The Examination of Our Estate

American Minute from William J. Federer

The only Pilgrim to have his portrait painted, Edward Winslow was born OCTOBER 18, 1595. He joined the Separatists, a persecuted group of Christian refugees, in Leyden, Holland. Edward Winslow helped their pastor, William Brewster, print illegal religious pamphlets which were smuggled back into England.

After many hard years, at age 25, Edward Winslow departed with 102 Pilgrims to the New World. In 1622, Winslow cured Indian chief Massaoit of an illiness, resulting in a 50 year peace. Serving three times as the Plymouth Colony's Governor, Edward Winslow kept the finances and often sailed to England for business, bringing back the colony's first cattle.

While in England, Anglican Bishop William Laud jailed him for 17 weeks.

Edward Winslow served in Oliver Cromwell's army during the English Civil War and sailed with Admiral Sir William Penn, father of Pennsylvania's founder, in an attempt to capture Hispaniola from Spain.

After defeat at Santo Domingo, Winslow died of a fever on the way to Jamaica, which Penn captured.

In Young's Chronicles, Edward Winslow wrote of the Pilgrims: "Drought and the like...moved not only every good man privately to enter into examination with his own estate between God...but also to humble ourselves together before the Lord by fasting."

William J. Federer is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and president of Amerisearch, Inc, which is dedicated to researching our American heritage. The American Minute radio feature looks back at events in American history on the dates they occurred, is broadcast daily across the country and read by thousand on the internet.