The Pilgrims do not set sail until the last few chapters of Book 1. What is the role of the backstory Bradford provides in the preceding chapters, particularly the Pilgrims' years in Leyden?

Who does Bradford say he is writing his account for? How might this have affected his choices about which events to relate, and how?

Discuss the way in which Bradford uses letters in Of Plymouth Plantation. Why might he include them so often?