Courtship of Miles Standish

In the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth, American elementary classrooms often displayed a black-and-white print of New England pilgrims journeying to church, muskets in hand—alongside a portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. School children were well-versed in the tale of the Mayflower and the Plymouth colony in Massachusetts, with Captain Miles Standish, the military leader of this small band, being one of the most recognized figures. Standish, along with the friendly Indian Squanto and the young pilgrim John Alden, who was in love with the beautiful Priscilla Mullins, forms the heart of this timeless narrative. Longfellow’s poem, The Courtship of Miles Standish, recounts how Standish enlists Aldens help to win Priscilla’s heart, unaware that Alden harbors feelings for her as well. Todays readers will find Priscilla to be a modern young woman, assertive and full of spirit. Many Americans can trace their lineage back to John and Priscilla, whose descendants i