After reading the two books The Johnstown Flood and Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War, some of themes listed are definitely incorporated throughout both stories. Technology in The Johnstown Flood shows the danger of humans manipulating nature without due understanding and caution. Humanity and peopling is shown in Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War when the both the Pilgrims and the Indians are both clearly only concerned with their own self-interest. Religion is important in The Johnstown Flood when McCullough notes Johnstown's large ethnic communities each practice their own form of religion. And the New World represents a huge amount of uncertainty to the Pilgrims upon their arrival. As you can see, these themes are a large part of the novels, as well as others, and are vital to creating a solid foundation for each book.
The Johnstown Flood shows the danger of humans blindly manipulating nature without any understanding and caution. Johnstown was developed during a technological age. It began as a remote place when the Pennsylvania Railroad put down tracks in the Allegheny Mountains, beginning the system of canals that had been recently finished linking Philly and Pittsburgh. This new development allowed for the city to become a major core for steel production during the boom years of the Civil War. Johnstown hoped that the vertical building beginning in Chicago and the Navy's alteration to a steel fleet will keep them affluent. Most of the natives from Johnstown have jobs at the Cambria Iron Company, which is a head in advanced applications of the Bessemer process. Inhabitants read their newspapers daily and see stories regarding the Eiffel Tower and other new developments in technology, and think optimistically about years to come. It is true that the valley can be a dangerous place and a handful of men die in the mill annually, but it comes at a worthy price: progress.