by Gerald Boerner
“…they met and consulted of laws and orderrs, both for their civil and military government as the necessity of their condition require.”
— William Bradford
“[The Pilgrims pledged 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.”
— Pilgrims and others on the Mayflower
“…they met and consulted of laws and orderrs, both for their civil and military government as the necessity of their condition require.”
— William Bradford
“Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor 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 our selves together…”
— William Bradford
“The Compact is often described as America’s first constitution, but it is not a constitution in the sense of being a fundamental framework of government. Its importance lies in the belief that government is a form of covenant, and that for government to be legitimate, it must derive from the consent of the governed.”
— U.S. Department of State
Exploring the Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the colonists, later together known to history as the Pilgrims, who crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower. Almost half of the colonists were part of a separatist group seeking the freedom to practice Christianity according to their own determination and not the will of the English Church. It was signed on November 11, 1620 (OS) by 41 of the ship’s more than one hundred passengers, in what is now Provincetown Harbor near Cape Cod.
Before the passengers went ashore, they drew up an instrument of self-government for the little band to replace the original patent. This immortal Mayflower Compact was modeled on the Covenant by which the Pilgrims had lived in Leyden for more than a decade and was later hailed by John Quincy Adams, among others, as the first example in modern times of a social compact or system of government instituted by voluntary agreement by men of equal rights. It was signed by all of the adult male passengers on the 11th of November (Old Style) 1620.
The Mayflower Compact was signed in the cabin of the Mayflower, November 21, 1620 (New Style). It was signed by forty-one of those who made the voyage. Lines of descent have been proven from twenty-four of these men. Richard Moore and Henry Samson were too young to sign.
Text of the Mayflower Compact
The original document was lost, but the transcriptions in Mourt’s Relation and William Bradford’s journal Of Plymouth Plantation are in agreement and accepted as accurate. Bradford’s hand written manuscript is kept in a special vault at the State Library of Massachusetts. Bradford’s transcription is as follows:
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 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 Politic, 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 hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini 1620.
The ‘dread sovereign’ referred to in the document used the archaic definition of dread; meaning awe and reverence (for the King), not fear.
The following list of 41 male passengers who signed was supplied by Bradford’s nephew Nathaniel Morton in his 1669 New England’s Memorial. There are no surviving first-hand accounts of this information.
The same list in the same order but with some corrections was provided by Thomas Prince in his 1736 A Chronological History of New-England in the form of Annals. Prince added the title Mr. to ten names, which he found in a list at the end of Governor Bradford’s folio manuscript: Carver, Winslow, Brewster, Isaac Allerton, Samuel Fuller, Martin, Mullins, White, Warren, and Hopkins. He attributed the lack of Mr. Bradford to Bradford’s modesty. He also added Capt. to Standish. He corrected the spelling of five names: John Crackston, Moses Fletcher, Degory Priest, Richard Briterige, and Ed Dotey. In addition, he spelled Francis Cook and Richard Clarke. However William Bradford’s journal Of Plymouth Plantation is definitive that both Francis Cooke and Richard Clarke both had an “e” at the end of their last name.
Other Events on this Day
- In 1620…
Pilgrim leaders frame the Mayflower Compact. - In 1789…
North Carolina becomes the twelfth state to ratify the Constitution. - In 1877…
Thomas Edison announces the invention of the phonograph. - In 1964…
New York’s Verrazano Narrows Bridge opens to traffic. - In 1980…
Millions of TV viewers tune in to Dallas to find out “who shot J.R. - In 1995…
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 5,000 for the first time.
Dates and events based on:
William J. Bennett and John Cribb, (2008) The American Patriot’s Almanac Daily Readings on America. (Kindle Edition)
Background information is from Wikipedia articles on:
The Mayflower Compact that can be found at…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower_Compact
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