MAYFLOWER COMPACT

MAYFLOWER COMPACT FOUNDATION OF PLYMOUTH & MASSACHUSETTS BAY

PURITANS

England had an official state church - the Church of England (also called the Anglican Church). This was a Protestant church tightly controlled by the king and supported by taxes. No other church was allowed to hold services in England. Roman Catholics, in particular, were persecuted.

A group of people, known as Puritans, opposed the king's strict control over the church. They wanted to "purify" the church by changing certain rituals, or ceremonies, that they thought were "too Catholic." They also wanted to end central control of the church. While most Puritans wanted to reform the Church of England from within, a few wanted to break away and start a new church. This group was known as Separatist Puritans or just Separatists.

Separatists were persecuted in England, and in 1608 one group of them moved to Leiden in Holland. Although they were accepted in Leiden, life was not easy for them. The Separatists were foreigners in a strange land.

They thought of moving on to America, but they had little money. The Virginia Company provided the answer to their problem. The English merchants of the Virginia Company agreed to provide a ship, a crew, and supplies. In return, the colonists would work in Virginia for seven years. Then the profits from their work would be divided between the colonists and the merchants.

COMMING TO AMERICA

In September, 1620, a ship called the Mayflower sailed for the New World. Most of the 102 people aboard as passengers were Separatists, 35 of them from Leiden and others from England. Those who were not Separatists were known as Strangers. Nine of the passengers were indentured servants. The majority of the passengers thought of themselves as pilgrims to a new land.

Toward the middle of November, 1620, land was sighted. As our story opens, the adult freemen are standing on the deck of the Mayflower. All look pale and tired. The cold, gray day contributes to the feelings of hostility and tension. Ask yourself why the Pilgrims came to America? Why is the Mayflower Compact so important?

CAPE COD, NOVEMBER, 1620

WILLIAM BRADFORD: Captain Jones, where are we? What land is this?

CAPTAIN JONES: This is Cape Cod, in what our map calls "New England." We are in shallow water, and we risk being shipwrecked. We are anchoring here.

JOHN CARVER: Cape Cod? What are you talking about? We're supposed to land in Virginia. In heaven's name, get us out of here. Pull up the anchor, and get on to the Hudson's River.

[The island of Manhattan, at the outlet of the Hudson River, was at the northern edge of the Virginia Company's territory.]

CAPTAIN JONES: I am sorry, Mr. Carver, but this looks like a safe harbor. We have been at sea for many weeks. My men are sick and tired and need rest. The sea is stormy, and winter is near. You are going to have to forget about Virginia. This is where the Mayflower stays.

THOMAS TINKER: The charter says we land in Virginia. I say let's go on to Virginia.

OTHER VOICES: On to Virginia. Let's get away from this cold, dreary place.

PETER BROWNE: Look at that shore. There's nothing on it. It doesn't look fit to grow anything. Is this where we're supposed to live? Who among you wants to die in this wilderness?

VOICES: Not I! Not I! Let's go on to Virginia!

BRADFORD: Captain Jones says we are staying here. We have no choice. We cannot sail the Mayflower without a captain and crew.

CARVER: We must be thankful to be in America. We will make our homes here.

[Murmurs of discontent.]

WILLIAM BREWSTER: Let us not forget how good God has been to us. He brought us to America. He protected us; only one of us died at sea. We will prosper here and be happy.

BROWNE: We're not listening to you.

TINKER: Wait. It may not be such a bad idea to land here.

RICHARD GARDINER: What do you mean?

TINKER: We have a charter for land in Virginia - not in New England. If we land here, outside Virginia, our contract with those greedy merchants in London will not matter. You all know how unhappy we were when they insisted that all profits be shared in common for the first seven years.

GARDINER: That's true. They refused to let us work two days a week for ourselves or even to keep a private garden. It would serve them right if we stop here!

VOICES: We'll show them. Let's stay here!

BRADFORD: It would appear that we have little choice in any event. But this is a harsh land, and we face many dangers. Surely there are savages nearby. For our own protection, we must set up a system of government to take the place of our patent, our grant, from the company.

