William Bradford: 3/19/1590

When Shakespeare was 26-years-old, William Bradford was born, MARCH 19, 1590 At age 17, Bradford fled for Holland with persecuted Pilgrims. At age 30, he sailed with them to America. In 1621, William Bradford was chosen governor and reelected 30 times till his death.

In his History of the Plymouth Plantation, 1650, William Bradford wrote: "Since ye first breaking out of ye lighte of ye gospell in our Honourable Nation of England...what warrs and opposissions...Satan hath raised...against the Saints...by bloody death and cruell torments...imprisonments, banishments...What could now sustaine them but ye spirite of God and His grace?...Ought not the children of these fathers rightly say: Our fathers...came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto ye Lord, and He heard their voyce."

William Bradford continued: "All great and honourable actions are accompanied with great difficulties...Out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing...and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation; let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise."

American Minute with Bill Federer