Miles Smith

So it's probably more the former. I mean, the people who aren't particularly religious and pious, they understand, well, hey, the pilgrims are the guys with the guns. They're the guys with the ability to control what becomes the New England Commonwealth, the actual state apparatus in New England. So it's more the former.

So it's probably more the former. I mean, the people who aren't particularly religious and pious, they understand, well, hey, the pilgrims are the guys with the guns. They're the guys with the ability to control what becomes the New England Commonwealth, the actual state apparatus in New England. So it's more the former.

People who might not be particularly pious or interested in religion, they decide, you know what, in order to keep on the good side of the people who are kind of running everything, I need to at least seem religious. Right. So it's much more the former. People sort of begin to sort of, they fake it till they make it, if you want to think of it that way.

People who might not be particularly pious or interested in religion, they decide, you know what, in order to keep on the good side of the people who are kind of running everything, I need to at least seem religious. Right. So it's much more the former. People sort of begin to sort of, they fake it till they make it, if you want to think of it that way.

It's very dangerous. You know, the North Atlantic isn't a regular sort of through fair at that point. There's no cities to trade with in the New World. So it's only sort of recently begun to be regularly traveled at the beginning of the 17th century. So it is dangerous. There's no guarantee you're even going to make it to the New World.

It's very dangerous. You know, the North Atlantic isn't a regular sort of through fair at that point. There's no cities to trade with in the New World. So it's only sort of recently begun to be regularly traveled at the beginning of the 17th century. So it is dangerous. There's no guarantee you're even going to make it to the New World.

You have, you know, sometimes with storms in North Atlantic, you have waves easily 35 to 40 feet. Considering the fact that Mayflower is not much longer than 110, 120 feet, it's a heck of a wild ride. So they do know it's dangerous. They do think that it's dangerous. They are aware of that. But they're all pretty convinced, at least the leadership, that they're supposed to do it.

You have, you know, sometimes with storms in North Atlantic, you have waves easily 35 to 40 feet. Considering the fact that Mayflower is not much longer than 110, 120 feet, it's a heck of a wild ride. So they do know it's dangerous. They do think that it's dangerous. They are aware of that. But they're all pretty convinced, at least the leadership, that they're supposed to do it.

And so for the writings we have, we don't have this kind of raw terror on the ship. There's sort of a sense of this is our mission, this is our job. And so because the pilgrims form the core, the social core of the Mayflower Travelers, it doesn't really become, you know, a sort of terror-stricken, anxious journey. It is, but that's not sort of the telos of the journey, at least in the writings.

And so for the writings we have, we don't have this kind of raw terror on the ship. There's sort of a sense of this is our mission, this is our job. And so because the pilgrims form the core, the social core of the Mayflower Travelers, it doesn't really become, you know, a sort of terror-stricken, anxious journey. It is, but that's not sort of the telos of the journey, at least in the writings.

Yeah, that's a good way to think of it.

Yeah, that's a good way to think of it.

Yeah, so they would have been downstream from English Calvinists. And so for them, they're not afraid to use social and civil power to enforce religiosity. So a church going is sort of mandatory. Hey, we need you to show up for church. You have to show up for church. They fine them. people for deviant behaviors.

Yeah, so they would have been downstream from English Calvinists. And so for them, they're not afraid to use social and civil power to enforce religiosity. So a church going is sort of mandatory. Hey, we need you to show up for church. You have to show up for church. They fine them. people for deviant behaviors.

And so even if you're not enthusiastic about piety, just kind of in your heart, in order to sort of get by, you're going to become more enthusiastic, whether you sort of feel it or not. So the legacy they leave is that New England always, at least until the middle of the 19th century, had sort of the biggest space for public Christianity. It's interesting.

And so even if you're not enthusiastic about piety, just kind of in your heart, in order to sort of get by, you're going to become more enthusiastic, whether you sort of feel it or not. So the legacy they leave is that New England always, at least until the middle of the 19th century, had sort of the biggest space for public Christianity. It's interesting.

We tend to think of the South as more religious at the beginning of the United States and really throughout the history of the United States. That's a relatively new development. New England was more religious because New England was sort of unafraid to use social and civil power to make people religious. And so you have that legacy that's kind of cooked into New England.

We tend to think of the South as more religious at the beginning of the United States and really throughout the history of the United States. That's a relatively new development. New England was more religious because New England was sort of unafraid to use social and civil power to make people religious. And so you have that legacy that's kind of cooked into New England.

And in a way, it isn't in what we would think of as the South and the colonies that are founded from Virginia.

And in a way, it isn't in what we would think of as the South and the colonies that are founded from Virginia.