VOICES: Why bother? Who needs government? Every man for himself

TINKER: You Pilgrims are in a majority. You can dominate any government we set up. I don't think that's fair.

BRADFORD: We're all in the same boat, Pilgrims and Strangers together. Surely as children of God we can work this out. If we don't stand together, the savages may well wipe us out.

CAPTAIN STANDISH: Quiet, men. Listen to Bradford and Carver. They know what they are talking about. You know me; I'm not a Pilgrim. I'm a soldier. Let them explain what they want to do.

[John Carver holds up a paper.]

TINKER:What's that?

BRADFORD: We have thought a great deal about what is the fair thing to do for all here. We have written a document for all men to sign. We will agree to set up our own government, with equal laws for everyone. And all must pledge to obey the laws that we shall make.

BROWNE: Why do we need laws? We've come here to escape bad laws.

CARVER: Exactly. But we must make good laws to take their place. A community cannot exist without laws. Laws will help us make sure that everyone lives safely, happily, and peacefully together.

TINKER: You say "we" must do this and laws will help "us." I suppose by that you mean only the Pilgrims.

CARVER: No, no. We mean every adult male in the colony.

GARDINER: Sounds fair to me. I think we have a new charter that we can all live with. I will sign it.

STANDISH: Men, let Mr. Carver and Mr. Bradford sign first.

[A majority of the men - 41 - sign the compact.]

BROWNE: We've forgotten something. We need a leader. Who will lead us?

GARDINER; Here's our first chance to vote. Let's decide among ourselves who will be our first governor,

VOICE: I nominate John Carver as the first governor.

VOICE: I second the nomination.

[John Carver is overwhelmingly elected the first governor.]

STANDISH: Volunteers for the first landing party over here! Let's see what this Cape Cod looks like!

MAYFLOWER COMPACT

Named for the ship that brought the Pilgrims to New England, the Mayflower Compact was an agreement among the people on board to protect themselves by forming a government under their own laws. Forty-one men signed the compact on November 21, 1620. It became the first plan of self-government ever put in force in the English colonies.

In the Name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, etc. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience. In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape-Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland, the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini, 1620

WINTER OF 1620-1621

The new home the Pilgrims would call Plymouth was actually the abandoned village of a tribe called the Patuxet, where as many as two thousand individuals may have lived only five years before. There were remains of other peoples nearby — mainly the Wampanoag, Massachusetts, Nausets, and Narragansetts — but with the exception of the last, these also had been recently decimated by disease introduced by an earlier group of Europeans.

Pilgrims arrived in November, and weren't able to plant anything until spring. Out of 102, only 44 made it through the first winter. Their very survival depended on developing friendly relations with Native Americans. They managed to form an alliance with the Wampanoag who assisted the Pilgrims in exchange for military support against other Native American tribes in the area.

Wampanoag Chief Massasoit and governor Carver smoking a peace pipe

MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY

In 1630, ten years after the formation of the Plymouth settlement. A well equipped fleet of 11 ships carrying over a thousand Puritan settlers arrived in Massachusetts Bay. They were led by John Winthrop, and unlike the squatters in Plymouth, they had a royal charter to form the new Massachusetts Bay colony. In the next several decades, tens of thousands more came to thriving Massachusetts, and in 1691, the smaller, older Plymouth became part of the larger, wealthier Massachusetts Bay colony.

John Winthrop

Massachusetts Bay Charter

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MAYFLOWER COMPACT FOUNDATION OF PLYMOUTH & MASSACHUSETTS BAY

PURITANS

England had an official state church - the Church of England (also called the Anglican Church). This was a Protestant church tightly controlled by the king and supported by taxes. No other church was allowed to hold services in England. Roman Catholics, in particular, were persecuted.

Separatists were persecuted in England, and in 1608 one group of them moved to Leiden in Holland. Although they were accepted in Leiden, life was not easy for them. The Separatists were foreigners in a strange land.

COMMING TO AMERICA

CAPE COD, NOVEMBER, 1620

WILLIAM BRADFORD: Captain Jones, where are we? What land is this?

CAPTAIN JONES: This is Cape Cod, in what our map calls "New England." We are in shallow water, and we risk being shipwrecked. We are anchoring here.

