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Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth
Originally printed in 1622, this is the first published account of the coming of the Pilgrims to the New World to settle Plymouth Plantation.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1622
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218 people want to read
About the author
William Bradford
280 books38 followersWilliam Bradford was an English leader of the settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and was elected thirty times to be the Governor after John Carver died. The manuscript of his journal (1620–1647), Of Plymouth Plantation, was not published until 1856. Bradford is credited as the first to proclaim what popular American culture now views as the first Thanksgiving.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 1, 2025
Two quotes that I absolutely loved:
"I answer, a man must not respect only to live, and do good to himself, but he should see where he can live to do most good to others; for, as one saith, 'He whose living is but for himself, it is time he were dead.' "
"As for such as object the tediousness of the voyage thither, the danger of pirates' robbery, of the savages' treachery, etc., these are but lions in the way, and it were well for such men if they were in heaven, for who can show them a place in this world where iniquity shall not compass them at the heels, and where they shall have a day without grief, or a lease of life for a moment; and who can tell, but God, what dangers may lie at our doors, even in our native country, or what plots may be abroad, or when God will cause our sun to go down at noon-days, and in the midst of our peace and security, lay upon us some lasting scourge for our so long neglect and contempt of his most glorious Gospel?"
"I answer, a man must not respect only to live, and do good to himself, but he should see where he can live to do most good to others; for, as one saith, 'He whose living is but for himself, it is time he were dead.' "
"As for such as object the tediousness of the voyage thither, the danger of pirates' robbery, of the savages' treachery, etc., these are but lions in the way, and it were well for such men if they were in heaven, for who can show them a place in this world where iniquity shall not compass them at the heels, and where they shall have a day without grief, or a lease of life for a moment; and who can tell, but God, what dangers may lie at our doors, even in our native country, or what plots may be abroad, or when God will cause our sun to go down at noon-days, and in the midst of our peace and security, lay upon us some lasting scourge for our so long neglect and contempt of his most glorious Gospel?"
February 26, 2018
This is a key primary document of 17th-century Massachusetts. It is a nearly day-by-day account of the first year or so of Plymouth Plantation. It makes a nice companion to “On Plymouth Plantation” because it is day by day; the latter title ends up focusing on the legal struggles that the colony underwent -- fascinating to be sure, but the many adventures and setbacks that the colony faced in its earliest days are not gone into. One interesting thing, though: “On Plymouth Plantation” talks about the sickness and deaths of that first winter, when half of the Pilgrims died, and “Mourt” barely mentions it.
December 2, 2024
This will be the primary source I direct people to who are interested in learning firsthand from the Pilgrims. It is always the best choice to go directly to a historical account rather than relying on what a commentator says. Since this is a short enough read, I hope those with enough curiosity will find it manageable to get through.
For me, this was the third primary text I’ve read related to the Pilgrims’ journey, and as I read, several themes emerged.
First, I realized that part of the reason I enjoy the story of the Pilgrims so much is that it aligns with what one author describes as being “wild at heart.” There’s a place in my soul that deeply resonates with the details of braving hardship, persevering through difficulties, and overcoming great obstacles, all while depending on God. I find the journeys described through the wilderness in Mourt’s Relation particularly engaging, as they make the story come alive in an exciting way. These were men who not only endured great trials but also lived in great love and dependency on God.
Second, I continue to admire the character of the Pilgrims, who, all things considered, treated the Native Americans with as much respect and friendship as possible, managing to establish meaningful relationships with them. One encounter struck me in particular: an old Native American woman whose two sons had been stolen as slaves by white men. The Pilgrims identified the perpetrator and condemned him to her for his actions. This shows that not all white Europeans who came as settlers can or should be categorized in the same way, as many are quick to do. Were there terrible Europeans who came and destroyed Native American lives? Yes. Were the Pilgrims among them? No, they were different.
Third, it was interesting to note that Mourt’s Relation was far less theological and also less morbid than Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation. Much of the horror of the first year is omitted, and the action and references to God are far less prominent.
Fourth, the final chapter was a significant surprise to me, as it provided an explanation of why the Pilgrims came to America. Their leading reason was to spread the Gospel, a motive often overlooked. The details provided were fascinating, and I am very glad this is the conclusion of the book.
