I wonder what was going through this Native American’s head
and why he took such pity on the European settlers. Regardless of the reasons,
he decided that him and his band of people would help the settlers find a
stronger footing. The peace seemed to have worked out. Perhaps it was his familiarity with the values
of human life that made all of the difference in his decision process.
Certainly, he and his band could have made it difficult for the Puritans to get
off the ship.
It is also important to remember that the Puritans would
have stayed in Holland if they did not find some way of starting over. They had a need to create their own destiny
and the new land seemed like a great opportunity. The problem they faced was
that they did not have the money or resources to pay for such a trip on their
own. They needed the business community’s help.
An investment group by the name of Merchant Adventurers
looked upon the Puritans who fled to Holland to avoid English persecution
positively and decided to finance their operations. As the Merchant Adventurers
were a joint-stock company that invested in fine clothing, trade, fishing, and
other activities they thought the trip may someday prove fruitful. The Puritan group
was seeking more freedom and the investors were seeking greater opportunities.
It seemed to have worked out in mutual self-interest.
Business and societal change are part of the same existence.
We often view business as separate from these wonderful moments in human
history. Yet they are the motivations, resources, and pressures that help
create meaningful interactions. Business can be a problem solver or a problem
creator and this depends on the person making the decisions and the
environmental pressures they face. Yet,
when we think outside of conventional approaches, we may find that there are
times when business can further human interest.
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