William Bradford was an extremely influential person in American history. He grew up in Austerfield, England with his grandfather after his father had passed away. His grandfather was a yeoman, a shepherd, and owned the greatest farmland in Austerfield. William’s grandfather taught him to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. William would stick to those words for the rest of his life.
The nightly ritual in Grandfather’s household was reading a chapter of the Bible before bed. During these times, William learned to revere the Bible and the Lord. When Grandfather and his mother died, William had to live with his aunt and uncle. They sent William to school and he found that he loved academics almost as much as God. Sam, a boy from the school, invited William to go to a Puritan church with him. His aunt and uncle disapproved, but he went anyway and was punished for it. William went every week from then on, being scolded and punished each time. Finally, after a month of that, neither of his guardians tried to reprimand him. William’s faith had won again.
At the age of sixteen William decided to go with the Brewster’s, a family he met at the church, to Holland because the law would not let them worship differently than the Church of England. William agreed at once to go, again letting his faith guide his actions. Earlier, Mr. Brewster had been sent with a handful of others to jail for two weeks, because they went to a Puritan church. Having just been released, the police were still watching them, and this made it that much more difficult to escape to Holland. While boarding the ships that would carry them to Holland, William and the other families that had decided to come were found out by the king’s officers. Their hard work went plummeting down the drain as they were carted off to jail. Because of William’s young age, he was pardoned and fearlessly made his way to Holland, a free land where he could worship in any way he would like.
In 1609, William, the Brewster’s, and the rest of the families arrived in Leiden, Holland. William married Dorothy May and had a son whom they called John. Since there was no farm land in Holland, William learned to be a weaver. It was slow and tiring work, nothing like farming. He longed to feel the dirt between his fingers again, but so far, that wasn’t an option. William endured this sluggish occupation because he knew he was free to praise the Lord there.
Soon, a ray of light shone onto William. He now had the chance to go to America, the New World! There, he could do anything he desired! He could farm again! England and its church would have no hold on him in America! It would be challenging; he realized that as he was crammed onto the Mayflower with a hundred and one other people. But William had been through much more problematic situations. God had always helped him through things and guided his path, and now the Lord was directing him again.
Growing up in a God fearing household undeniably impacted William Bradford’s life. “From my years young in days of youth, God did make known to me his truth, and called me from my native place for to enjoy the means of grace...” --William Bradford. William didn’t know what was around the corner. He had no idea what would happen to him in jail, but he still put all of his trust in the Lord. “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.” (Psalm 40:4) William couldn’t see what was going to happen, but had faith anyway. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1)
William’s father, mother, and sister all died before he was twenty. William never doubted the Lord for a moment. God told William to move to Holland, and then to America, and that’s what he did. His aunt and uncle did not approve that William attended a Puritan church. Because he wanted to go to church so deeply, William walked the eight miles there and back every Sunday, no matter what. He was sent to jail more than once along with others, because the king didn’t approve of the way they worshipped. William knew that the Lord would always watch over him and had a plan for William in jail, Holland, and America. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1) In America, the colonists elected William to become Governor of Plymouth Colony thirty-seven times, every year until he died. William was blessed in so many ways once he arrived in America because he never wavered from the Lord’s path and had the faith to do what he could not see.
