First Things First: A Father’s Legacy

William Bradford, who came over on the Mayflower, is often regarded as the father of “Thanksgiving”. On his grave is etched- "Qua patres difficillime adepti sunt nolite turpiter relinquere", which means “What our forefathers with so much difficulty secured, do not basely relinquish.” When you stop to consider the phrase, you may think that Bradford had this profound philosophy passed down to him from his father.

Ironically, this was not the case.

Bradford’s own fatherhood story begins with his father dying just after his first birthday. He was then sent to live with his grandfather who died two years later, and was orphaned when his mother died the following year. Bradford would eventually be raised by his uncles, and later by William Brewster who became a father figure to him as a young man. Bradford no doubt understood the need a child has for a father, and it’s no surprise that he would go on to adopt the children of his second wife and raise them side by side with his own children.

Our nation was formed by a group of men much like William Bradford who accepted the role of a father figure, and their lineage can be traced to the present day. It’s been said that we live life going forward but understand it looking back. Look back now and see how a dad, a grandfather, an uncle, a father figure or an adoptive father changed how we live, what we think and what we give back to the world. And as a dad yourself, remember not to basely relinquish your fatherhood which has been secured with much difficulty.

*William Bradford Descendants:

William Bradford (1729-1808), U.S. Senator from Rhode Island
Gamaliel Bradford (1768-1824),- American Revolutionary War officer.
George B. McClellan, - Civil War general, Governor of New Jersey, Democratic opponent of Abraham Lincoln in the 1864 United States presidential election
James G. Carter, American congregational minister, Massachusetts State Representative, and pioneer of Normal schools and public education
George Eastman, American inventor and the founder of the Eastman Kodak Company
Robert F. Bradford, - Governor of Massachusetts from 1947 to 1949
Julia Child, - American entrepreneur and chef of French and French-influenced cuisine
Frank Nelson Doubleday- American publisher, and his descendants, including Nelson Doubleday, Nelson Doubleday, Jr., and Russell Doubleday
Clint Eastwood, American film actor, director, and producer
John Lithgow, American actor and philanthropist
Christopher Reeve, American film actor and political activist
William Rehnquist, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1972 to 1986 and Chief Justice of the United States from 1986 until his death in 2005
Benjamin Spock, - child care specialist and author
Noah Webster, American educator, journalist, and lexicographer noted for his Webster's Dictionary
The Baldwin brothers; (Alec, Daniel, William, and Stephen) American actors