Ancestral Ties

Just finished reading this great book. Through Dean's family, we are related to Governor William Bradford, yes, THE William Bradford of "Mayflower" and "Plymouth Rock" fame. I'm thinking I should invest in buying this book because of the interesting tidbits about our ancestor; discovered his first wife--sadly alone after leaving her little boy in England and afraid for her husband as he explored the wilderness for the best place to build their village--probably committed suicide by jumping from the moored Mayflower off Cape Cod. But mostly, I was intrigued by the development of the community of Pilgrims that shaped all of New England: their relationship with the Native Indians, their struggles through those first lean years, even the mistakes they made as they first befriended, then alienated their Native brothers and sisters. The book puts William Bradford and his descendants in a good light (thankfully!), so I do believe that they tried their best with what they had. An interesting piece of trivia: "In 2002, it was estimated that there were approximately 35 million descendants of the Mayflower passengers in the United States, which represents roughly 10% of the total U.S. population." ...of which my husband, children, and grandchildren are all a part!