Part 9

[18]The following is the earliest known text of the famous “Mayflower Compact”, the original document has never been found. John Quincy Adams overstated the case when he said that “This is perhaps the only instance in human history of that positive social compact which speculative philosophers have imagined as the only legitimate source of government.” As evidenced in the signatures, the distinction between masters and servants remained, and women had no legal voice but were still chattel. Nevertheless, it is an unusual document in which the concept of self-government emerges so sharply during a time when the divine right of kings was assumed. It is clearly modelled on the “covenants” or “combinations” which characterized most Separatist congregations, and is presaged in Rev. Robinson’s farewell letter.

[19]The names of the signers were first printed in Nathaniel Morton’s _New England’s Memorial_ (Cambridge, 1669). In alphabetical order, they are:

John Alden, Isaac Allerton, John Allerton, John Billington, William Bradford, William Brewster, Richard Britteridge, Peter Brown, John Carver, James Chilton, Richard Clark, Francis Cook, John Crackstone, Edward Doten, Francis Eaton, Thomas English, Moses Fletcher, Edward Fuller, Samuel Fuller, Richard Gardiner, John Goodman, Stephen Hopkins, John Howland, Edward Leister, Edmond Margeson, Christopher Martin, William Mullins, Digory Priest, John Ridgedale, Thomas Rogers, George Soule, Miles Standish, Edward Tilley, John Tilley, Thomas Tinker, John Turner, Richard Warren, William White, Thomas Williams, Edward Winslow, Gilbert Winslow.

[20]spade’s

[21]A large longboat which can be rowed, or fitted with a small mast and sails.

[22]An indication of the overcrowded conditions aboard the _Mayflower_ is the fact that some passengers slept in the shallop, which had been partially disassembled for easier storage.

[23]The frequent mention of sassafras is understandable in view of the immense commercial value of that plant in the early seventeenth century; the root and bark were sold as medicines throughout the Old World.

[24]overturned

[25]Cf. note 2, p. 16.

[26]It is little wonder that the Indians later took the Pilgrims to task for having appropriated dried corn from such caches where it had been stored.

[27]Most of their guns were matchlocks.

[28]sapling

[29]artfully; skillfully

[30]A quaint touch of humor.

[31]hafting

[32]More likely, pneumonia.

[33]I.e., corn.

[34]Knowledge of Indian attacks on white settlers in the Spanish colonies and in what is now Virginia had led the Pilgrims to expect ill of them.

[35]I.e., the slow-burning wicks of their matchlock muskets.

[36][of a yard]

[37]a large strong needle used for sewing packages in stout cloth

[38]stakes

[39]simmer; boil

[40]Agawam; now, Ipswich, Massachusetts.

[41]harpoon

[42]swooned

[43]brooks

[44]I.e., 45 inches.

[45]saplings

[46]A kind of flintlock musket.

[47]This defies translation. It is probably less an accurate transcription of specific Algonquian words than an Englishman’s vague approximation of the incomprehensible sounds which seemed threatening to him in such a context.

[48]The landing at Plymouth is reported here as having been almost fortuitous, although some scholars believe that a few of the leaders may long before have planned to settle at that site. Clearly there is nothing here that can be construed as referring to “Plymouth Rock.”

[49]hindered

[50]Presumably a misprint for _skate_.

[51]spade’s

[52]loose friable earth

[53]fertile; rich

[54]aspen

[55]The Pilgrims were in a situation far different from that of later pioneers who settled elsewhere as independent farmers. According to the terms of their stringent contract with the “merchant adventurers,” their primary concern was to produce salable goods (e.g., fish, lumber, furs) for their sponsors. This commitment was to endure seven years, during which the sponsors were to continue their support of the settlers. The English businessmen seem to have taken full advantage of the dependent situation of the Pilgrims who had no other sources of supply nor outlets for their goods.

[56]Clark’s Island, in Plymouth Harbor.

[57]guard-house; i.e., a shelter affording some security against possible attack

[58]mistress of a household, (a title of respect)

[59]I.e., 8¼ by 49½ feet.