Fifth and finally, this text contains the one and only description of the First Thanksgiving. That alone makes it worth reading.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
1. “Yea, and as the enterprise is weighty and difficult, so the honor is more worthy, to plant a rude wilderness, to enlarge the honor and fame of our dread sovereign, but chiefly to display the efficacy and power of the Gospel, both in zealous preaching, professing, and wise walking under it, before the faces of these poor blind infidels.” (p. 93)
2. “But now we are all in all places strangers and pilgrims, travellers and sojourners, most properly, having no dwelling but in this earthen tabernacle; it is but a wandering, and our abiding but as a fleeting, and in a word, our home is nowhere, but in the heavens, in that house not made with hands, whose maker and builder is God, and to which all ascend that love the coming of our but yet Lord Jesus.” (pp. 89-90)
3. “But because we intended not to injure any, desiring to live peaceably, and as with all men, so especially with them, our nearest neighbors.” (p. 61)
4. “Found springs of fresh water, of which we were heartily glad, and sat down and drank our first New England water with as much delight as ever we drank drink in our lives.” (p. 21)
5. *“The following is the earliest known text of the famous ‘Mayflower Compact.’ The original document has never been found. John Quincy Adams overstated the case when he said that:
‘This is perhaps the only instance in human history of that positive social compact which speculative philosophers have imagined as the only legitimate source of government.’
As evidenced in the signatures, the distinction between masters and servants remained, and women had no legal voice but were still considered chattel. Nevertheless, it is an unusual document in which the concept of self-government emerges so sharply during a time when the divine right of kings was assumed. It is clearly modeled on the ‘covenants’ or ‘combinations’ that characterized most Separatist congregations and is foreshadowed in Rev. Robinson’s farewell letter.”*
(Footnote, p. 17)
For me, this was the third primary text I’ve read related to the Pilgrims’ journey, and as I read, several themes emerged.
First, I realized that part of the reason I enjoy the story of the Pilgrims so much is that it aligns with what one author describes as being “wild at heart.” There’s a place in my soul that deeply resonates with the details of braving hardship, persevering through difficulties, and overcoming great obstacles, all while depending on God. I find the journeys described through the wilderness in Mourt’s Relation particularly engaging, as they make the story come alive in an exciting way. These were men who not only endured great trials but also lived in great love and dependency on God.
Second, I continue to admire the character of the Pilgrims, who, all things considered, treated the Native Americans with as much respect and friendship as possible, managing to establish meaningful relationships with them. One encounter struck me in particular: an old Native American woman whose two sons had been stolen as slaves by white men. The Pilgrims identified the perpetrator and condemned him to her for his actions. This shows that not all white Europeans who came as settlers can or should be categorized in the same way, as many are quick to do. Were there terrible Europeans who came and destroyed Native American lives? Yes. Were the Pilgrims among them? No, they were different.
Third, it was interesting to note that Mourt’s Relation was far less theological and also less morbid than Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation. Much of the horror of the first year is omitted, and the action and references to God are far less prominent.
Fourth, the final chapter was a significant surprise to me, as it provided an explanation of why the Pilgrims came to America. Their leading reason was to spread the Gospel, a motive often overlooked. The details provided were fascinating, and I am very glad this is the conclusion of the book.
Fifth and finally, this text contains the one and only description of the First Thanksgiving. That alone makes it worth reading.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
1. “Yea, and as the enterprise is weighty and difficult, so the honor is more worthy, to plant a rude wilderness, to enlarge the honor and fame of our dread sovereign, but chiefly to display the efficacy and power of the Gospel, both in zealous preaching, professing, and wise walking under it, before the faces of these poor blind infidels.” (p. 93)
2. “But now we are all in all places strangers and pilgrims, travellers and sojourners, most properly, having no dwelling but in this earthen tabernacle; it is but a wandering, and our abiding but as a fleeting, and in a word, our home is nowhere, but in the heavens, in that house not made with hands, whose maker and builder is God, and to which all ascend that love the coming of our but yet Lord Jesus.” (pp. 89-90)
3. “But because we intended not to injure any, desiring to live peaceably, and as with all men, so especially with them, our nearest neighbors.” (p. 61)
4. “Found springs of fresh water, of which we were heartily glad, and sat down and drank our first New England water with as much delight as ever we drank drink in our lives.” (p. 21)
5. *“The following is the earliest known text of the famous ‘Mayflower Compact.’ The original document has never been found. John Quincy Adams overstated the case when he said that:
‘This is perhaps the only instance in human history of that positive social compact which speculative philosophers have imagined as the only legitimate source of government.’
