MAYFLOWER COMPACT

MAYFLOWER COMPACT
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Mayflower Compact
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This bas-relief depicting the signing of the Mayflower Compact is on Bradford Street in Provincetown directly below the Pilgrim Monument.
The Mayflower Compact, a painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris which was widely reproduced through much of the 20th century

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 Anglican Church.[citation needed] It was signed on November 11, 1620 (OS),[1] by 41 of the ship's 101 passengers,[2][3] while the Mayflower was anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor within the hook at the northern tip of Cape Cod.[4]
Contents
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1 Reasons for the Compact
2 Text
3 Signers
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Reasons for the Compact

The Mayflower was originally bound for the mouth of the Hudson River, in land granted in a patent from the Crown to the London Virginia Company. The decision was made instead to land farther north, in what is now Massachusetts. This inspired some of the "strangers" (colonists who were not members of the congregation of religious dissenters leading the expedition) to proclaim that since the settlement would not be made in the agreed-upon Virginia territory, they "would use their own liberty; for none had power to command them...."[5] To prevent this, many of the other colonists decided to establish a government. The Mayflower Compact was based simultaneously upon a majoritarian model (even though the signers were not in the majority) and the settlers' allegiance to the king. It was in essence a social contract in which the settlers consented to follow the compact's rules and regulations for the sake of survival.[citation needed]

In November 1620, the Mayflower landed at Plymouth, named after the major port city in Devon, England from which the Mayflower sailed. The settlers named their settlement "Plimoth" or "Plimouth", old English spellings of the name.
Text

Although the original document has been lost,[6] three versions exist from the 17th century: printed in Mourt's Relation (1622),[7][8] which was reprinted in Purchas his Pilgrimes (1625),[9] hand written by William Bradford in his journal Of Plimoth Plantation (1646),[10] and printed by Bradford's nephew Nathaniel Morton in New-Englands Memorial (1669).[6] The three versions differ slightly in wording and significantly in spelling, capitalization and punctuation.[8] William Bradford wrote the first part of Mourt's Relation, including the compact, so he wrote two of the three versions. The wording of those two versions is indeed quite similar, unlike that of Morton. Bradford's hand written manuscript is kept in a vault at the State Library of Massachusetts.[11]
Modern version

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 advancements 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 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 hereunto 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, 1620.[12]

Comparison of three 17th-century versions 1622 IN the name of God, Amen. We whose names are vnder-written, the loyall Subiects of our dread soveraigne
1646 In ye name of God Amen· We whose names are vnderwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soueraigne
1669 In the Name of God, Amen. We whose Names are under-written, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Soveraign

1622 Lord King IAMES, by the grace of God of Great Britaine, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, &c.
1646 Lord King James by ye grace of God, of great Britaine, franc, & Ireland king, defender of ye faith, &c.
1669 Lord King James, by the grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defendor of the Faith, &c.

1622 Having vnder-taken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian Faith, and honour of our King and Countrey,
1646 haueing vndertaken, for ye glorie of God, and aduancemente of ye Christian faith and honour of our king & countrie,
1669 Having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our K[i]ng and Countrey,

1622 a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the Northerne parts of VIRGINIA, doe by these presents solemnly & mutually in the
1646 a voyage to plant ye first colonie in ye Northerne parts of Virginia· doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in ye
1669 a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the Northern parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents solemnly and mutually, in the

1622 presence of God and one of another, covenant, and combine our selues together into a civill body politike, for our better
1646 presence of God, and one of another, couenant & combine our selues togeather into a ciuill body politick; for our better
1669 presence of God and one another, Covenant and Combine our selves together into a Civil Body Politick, for our better

1622 ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by vertue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame
1646 ordering & preseruation & furtherance of ye ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof, to enacte, constitute, and frame
1669 ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid: and by virtue hereof do enact, constitute and frame

1622 such iust and equall Lawes, Ordinances, acts, constitutions, offices from time to time, as shall be thought most meet
1646 such just & equall lawes, ordinances, Acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete
1669 such just and equal Laws, O[r]dinances, Acts, Constitutions and Officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet

1622 and convenient for the generall good of the Colony: vnto which wee promise all due submission and obedience.
1646 & conuenient for ye generall good of ye colonie: vnto which we promise all due submission and obedience.
1669 and convenient for the general good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

1622 In witnesse whereof we haue here·vnder suscribed our names. Cape Cod 11. of November, in the yeare of the raigne of our
1646 In witnes wherof we haue herevnder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd ye ·11· of Nouember, in ye year of ye raigne of our
1669 In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our Names at Cape Cod, the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our

1622 soveraigne Lord King IAMES, of England, France, and Ireland 18. and of Scotland 54. Anno Domino 1620.[6]
1646 soueraigne Lord king James, of England, france, & Ireland ye eighteenth and of Scotland ye fiftie fourth. Ano: Dom. ·1620·[13]
1669 Soveraign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty fourth, Anno Dom. 1620.[6]
Note All occurrences of long s, ſ or \textstyle\int, have been replaced by modern s.
Bradford's transcription of the compact
Differences in wording Mourt (1622) Bradford (1646) Morton (1669)
and honour and honour and the honour
one of another one of another one another
to enact to enacte do enact
offices and offices and Officers
here vnder hereunder hereunto
Cape Cod 11. at Cap-Codd ye 11. at Cape Cod the eleventh
in the yeare of the raigne in ye year of ye raigne in the Reign
18. ye eighteenth the eighteenth
54. ye fiftie fourth the fifty fourth

The 'dread sovereign' referred to in the document used the archaic definition of dread—meaning awe and reverence (for the King), not fear. Also, as noted above, the document was signed under the Old Style Julian calendar, since England did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752. The Gregorian date would be November 21.
Signers

The following list of 41 male passengers who signed was supplied by Bradford's nephew Nathaniel Morton in his 1669 New England's Memorial.[14] The two earlier versions of the compact, Mourt's Relation (1622) and Bradford's manuscript Of Plimoth Plantation (1646), do not give a list of signers.

John Carver
William Bradford
Edward Winslow
William Brewster
Isaac Allerton
Miles Standish
John Alden
Samuel Fuller
Christopher Martin
William Mullins
William White
Richard Warren
John Howland
Stephen Hopkins



Edward Tilly
John Tilly
Francis Cooke (sic)
Thomas Rogers
Thomas Tinker
John Ridgdale
Edward Fuller
John Turner
Francis Eaton
James Chilton
John Craxton (sic)
John Billington
Joses Fletcher (sic)
John Goodman



Digery Priest (sic)
Thomas Williams
Gilbert Winslow
Edmund Margeson
Peter Brown
Richard Bitteridge (sic)
George Soule
Richard Clark (sic)
Richard Gardiner
John Allerton
Thomas English
Edward Doten (sic)
Edward Leister

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.[2] 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 had an "e" at the end of their last names.