[60]The _Mayflower_ was a vessel of 180 tons.

[61]I.e., approximately 600 feet.

[62]hip-bone

[63]Presumably a misprint for _Carver_. There is no other mention of a Leaver in the party.

[64]open

[65]fence-stave

[66]This may refer to mud used for plastering the inner side of clapboard walls, typical of the frame houses which were among the first permanent buildings at Plymouth. During these early months, however, it may conceivably refer to a more fundamental structural feature in temporary huts of wattle-and-daub construction, where mud is the principal material, daubed over a framework of small saplings.

[67]A cannon with 3¼ inch bore, firing a 4 pound shot.

[68]Presumably a misprint for _saker_, a cannon with 4 inch bore, firing a 6 pound shot.

[69]small cannons with 1¼ inch bore, firing ½ pound shot

[70]beef’s

[71]hard; steadily

[72]On first encounter, the Pilgrims were hardly hospitable to Samoset, whose friendly help in many respects was invaluable to them in later years.

[73]Presumably, Monhegan Island, off southeastern Maine.

[74]I.e., 9 inches.

[75]A generic term for liquor.

[76]The fact that bubonic plague had recently decimated a major portion of the indigenous population along the entire coast of New England was interpreted by the Pilgrims as divine intervention, and served as a convenient rationalization for English claims to the land.

[77]I.e., to the Wampanoag village where Massasoit was sachem.

[78]Actually members of a crew led by Capt. Thomas Dermer, on an expedition sponsored by Gorges.

[79]Thomas Hunt, captain of a ship in Capt. John Smith’s company.

[80](in Spain)

[81]leggings

[82]Ireland was little better known than New England in the early seventeenth century, and comparisons between Indians and Irishmen are frequent in the descriptive accounts of English explorers of the period.

[83]clowns

[84]smoked

[85]The adventures of Samoset, Squanto, and other Indians who had been kidnapped and taken to Europe before whites settled in New England are recounted with accuracy and appropriate color by Carolyn T. Foreman, _Indians Abroad_, 1493-1938 (Norman, 1943).

[86]Presumably a misprint for _Williams_. There is no other mention of a Williamson in the early Plymouth sources.

[87]This first American mutual security pact remained inviolate throughout Massasoit’s life. He and his eldest son Wamsutta (named “Alexander” by the English) signed such a treaty in Plymouth in 1639, and it was ratified and confirmed by the colonial government. The peace was broken in 1675, for which most historians blame Wamsutta’s brother and successor, Metacom (“King Philip”).

[88]deep

[89]mulberry

[90]The journey to Pokanoket took place in the summer of 1621. During the preceding three months, which are unreported in this journal, Bradford notes that almost half of the settlers died in the “General Sickness.” None abandoned the enterprise, however, and the _Mayflower_ returned empty to England.

[91]The derivation of this name is not clear. Six different spellings occur even within this book: _Plimoth, and New Plimoth_ (both on the title page!), _Plimouth_, _Plimmouth_, _New Plimmouth_, and _New Plimmouth_. It is true that Plymouth was the town from which the settlers had finally set sail from their native country, “... having been kindly entertained and courteously used by divers friends there dwelling.” Furthermore, the land company which granted their patent had once been called the Plymouth Company. But we need evoke neither sentimentalism nor commercial diplomacy on the part of the Pilgrims to account for the name. In fact, this site was called “Plimouth” on the map which they carried on the _Mayflower_, from Capt. John Smith’s _Description of New England_ (London, 1616); supposedly it was arbitrarily so designated by Prince Charles when Smith showed him a draft of the map.

[92]Now, Middleborough, Massachusetts.

[93]Now, the Mount Hope area of Bristol, Rhode Island.

[94]cultivate; till

[95]admirably

[96]The wife of James I had died more than a year before the Pilgrims sailed from England.

[97]fatigued; bruised

[98]Now, Barnstable, Massachusetts.

[99]Now, Eastham, Massachusetts.

[100]Now, Chatham, Massachusetts.

[101]In early seventeenth-century usage, this could imply anything from disarming to kidnapping, from robbing to killing.

