Miller: Errand into the Wilderness

Perry Miller explores the foundational motivations of early American colonists in Miller: Errand into the Wilderness, Volume 1. This scholarly work within the categories of United States civilization and philosophy examines the underlying aims of the first settlers. Miller investigates whether these individuals viewed their journey as a self-justifying mission or as a divine errand subject to higher powers. By analyzing seventeenth-century thought, the text traces how these early questions regarding purpose and reason-for-being shaped the American experience.

The book investigates the transformation of the European mind as it encountered the American landscape. Miller addresses the tension between the dream of a model society and the reality of being left to navigate a new continent alone. As a significant contribution to American religion and philosophy studies, Miller: Errand into the Wilderness, Volume 1 provides a deep look into the human sources of the American mainstream. This volume serves as a vital resource for understanding the roots of national identity.