THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT:
"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 England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, e&.Prepared by Gerald Murphy (The Cleveland Free-Net - aa300), NPTN.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 of 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 to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, 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."
There followed the signatures of 41 of the 102 passengers, 37 of whom were members of the "Separatists" who were fleeing religious persecution in Europe. This compact established the first basis in the new world for written laws. Half the colony failed to survive the first winter, but the remainder lived on and prospered.
About them Pilgrims...
Excerpts from a speech given by Robert C. Notson at the Oregon
Mayflower Society Spring luncheon. Mr. Notson is the retired
Executive Editor and Publisher of the Portland Oregonian and
co-author of Stepping Stones, The Pilgrims' Own Story. Furnished by Margaret Hyre of the Society of Mayflower Descendants.Confusing the Pilgrims and the Puritans has been a chronic popular error for many years. The more recent association of John Winthrop with the Pilgrims has been a novel expression of that mistake. Both Presidents Reagan and Bush referred to John Winthrop as a Pilgrim.
Of course, John Winthrop had nothing to do with the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were not his people. Winthrop's policies were so severe that he admonished the settlers to do as they were told. He was an
authoritarian. The Mayflower Compact, in contrast, was based on
consent of the governed, the very cornerstone of democratic process.The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620. John Winthrop and the Puritans founded a colony in the Boston area in 1630.
The story of the first Thanksgiving is intriguing and worthwhile. The Pilgrims had just completed harvest of what they thought was a bountiful crop --- and this despite an earlier threat of drought. They had toiled long and hard, and now they desired to celebrate and give thanks to God. They did not forget the aid they had received from the Indians. They invited Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoag tribe to join them.
But the communications were not too good. Massasoit misunderstood and brought the entire tribe. The coloninsts felt they could not afford to disappoint the Indians. They had some turkeys and some water fowl and now they sought to scrounge for more. The Indians, grasping the situation, sent hunters into the woods to return with four deer.
The logistics of the situation must have been enormous --- cleaning, dressing and skinning deer, building huge spits, gathering wood, turning the roasting meat, making corn bread and other dishes.
While this was proceeding, the men also had to keep the Indians
entertained with games of skill, races, drills, marksmanship. The Indians liked the cooking so much they stayed around for the better part of three days, until the food was utterly exhausted.Relations of the Pilgrims with the Indians were exemplary. They lived more than 40 years in peace and cooperation with their neighbors. It was not until the surge of new settlers began crowding the Indians that hostilities developed.
The Pilgrims adopted the Mayflower Compact, the first written democratic constitution. The Compact formed "a civil body politic" to enact "just and equal laws" for the common good. This was followed by the popular election of officers and subsequently by declaration of government by consent of the governed, the very cornerstone of the American democratic system. The Pilgrims initiated the New England town meeting, the most democratic institution ever conceived.
The Pilgrims had strong religious beliefs and they were determined to worship according to their own consciences.
[Copyright 1996 by the Society of Mayflower Descendants. For more information, write to the Society at P.O. Box 3297, Plymouth, MA 02361.]