As evidenced in the signatures, the distinction between masters and servants remained, and women had no legal voice but were still considered chattel. Nevertheless, it is an unusual document in which the concept of self-government emerges so sharply during a time when the divine right of kings was assumed. It is clearly modeled on the ‘covenants’ or ‘combinations’ that characterized most Separatist congregations and is foreshadowed in Rev. Robinson’s farewell letter.”*
(Footnote, p. 17)
March 18, 2017
I realize it's weird to enjoy reading 17th century English, but it was fun. There were moments of humor (like William Bradford stepping into a deer trap), and cringing (an old woman lamenting that her three sons were all enslaved by the previous Englishmen who had come), and I learned a lot about the group who came over on the Mayflower.
August 22, 2016
A quiet and unusual glimpse of early Puritan experiences in New England, including some dubious interactions with the people who were already residents. God/Providence plays a major role.
October 30, 2022
I found this slim tome in the gift shop of the Witch House in Salem, Massachusetts. The house bears a connection with “convicted witches” who were hanged, not burned, following a sensational trial viewed as a war between the devil and Puritans. The Pilgrims, a hardy band of this group of dissenters, escaped religious persecution for the freedom to practice a little persecution of their own.
The title has nothing to do with family. Rather, a member of the party of Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth wrote some accounts of their (mis)adventure following their landing in New England, published by George Morton. You know how lax spelling rules were for those people, which is ironic considering how severe the rest of their rules were.
Now that I’ve prejudiced my readers (all four of you) with this brief history, I should in fairness tell you why I bought and read it. History! It’s a first-hand account of the small company of believers, the first permanent settlers in New England. Pilgrims, members of the Puritan separatists from the Church of England, viewed everything through a prism of their beliefs, as we all do. It’s interesting to learn what they believed, and how they managed to procure the friendship of Indians, most notably Squanto.
The first Thanksgiving receives a paragraph. Who knew that such a seemingly innocuous gathering would later become a major holiday? Don’t be disappointed to learn there were no turkeys or mashed potatoes. Plenty of deer and venison was available, though. And everything was organic! We can at least admire their pluck and tenacity.
“So be you, brethren, much more careful, that the House of God which you are and are to be, be not shaken with unnecessary novelties or other oppositions at the first settling thereof.”
The title has nothing to do with family. Rather, a member of the party of Pilgrims who settled in Plymouth wrote some accounts of their (mis)adventure following their landing in New England, published by George Morton. You know how lax spelling rules were for those people, which is ironic considering how severe the rest of their rules were.
Now that I’ve prejudiced my readers (all four of you) with this brief history, I should in fairness tell you why I bought and read it. History! It’s a first-hand account of the small company of believers, the first permanent settlers in New England. Pilgrims, members of the Puritan separatists from the Church of England, viewed everything through a prism of their beliefs, as we all do. It’s interesting to learn what they believed, and how they managed to procure the friendship of Indians, most notably Squanto.
The first Thanksgiving receives a paragraph. Who knew that such a seemingly innocuous gathering would later become a major holiday? Don’t be disappointed to learn there were no turkeys or mashed potatoes. Plenty of deer and venison was available, though. And everything was organic! We can at least admire their pluck and tenacity.
“So be you, brethren, much more careful, that the House of God which you are and are to be, be not shaken with unnecessary novelties or other oppositions at the first settling thereof.”
November 8, 2017
Edward Winslow recorded his experiences in Plymouth Colony in the early 17th century and that forms the basis for this book. It is not complicated reading and tells the story of the early English-based Massachusetts settlers who landed at Plymouth. As it is a primary source document from the early 17th century, this tells the story from the English perspective and their outlook on the interaction with the Wampanoag Indians. It is told in the context of the bias in which it was written.
August 10, 2022
This publication is a collection of first-hand accounts of the pilgrims who landed in Massachusetts in 1620 and made contact with the indigenous communities already living in the area.
Short and accessible, even for k-12 students, great historical information.
Tie-in: non-fiction, primary document, primary source, historical narrative, diary, Pilgrims, Indigenous, Samoset, Squanto, Tisquantum, Wampanoag, Narragansett, Decolonizing primary sources
Short and accessible, even for k-12 students, great historical information.
Tie-in: non-fiction, primary document, primary source, historical narrative, diary, Pilgrims, Indigenous, Samoset, Squanto, Tisquantum, Wampanoag, Narragansett, Decolonizing primary sources
May 15, 2018
This is a delightful little volume. The longest letter, “A Relation or Journal of the Proceedings of the Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England” is a fascinating account of their journeys in and around Plymouth after first landing in November of 1620. The editor did a great job of footnoting when needing without overwhelming the reader with notes.
November 13, 2025
One of the few true, reliable sources for the lives of the Mayflower pilgrims and their relationship with the natives. I don't love that Goodreads credits William Bradford with the authorship, though, as it's not clear who the writer is and it states explicitly that it's the combined account of several of the settlers.
