CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS
As you have seen from your reading so far,
William Bradford believes that God played a
special role in the lives of the Puritan settlers.
Reread lines 48-54. In the first sentence,
notice
the phrase "a special providence of God."
The verb form of providence is provide. This
word expresses Bradford's belief that God
literally provides for the Puritan settlers by
giving them seed corn to plant so that they
will not starve. As you read the following
paragraphs (lines 55-99), look for other
places where the author expresses Puritan
beliefs about the role of God in their lives.