset that the Mayflower had come back to England empty. He accused them of spending a lot of time “discoursing, arguing, and consulting.” In Bradford’s letter of response he informed Weston that they had not wasted time discussing and quarreling and explained that half of the colonists had died. They would send goods as soon as they found it possible.

The Pilgrims soon were made aware of Cushman’s reason for visiting. He delivered a strong sermon accusing the Pilgrims of being sinful and selfish in refusing to agree with Weston’s new contract.  Though the Pilgrims originally believed it was God’s will to refuse the changed contract, Cushman had shaken their faith by convincing them that their refusal would cut them off from their only source of needed supplies. They signed the new contract, which ended up keeping them in bondage to the Adventurers for 20 years.

In that winter of 1621-22, they were finally forced into a daily ration of five kernels of corn. [Winslow’s letter states that shellfish helped to keep them alive.] But they did not give in to bitterness and despair. They chose to focus on faith in Christ. Miraculously, none of them died of starvation, as so many in Jamestown had. By God’s grace a ship unexpectedly pulled into the harbor, headed from Virginia back to England. They would give the Pilgrims beads, knives, trinkets, etc., in exchange for beaver pelts. In turn, the Pilgrims could trade the trinkets, etc., to the Native Americans for corn.

In April of 1623, at corn planting time there was a lack of enthusiasm and dedication. The leaders decided they should have a second planting of individual lots for each planter’s own use. All of a sudden everyone became ambitious. Then the good planting seemed in vain. A long dry spell settled in, and the crops appeared to be dying. The Pilgrims felt God must be angry with them. Whatever the reason God allowed it, after they gathered for prayer and fasting one morning, the sky filled with clouds before the day was over. Gentle, consistent rain followed and revived the crops. Bradford recorded that the Natives were “astonished to behold.”  The colonist named Winslow wrote, “ . . . and all of them admired the goodness of our God towards us . . .”

The crops were so plentiful that year that they had more corn than they needed. In the winter they traded some with some Native in the north, whose crops had not done well. Therefore, they planned a second day of thanksgiving.  To add to the celebration, Governor Bradford was to remarry. Once again Massasoit was the honored guest. He was accompanied by his principal wife, three other chiefs, and 120 braves. Once again he provided turkey and venison.

One of the Adventurers wrote a letter to his brother. He described the plantation and its people as healthy and the fishing as unbelievable. He wrote of “the great cheer we had at the Governor’s marriage.” He described the quantities and tastiness of the food. He said, “A better country was never seen nor heard of, for here are a multitude of God’s blessings.”

The Light of Jesus Christ was being shown in a dark continent. Here are some memorable words penned by William Bradford: “As one small candle may light a thousand, so the light kindled here has shown unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation . . . We have noted these things so that you might see their worth and not negligently lose what your fathers have obtained with so much hardship.”
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May we never forget those words by William Bradford and the thanksgiving celebrations in Plymouth at the beginnings of our nation.  I feel that one of the most beautiful elements of those celebrations was the harmonious relationship between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe at that time, given the accounts of abuse of the Native Americans by the white men and the instances of violence by both sides.

I am grateful to the two authors who had the vision and diligence to write The Light and the Glory. The rest of the book covers up to the year 1787. Both authors have gone to receive their rewards. For me, their telling of the Pilgrims’ story has given new meaning to the old hymn below, written in 1844.