Selection from Plymouth Plantation

September 6 [1620]. These troubles being blown over, and now all being compact together in one ship, they put to sea again with a prosperous wind, which continued divers days together, which was some encouragement unto them; yet, according to the usual manner, many were afflicted with seasickness. And I may not omit here a special work of God’s providence. There was a proud and very profane young man, one of the seamen, of a lusty, able body, which made him the more haughty; he would always be contemning the poor people in their sickness and cursing them daily with grievous execrations; and did not let to tell them that he hoped to help to cast half of them overboard before they came to their journey’s end, and to make merry with what they had; and if he Were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first that was thrown overboard. Thus his curses light on his own head, and it was an astonishment to all his fellows for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him.
This passage impressed me because of the unexpected irony at the end. For example who would have that the young man who seemed to be healthy, and who was blurting out nasty remarks to the sick passenger, would in the end get sick himself and end up being thrown over board. Also this passage caught my attention because of how the pilgrims were strong enough to survive the long journey even though they came across very hard times and people who would belittle them. This shows what the whole coming to America was about how the pilgrims would do anything and deal with anything no matter the conditions just to be able to come here to what was then the "country of freedom." This goes back to today's type of immigration how the people will venture throughout many harsh places just to come here so that they can get the little bit of freedom that their country does not give them. So what is the difference? "What is an American?"