[102]small keg

[103]This passage defies interpretation. “Or Lemes” has no sense in seventeenth-century English or local Indian languages. Most previous editors have assumed this to be a misprint for _our allies_; I am not altogether happy with that interpretation but have nothing better to offer.

[104]Bradford’s _Of Plymouth Plantation_ sets the date of this embarkation as 18 September 1621.

[105]I. e., Boston Harbor.

[106]Presumably, the Abnaki, an Algonquian tribe of eastern Maine.

[107]Presumably, the widow of Nanepashemet.

[108]The following appears to be a covering letter which may have accompanied the manuscript journal when it was sent from Plymouth. Perhaps the “loving and old friend” of the author is George Morton, who presumably edited the relations for publication. See Introduction.

[109]The _Fortune_, first to follow the _Mayflower_.

[110]I. e., the preceding five narratives.

[111]The following is the earliest description of the first Thanksgiving. The dates are not specified, nor is there specific mention of turkeys as comprising part of the feast, although they doubtless did.

[112]The author here probably refers to the following document which was printed in 1669, in Morton’s _New England’s Memorial_:

“September 13, Anno Dom. 1621.

“Know all men by these presents, that we whose names are underwritten do acknowledge ourselves to be the loyal subjects of King James, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. In witness whereof, and as a testimonial of the same, we have subscribed our names or marks, as followeth:

Ohquamehud, Cawnacome, Obbatinnua, Nattawahunt, Caunbatant, Chikkatabak, Quadequina, Huttamoiden, Apannow.

[113]No such word occurs in either seventeenth-century English or local Indian languages. It is presumably a misprint for “Ile,” i.e., _isle_, referring to Martha’s Vineyard.

[114]This also defies identification. Perhaps it is a misprint for _others_.

[115]I.e., salad greens.

[116]raspberries

[117]Thirty-five new settlers arrived on the _Fortune_, of whom some had set out with the original party but had to return to Plymouth, England, with the disabled ship _Speedwell_. The newly arrived heads of family were (in alphabetical order):

John Adams, William Basset, William Beale, Edward Bompasse, Jonathan Brewster, Clement Briggs, John Cannon, William Conner, Thomas Cushman, Stephen Dean, Philip de la Noye, Thomas Flavell, Widow Ford, Robert Hicks, William Hilton, Bennet Morgan, Thomas Morton, Austin Nicholas, William Palmer, William Pitt, Thomas Prence, Moses Simonson, Hugh Stacie, James Stewart, William Tench, John Winslow, William Wright.

Also aboard was Robert Cushman who presumably carried the manuscript journal back to England with him on the _Fortune’s_ return trip a month later.

[118]Bradford’s _Of Plymouth Plantation_ describes the _Fortune’s_ cargo as comprising beaver skins, clapboards, and sassafras, all of which was stolen by French privateers shortly before her arrival in London.

[119]George Morton, to whom this letter was presumably written, did come with the next party, on the ship _Anne_.

[120]advise

[121]Presumably, Edward Winslow. See Introduction.

[122]I.e., in England.

[123]shyness

[124]That is, the preceding journal.

[125]hindrance

[126]Presumably, Robert Cushman. See Introduction.

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM PLIMOTH PLANTATION

The preceding photographs illustrating modern reconstructions of things familiar to the Pilgrims were generously provided by Plimoth Plantation, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Plantation includes full-scale replicas of the _Mayflower_, the shallop, and the original settlement, much as they probably looked in 1627. During that year the first census was recorded and the herd which had been owned in common was divided. Records kept by administrators of the colony tell where the various houses were located, how much land was alloted to each household, and other relevant information. Historical research in such documents has been supplemented by archeological excavation to yield clues which allow plausible reconstruction. With such full-scale exhibitions, and through a continuing program of research and publication, this non-profit organization attempts to foster better public understanding of the adventure of the Pilgrims, which was first recounted in _Mourt’s Relation_.

THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE SERIES

AE 1 THE NARRATIVE OF COLONEL ETHAN ALLEN. Revolutionary War experiences of the “Hero of Fort Ticonderoga.” Introduction by Brooke Handle. AE 2 JOHN WOLLMAN’S JOURNAL _and_ A PLEA FOR THE POOR. The spiritual autobiography of the great Colonial Quaker. Introduction by F. B. Tolles. EA 3 THE LIFE OF MRS. MARY JEMISON by James E. Seaver. The famous Indian captivity narrative of the “White Woman of the Genesee.” Introduction by Allen W. Trelease. AE 4 BROOK FARM by Lindsay Swift. America’s most unusual experiment in establishing the ideal society during the Transcendentalist 1840’s. Introduction by Joseph Schiffman. AE 5 FOUR VOYAGES TO THE NEW WORLD by Christopher Columbus. Selected letters and documents, translated and edited by R. H. Major. Bi-lingual text. Introduction by John E. Fagg. AE 6 JOURNALS OF MAJOR ROBERT ROGERS. Frontier campaigning by Rogers’ Rangers during the French and Indian Wars. Introduction by H. H. Peckham. AE 7 HARRIET TUBMAN, THE MOSES OF HER PEOPLE by Sarah Bradford. The heroic struggles of an ex-slave for her people. Introduction by B. A. Jones. AE 8 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE JERSEY PRISON SHIP by Albert Greene. The “Andersonville” of the Revolutionary War. Introduction by Lawrence H. Leder. AE 9 A NEW ENGLAND GIRLHOOD by Lucy Larcom. A classic memoir of life in pre-Civil War America. Introduction by Charles T. Davis. AE 10 AMERICAN COMMUNITIES by William Alfred Hinds. The 19th century utopias—Economy, Amana, Shakers, etc. Introduction by H. B. Parkes. AE 11 INTELLECTUAL ORIGINS OF AMERICAN NATIONAL THOUGHT. Edited, with commentary, by Wilson Ober Clough. Pages from the books read by our founding fathers. Second, revised edition. AE 12 LEAGUE OF THE IROQUOIS by Lewis Henry Morgan. The first scientific account of an Indian tribe by the father of American ethnology. Illustrated. Introduction by William N. Fenton. AE 13 MY CAPTIVITY AMONG THE SIOUX INDIANS by Fanny Kelly. A pioneer woman’s harrowing story of frontier days. Introduction by Jules Zanger. AE 14 JOUTEL’S JOURNAL OF LA SALLE’S LAST VOYAGE. The exploration, 1684-7, that ended in La Salle’s murder. Introduction by Darrett B. Rutman. AE 15 THE DISCOVERY, SETTLEMENT AND PRESENT STATE OF KENTUCKE ... by John Filson. The historic post-Revolutionary account, with Daniel Boone’s memoir. Introduction by W. H. Masterson. AE 16 LIFE AND REMARKABLE ADVENTURES OF ISRAEL R. POTTER. The original story upon which Melville based his novel. Introduction by L. Kriegel. AE 17 EXCURSIONS by Henry David Thoreau. The famous first posthumous collection; “Walking,” the Emerson biography, etc. Introduction by L. Marx. AE 18 FATHER HENSON’S STORY OF HIS OWN LIFE. Autobiography of an escaped Negro slave in pre-Civil War years. Introduction by Walter Fisher. AE 19 MOURT’S RELATION, A JOURNAL OF THE PILGRIMS AT PLYMOUTH. The historic contemporary account. Edited, with introduction, by D. B. Heath. AE 20 MUTINY ON BOARD THE WHALESHIP GLOBE by William Lay and Cyrus M. Hussey. The original 1828 narrative. Introduction by Edouard Stackpole. AE 21 SHIPWRECK OF THE WHALESHIP ESSEX by Owen Chase. Including Herman Melville’s own notes, for “Moby Dick.” Introduction by B. R. McElderry, Jr.

“_One of the most exciting and promising new ventures in the field of paperback publishing is the American Experience Series now being brought out. These new and attractive editions of historic and relatively neglected titles fill out in a unique way some of the byways of our country’s past._” Robert R. Kirsch in THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Transcriber’s Notes

—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.