Though the section we read from Bradford does not focus very much on his encounter with the native populations, we do see a marked difference in how he describes them in more hypothetical terms before their departure and how he describes his interaction with them. Walk us through this shift in opinion. How would you explain the shift?
In William Bradford’s On Plymouth Plantation, a drastic change can be seen in his depiction of the Indians from before settlement in Plymouth and after. He does not mention the Natives often throughout the entire text, only referring to them in the manner that he and his fellow Puritans knew of, or in regards to how they assisted them.
Before the Puritans landed in the New World, Bradford explains their decision in making the treacherous and bold transition across the Atlantic. Although the Puritans were most enthusiastic about being able to practice their religion in freedom and away from the evils of Old England, they were also eager for free land. Bradford goes on though to mention that the only people the Puritans would have to encounter were the Indians, who he describes as “savage and brutish men” (19). This idea of the Native Indians was more than likely being based on the many exploration narratives of the New World that were circulating around England at this time. Bradford even goes on to explain how the Puritans will face many obstacles during their emigration and settlement, but most of all, if the Puritans survive the initial struggles, they 
will be “in continual danger of the savage people who are cruel, barbarious, and most treacherous” (20). At this point before their emigration, Bradford has a very ignorant and adverse view of the Native Indians.
After landing in the New World and beginning the settlement of Plymouth Plantation, the Puritans faced the harsh reality that they were not as prepared for the harsh wilderness like they had imagined. Over half of their company died and more were falling ill daily until “a certain Indian came boldly amongst them and spoke to them in broken English” (26). It was at this point, that the Puritans and the Indians joined forces, creating terms of peace with the Natives (27). The Indians expressed great kindness to the Puritans, coming to live with them where they served as “their interpreter” and “directed [the Puritans] [of] how to set their corn, where to take fish, and to procure other commodities” (27). After this encounter with the Indians, Bradford’s depiction of them changes. He does not talk about them in a particularly positive light, but he no longer speaks of them negatively either; however, it is clear that the Indian’s involvement in Plymouth Plantation led to the success and survival of the colony whether Bradford directly says so or not.
Do you think that Bradford’s view of the Indians actually changed after his own encounter with them, or do you think he still believed they are “savage and brutish men” and only wrote about them in the manner that he does simply to keep to the facts?
This insight on Bradford’s perspective is really interesting if you compare it to that of Thomas Weld’s. Thomas Weld was a minister/devout Puritan of Roxbury, Ma, and that’s who I wrote a response on. In a letter he wrote one year after settling in Roxbury, he mentions the Indians briefly, but in no way is he cruel or demeaning in his speech. Instead, he only talks about the vital resources that the Natives supplied them with. Getting to Bradford now, I think it’s very likely that his opinion of the Natives changed once more of his people started to die and become fatigued with illness. Survival instinct may have been the trigger for peace between the Natives and the Puritans, but either way, I agree that this moment in time served as a transition in the relationship between the two cultures of people. Funny though, once the English (or just Bradford, if you prefer) realized that the Natives were useful, they started to become more friendly. This idea may be a bit far-stretched, but either way I think your insight holds some validity in this response!
Although Bradford talks about Samoset and Squanto in kind terms, he does not seem to give up his view of the Indians as different than the English. He, for example, mentions the unfailing devotion of the few who remained healthy while most of the colony grew sick and died. He praises them as “a rare example and worthy to be remembered” (Bradford 28). He doesn’t similarly praise the Indians who helped them, despite the fact that the Indians were not part of the settlers, and therefore had no explicit reason to help them other than basic human decency.
It seems that Bradford’s opinion of the Indians necessarily changes after they save the settlers from dying out. However, this is tempered by the fact that he doesn’t give them the same credit for selfless acts that he gives to the settlers.
I like the finely tuned conversation here gauging Bradford’s relative regard for the native populations. There is clearly a shift, as Sarah points out, but it is not a sea change. Great conversation!