American Dream - William Bradford

Cornelius Chavis

Essential Question

Is there such a thing as a "True American ?"

Political CartoonThis political cartoon shows how the government of the United States doesn't really have much of a interest for the issue on immigration. On one-half of the cartoon shows a mayor who represents the citizens about issue on immigration by showing a lot of them entering America. Unfortunately, Uncle Sam who plays the role as the government doesn't do anything but watch them invade the country without a trace of care or awareness. The other part of the cartoon shows a lot of immigrant coming in the country as quick as possible to avoid being sent back to their country, and the U.S. Border Line not paying attention to them coming in the country. This may show that the U.S. Boarder Line doesn't pay attention to certain areas of the line and just let some immigrants who they see are further away pass through the line free of charge. In conclusion, the cartoon points out the lack of work that the government puts forth to keep the population of America at a normal state when the population of immigration increases.

Of Plymouth Plantation



Thesis: In an excerpt from William Bradford's "Of Plymouth Plantation", although the puritans experience hardship in their voyage to America, in their initial arrival and in their dealings with the Indians, they still maintain their reverence to God and to one another [their initial reason for fleeing England].



Passage Favorite: These troubles being blown over, and now all being compact together in one ship, they put to sea again with a prosperous wind, which continued divers days together, which was some encouragement unto them; yet, according to the usual manner, many were afflicted with seasickness. And I may not omit here a special work of God’s providence. There was a proud and very profane young man, one of the seamen, of a lusty, able body, which made him the more haughty; he would always be contemning the poor people in their sickness and cursing them daily with grievous execration's; and did not let to tell them that he hoped to help to cast half of them overboard before they came to their journey’s end, and to make merry with what they had; and if he Were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first that was thrown overboard. Thus his curses light on his own head, and it was an astonishment to all his fellows for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him.



Reflection: I believe I favor this passage out of the story because it uses source irony in a humorous way, and how sayings can affect the human life at an instant. The example of my reflection was in the first paragraph when the man on the Puritan boat who trashed talked the men aboard the ship who caught a fatal disease. The men aboard the ship who caught the disease were bound to contract it to the others, so when they caught it, they were left to die in a certain area and then thrown of the ship afterwards. It was only a matter of time before the man who disrespected the weak got sick with the fatal disease, left for dead and thrown of the boat which everybody then celebrated about. This just shows to be careful what you say and wish for because of that old saying"What Comes Around, Goes Around".







Diary Entry:



Hi,



I'm a crew mate from the Puritan ship which we our using to seek new land in America. There are dangerous surrounding along the way but me and my other crew mates believe we shall make it across with God watching over us. We feel it was a blessing when we made it there even though we lost a couple of men and gratefully a trash talking pain the butt due to a dreadful see sickness. Unfortunately, our sight of the land wasn't as we expected due to the setting, so we went to another which was also disastrous, so we went cruising for hours finding and area until we saw a place where we could build homes and live. But, their was and inconvenience because there were the so called Indians who grew anxious to drive us away but it didn't matter because thanks to the power of God we defeated them and claimed our land to live in tranquility for a little while.