March 25, 2020
Having recently discovered a direct line of descendency from the Pilgrims at Plymouth, and in particular to George Morton, I have been reading as much as I can about the lives of those people. This is a short read, but full of interesting stories about life in the new world in the 1620s.
July 7, 2018
Amazing first-hand account of the earliest days of Plymouth.
December 12, 2024
very interesting first hand account of the early days of the pilgrims. very cool to read about the first Thanksgiving even if it only was one paragraph.
July 6, 2013
This is one of the few primary sources for the founding of the Plymouth colony, and the first 3/4 of it reads like an adventure novel. Since it's the Pilgrims in their own words, it's a novel with an unreliable narrator and all the ugly biases inherited by English people of that period. It's most interesting when you see them struggling with the morality of things like digging up the corn the Indians buried with their dead (they knew it was wrong, but the text makes clear they were already half-starved) and other less-justifiable offenses. The last part of the book is an argument for the existence of the colony. It is sanctimonious rubbish, but valuable for the arguments AGAINST settlement that they felt the need to refute. For instance, apparently some people had the silly idea that the natives owned their land ("But fome will fay, what right haue I to goe liue in the heathens countrie?"), and it was necessary to refute this by explaining what a great GOOD could be done for the Indians by converting them to Christianity, &c., &c. That the Pilgrims made those arguments is unsurprising, but I was startled that there were apparently a few voices of reason even at the time, enough that they felt the need to build a case.
Read
December 25, 2015I did not read all of Mourt's Relation as I was mainly interested in the parts that related to Richard Warren - a Mayflower passenger and Philippe De La Noye (or Delano) - a Fortune passenger. Having read over half the book though, I can say that it is an excellent first person account of the landing of the Mayflower. The Pilgrims were amazing people, but they would not have thought of themselves that way.
Dexter's footnotes are a valuable resource. He clarifies dates, gives opinions on modern locations from their descriptions, and adds well researched notes on dates and people listed.
I read the original 1865 publication from John Kimball Wiggin of Boston (scanned into Google Books). Wiggin and Dexter chose to preserve the original spelling, punctuation, and paragraph style of the original, including the swapping of "u" and "v" and the use of the long "s." Dexter uses the long "s" in his own notes as well.
I read the beginning through page 144 (of the Google Copy) and the section about the Fortune.
Dexter's footnotes are a valuable resource. He clarifies dates, gives opinions on modern locations from their descriptions, and adds well researched notes on dates and people listed.
I read the original 1865 publication from John Kimball Wiggin of Boston (scanned into Google Books). Wiggin and Dexter chose to preserve the original spelling, punctuation, and paragraph style of the original, including the swapping of "u" and "v" and the use of the long "s." Dexter uses the long "s" in his own notes as well.
I read the beginning through page 144 (of the Google Copy) and the section about the Fortune.
Read
February 7, 2010http://bookcents.blogspot.com/2010/02...
Morton arranged business affairs for the Pilgrims, so he had a vested interest in seeing the enterprise in the New World succeed. While making sure the “relations” got published, his introduction downplays the hardships faced (“first attempts prove difficult”) while stressing potential earnings from such an investment. His three hopes for the undertaking are “the furtherance of the kingdom Christ, the enlarging of the bounds of our sovereign lord King James, and the good and profit of those who, either by purse or person or both, are agents in the same…”. William Bradford and Edward Winslow might stress different things in their sections, but Morton and Robert Cushman (see the last section) consistently hit these points.
More detail on the other 'relations' at the link.
Morton arranged business affairs for the Pilgrims, so he had a vested interest in seeing the enterprise in the New World succeed. While making sure the “relations” got published, his introduction downplays the hardships faced (“first attempts prove difficult”) while stressing potential earnings from such an investment. His three hopes for the undertaking are “the furtherance of the kingdom Christ, the enlarging of the bounds of our sovereign lord King James, and the good and profit of those who, either by purse or person or both, are agents in the same…”. William Bradford and Edward Winslow might stress different things in their sections, but Morton and Robert Cushman (see the last section) consistently hit these points.
More detail on the other 'relations' at the link.
December 12, 2012
When I read this book it's like I stepped back in time and went to the beginning of the pilgrim's journey into this North American land. It is a first-hand account of the adventures they had and the dangers they faced when they were establishing their colonies. It is also a great historical account of the Wampanoag tribes in the area and their interaction with these strangers. It makes you appreciate our modern life much more reading about the struggles they faced.
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