Just a reminder, help control the American population. Get your Pilgrims spayed or neutered !
Posted on 11/26/2015 1:08:29 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper
John Howland may not be as famous as William Bradford, John Carver and Myles Standish, notable passengers on the Mayflower that landed in Massachusetts in 1620.
Yet Howland, who boarded the ship as Carver's servant, probably had a greater impact on the history of the United States than any of them. Hundreds of thousands of Americans will sit down for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday unaware that they owe their very existence to Howland, who almost never even made it to the New World.
Howland fell overboard in the middle of the Atlantic during a gale
(Excerpt) Read more at bigstory.ap.org ...
http://www.heritage.org/research/commentary/2005/11/pilgrims-beat-communism-with-free-market
The Pilgrims started out (and failed) as a commune. It wasn’t until they were allowed to own property and grow and sell their own stuff that they had real success. (Bradford’s own notes describe the scene).
Another article said it wasn’t so much the wild and noble Indians that helped in those early years, but it was Squanto - a Christian! (Captured as a slave and sent back to England, captured again and sent to Spain and became a Christian!)
The early church wasn’t intended to foment free riders, and to be honest, the urging of the Holy Spirit isn’t that way. In that church, out of God-inspired desire the people took troubles to help one another and it was a mutual voluntary charity. The level of faith in this Pilgrim commune perhaps was less. If families came along, there would almost surely be different levels of faith involved.
All this notwithstanding, the rigors of coming to the colonies probably served as a pretty good screen to ensure that only the most determined got there. Therefore, faith here in general was still stronger than in the home countries.
All in all it was a mix of saintliness and sin.
Meet a “real” “founding father”.
This is a story about a young man who almost didn’t make i oo America because he fell overboard while crossing to Amaerica on the Mayflower in 1620. Yet, he was rescued, finished the journey, and left so many descendants that he is an ancestor of at least 1200 living descendents, including the Bush clan, the Roosevelt clan, and Sarah Palin.
FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Rev. War/Founding Father ping list.
Just a reminder, help control the American population. Get your Pilgrims spayed or neutered !
FYI -
Prior to 1860(ish) they were not known as “pilgrims” but rather known as “separatists”.
The Bush clan, the Roosevelts and Sarah Palin share a family connection?
(admittedly, not a close one)
Still.
Pilgrims shmilgrims.
My first ancestor came to America with Columbus.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Please add me to your ping list. Happy Day of Thanks!
I’m descended from John Howland, but I never knew much about him. This is very interesting stuff.
The one branch of the family with detailed records doesn’t point to the Pilgrims, but rather to a Huguenot who arrived in Cambridge in the 1600’s.
From this man eventually came 8 Minute Men, 3 West Point graduates (two who were brothers), and at least one 3-time Union Army enlistee for whom my father is named and who’s sword and musket, inscribed with his name, belong to me.
You’re on and welcome!
An interesting book about the Pilgrims is “Saints And Strangers” by Willison. It’s more of a text/documentary, and not an easy-read novel, but very good.
I like the “characters”, Squanto and Hobomok, and the close relationships they made with the saints and strangers. Squanto was close to Bradford; Hobomok lived with the Myles Standish family until he died an old man. It seems that both became Christians.
The NatGeo special this week was pretty good and featured a lot on the Indians which isn’t typical. It never mentioned the existence of Elder William Brewster, my ancestor. :(
My husband and son are descended from one of the pilgrims - on my MIL’s side. She is a member of the Mayflower Society. I’m thinking it’s John Howland. Not sure.
Added to my reading list. John was my 9th ggf.
Look for a SONS OF UNION VETS camp in your area. Usually great history buffs.
Thank you.
I am remiss that I did not mention the WWII and Viet Nam veterans.
I descend from his brother, Henry Howland.
Amazing all of the Freepers with a long history in the USA. All of my grandparents immigrated from Norway at the turn of the century. All of them came over alone (no family, no friends to go to, etc.) between the ages of 17 and 20. I wonder what it must have been like for my one grandmother at 17 to arrive in NYC alone?
She asked where there might be other Norwegians. Somebody said “Oh - I hear there are lots of Norwegians in Minnesota!” (She had meant where in NYC, but...)
So she got on a train for Minnesota!
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