American Quotations by William J. Federer 2024

Oliver Cromwell (April 25, 1599-September 3, 1658) was the Lord-Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1653-58. He was offered the title of King of England by the Parliament, but declined. A strong supporter of religious freedom, he had at one time considered emigrating to the Puritan Colony in America. A minor landowner, he rose to leadership in Parliament during the early days of the English Civil War. He formed and was commander of the "Ironsides" cavalry regiment, renown as the most powerful and best drilled regiment in England. Largely responsible for the victory at Marston Moor,...

Edward Johnson (September 1598-April 23, 1672) the founder of Woburn, Massachusetts, was a contemporary of Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop. He became a trader, author, historian, and in 1654, witnessed the founding of the Puritan Church in the New World. Edward Johnson reported this event in his history titled Wonder-Working Providences of Sion's Saviour in New England: <Although the number of faithful people of Christ were but few, yet their longing desire to gather into a church was very great.... Having fasted and prayed with humble acknowledgment of their own unworthiness to be called of Christ to so worthy a work, they...

Edward Winslow (October 18, 1595-May 8, 1655) joined the Separatists, a persecuted group of Christian refugees, in Leyden, Holland. Edward Winslow helped their pastor, William Brewster, print illegal religious pamphlets which were smuggled back into England. After many hard years, at age 25, Edward Winslow departed with 102 Pilgrims to the New World, where he helped found the Plymouth Colony and was selected as an administrator of the colony in 1621. In 1622, Winslow cured Indian chief Massasoit of an illness, resulting in a 50 year peace. Winslow served as the Plymouth Colony's English agent from 1629 to 1632, keeping...

Pocahontas (c.1595-March 1617) was the daughter of the North American Indian Chief Powhatan. In 1607, she befriended the English settlers of the Jamestown Colony. Captain John Smith recorded her intervention which prevented her father from executing him. In 1613, the Indian Princess was baptized into the Christian faith, taking the name Rebekah, by the Reverend Richard Bucke, second chaplain to the Virginia Colony. In 1614, she married John Rolfe, the council member of the Jamestown Settlement noted for having introduced tobacco cultivation in 1612. John Rolfe, a widower ten years her senior, asked the Jamestown officials for permission to marry...

William Bradford (March 1590-May 9, 1657) was a Pilgrim leader who helped establish the Plymouth Colony. Sailing in the Mayflower, he was chosen as governor of the colony in 1621, and was reelected 30 times until his death. In 1650, William Bradford wrote a history Of Plymouth Plantation, which is comparable to Shakespeare's works in literary and historical significance. In it, he traced the events which led to the Pilgrims' departure from England: <It is well knowne unto ye godly and judicious how since ye first breaking out of ye lighte of ye gospell in our Honourable Nation of England,...