JOHN CARVER: Cape Cod? What are you talking about? We're supposed to land in Virginia. In heaven's name, get us out of here. Pull up the anchor, and get on to the Hudson's River.

[The island of Manhattan, at the outlet of the Hudson River, was at the northern edge of the Virginia Company's territory.]

CAPTAIN JONES: I am sorry, Mr. Carver, but this looks like a safe harbor. We have been at sea for many weeks. My men are sick and tired and need rest. The sea is stormy, and winter is near. You are going to have to forget about Virginia. This is where the Mayflower stays.

THOMAS TINKER: The charter says we land in Virginia. I say let's go on to Virginia.

OTHER VOICES: On to Virginia. Let's get away from this cold, dreary place.

PETER BROWNE: Look at that shore. There's nothing on it. It doesn't look fit to grow anything. Is this where we're supposed to live? Who among you wants to die in this wilderness?

VOICES: Not I! Not I! Let's go on to Virginia!

BRADFORD: Captain Jones says we are staying here. We have no choice. We cannot sail the Mayflower without a captain and crew.

CARVER: We must be thankful to be in America. We will make our homes here.

[Murmurs of discontent.]

WILLIAM BREWSTER: Let us not forget how good God has been to us. He brought us to America. He protected us; only one of us died at sea. We will prosper here and be happy.

BROWNE: We're not listening to you.

TINKER: Wait. It may not be such a bad idea to land here.

RICHARD GARDINER: What do you mean?

TINKER: We have a charter for land in Virginia - not in New En­gland. If we land here, outside Virginia, our contract with those greedy merchants in London will not matter. You all know how unhappy we were when they insisted that all profits be shared in common for the first seven years.

GARDINER: That's true. They refused to let us work two days a week for ourselves or even to keep a private garden. It would serve them right if we stop here!

VOICES: We'll show them. Let's stay here!

BRADFORD: It would appear that we have little choice in any event. But this is a harsh land, and we face many dangers. Surely there are savages nearby. For our own protection, we must set up a system of government to take the place of our patent, our grant, from the company.

VOICES: Why bother? Who needs government? Every man for himself

TINKER: You Pilgrims are in a majority. You can dominate any government we set up. I don't think that's fair.

BRADFORD: We're all in the same boat, Pilgrims and Strangers together. Surely as children of God we can work this out. If we don't stand together, the savages may well wipe us out.

CAPTAIN STANDISH: Quiet, men. Listen to Bradford and Carver. They know what they are talking about. You know me; I'm not a Pilgrim. I'm a soldier. Let them explain what they want to do.

[John Carver holds up a paper.]

TINKER:What's that?

BRADFORD: We have thought a great deal about what is the fair thing to do for all here. We have written a document for all men to sign. We will agree to set up our own government, with equal laws for everyone. And all must pledge to obey the laws that we shall make.

BROWNE: Why do we need laws? We've come here to escape bad laws.

CARVER: Exactly. But we must make good laws to take their place. A community cannot exist without laws. Laws will help us make sure that everyone lives safely, happily, and peacefully together.

TINKER: You say "we" must do this and laws will help "us." I suppose by that you mean only the Pilgrims.

CARVER: No, no. We mean every adult male in the colony.

GARDINER: Sounds fair to me. I think we have a new charter that we can all live with. I will sign it.

STANDISH: Men, let Mr. Carver and Mr. Bradford sign first.

[A majority of the men - 41 - sign the compact.]

BROWNE: We've forgotten something. We need a leader. Who will lead us?

GARDINER; Here's our first chance to vote. Let's decide among ourselves who will be our first governor,

VOICE: I nominate John Carver as the first governor.

VOICE: I second the nomination.

[John Carver is overwhelmingly elected the first governor.]

STANDISH: Volunteers for the first landing party over here! Let's see what this Cape Cod looks like!

MAYFLOWER COMPACT

WINTER OF 1620-1621

MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY

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TINKER: We have a charter for land in Virginia - not in New England. If we land here, outside Virginia, our contract with those greedy merchants in London will not matter. You all know how unhappy we were when they insisted that all profits be shared in common for the first seven years.