The Pilgrim fathers of New England

Spiritual Forces and the Motors of Materialism—English Puritanism—Its Conflicts with the Dramatic Religion of the Popes—Aspiration—The Modern Era—The Recast Ecclesiasticism—Two...

The Quays of Amsterdam—Quaint Aspect of the City—Its History—The Pilgrims and the Dutch Burghers—Strange Characteristics of Dutch Social Life—The Pilgrims go to Work—Their Emplo...

Many Circumstances conspire to render the Exiles anxious and uneasy in Holland—They “know that They are but Pilgrims”—The Projected Removal from the Low Countries—Their “Weighty...

Pilgrim Prayers—“Where shall we plant our Colony”—“Large Offers” of the Dutch—Determine to settle in “the most Northern Part of Virginia”—The two English Emigration Companies—Th...

At Southampton—The Abortive Departure—The Number of _Voyageurs_ “winnowed”—Final Embarkation—The “Floating Village”—On the Atlantic—Opening of Robinson’s Letter of Advice—The Se...

The Pilgrims decide to settle at Plymouth—The Landing—The First Law—The Pioneers at Work—Plan of the Town—The Weather—Satisfaction of the Pilgrims with the Site of their Colony—...

The Early Spring of 1621—The Pilgrims Buoyant and Hopeful-Planting—In the Woods—The Tyro Hunters—A Forest Adventure—The Storm—On the Skirts of the Settlement—“Welcome, Englishme...

The Pilgrim Panacea—The Summer—The Prospect—Wild Fowl, Shell-fish, and Berries—A Glimpse at Plymouth in 1621—The Pioneers open the Volume of Nature—Lessons in Woodcraft—Bradford...

The Lost Boy—The Searching Party—In the Shallop—The Water spout—The Bivouac—Visitors at the Camp-fire—The Indian Hag—Her Strange Emotion—The Riddle solved—_En Route_ again—The L...

The Strange Sail—“Is it a Frenchman, or a Buccaneer?”—Warlike Preparations—The English Jack—Joy of the Pilgrims—Arrival of the “Fortune”—News from Home—The Reinforcement—A Momen...

Provisions for the New-comers—Danger of Famine—Hardships—Patient Spirit of the Pilgrims—Brewster’s Submission—_Morale_ of the Colony—Some “Lewd Fellows of the Baser Sort” get “s...

The Salient Features of the Colonial Government—The “Proper Democracy”—The Course of England—The Governor—The Council—The Legislative Body—Test of Citizenship—Reasons and Excuse...

Second Winter in the Wilderness—Faith as a Motor—Anxiety—The Indian and the Package—A Prisoner—The Riddle Solved—The Mysterious Rattlesnake Skin—Defensive Measures—First “Genera...

Arrival of the “Charity” and the “Swan”—The News—Weston’s Desertion—The Situation in England—In a Quandary—The Pilgrims entertain Weston’s Rival Colony—Word brought of a Massacr...

Affairs at Wessagusset—Expostulations and Appeals of the Pilgrims—An Anecdote—Reported Sickness of Massasoit—Pilgrim Embassy to visit Him—On the Way—The Death Song—Corbitant’s L...

The Mysterious Blacksmith—Weston at Plymouth—A Favor—Ingratitude—Continued Famine at Plymouth—The Community of Interest—How it worked—Its Partial Abandonment—Facts brain Plato’s...

The Lading of the “Anne”—Winslow departs for England—Plenty once more—Social Arrangements—Robert Gorges—Birth and Death of Another Colony at Wessagusset—Morrel’s Latin Poem—Pros...

The Pilgrims initiate Measures to buy out the Merchant-adventurers—Standish sails for England on this Errand—His Narrow Escape from Capture by a Turkish Rover—His Partial Succes...

Progress of Population at Plymouth—Smith’s Report—A Leaf from Bradford’s Journal—Romulus and Rome; Plymouth and the Pilgrims—The Winter of 1626-7—Allerton’s Embassy to England—H...

English Politics—The Puritans and the Pilgrims—Multitudes in Britain prepare for Emigration—Roger Conant—Old John White of Dorchester—The _Point d’Appui_—White’s Message—Conant’...

Organization of the Massachusetts Company—A Unique Letter of Instruction to Endicott—The Soil ordered to be purchased of the Indian Owners—A Blast against Tobacco—The Colonial S...

The New Colony outstrips Plymouth—Intense Interest in the Colonies felt in England—Higginson’s Tract—Men of Wealth and Position prepare to emigrate—One Thing makes Them Hesitate...

“Land ho!”—The Supper at Salem—Sickness—Explorations—The Settlement at Cambridge—Busy Days—Death—The Last Hours of Francis Higginson—Death of Arbella Johnson—Grief and Death of...

Fundamental Law of the Colonies of Massachusetts Bay—Earliest Legislation—First General Assembly—The Democratic Tendency—The Test of Citizenship—Reflections—Animadversions on th...

Life in the Wilderness—Winthrop’s Adventure—The False Alarm—The Settlers and the Wolves well frightened—The Courtship of Miles Standish—Alden’s Wedding—Morton once more at “Merr...

The Advance of Civilization—Growth of Plymouth—Ralph Smith—Winthrop visits Bradford—Gubernatorial Civilities in the Olden Time—Leaves from Winthrop’s Note-book—The Primitive Fer...

The Pilgrim Fathers and the Mosaic Code—Toleration in the Seventeenth Century—American and European Thinkers alike reject it—Arrival of Roger Williams at Boston—His Motives for...

Progress of New England in Material Prosperity—Arrival of Three Thousand Settlers in a Single Year—An Illustrious _Trio_—Hugh Peters—The Younger Winthrop—Sir Harry Vane—A Long S...

The Pilgrims and the Indians—Stern Justice with which the Forefathers treated the Aborigines—An Illustration—Murder in the Woods—Its Punishment—End of the Epoch of Peace—Reason...

Pilgrim Exclusiveness—The Old Alien Law—Dissenters swarm into Massachusetts Bay—Agitation—The Two Parties—Anne Hutchinson—A Commendable Practice—Mrs. Hutchinson’s Week-day Lectu...

Law as the Reflection of National Character—Pilgrim Legislation—The Homes of New England—Origin of Towns—Town Meetings—Duty of voting—“Prudential Men”—An Odd Trait—Pilgrims fine...

New England in 1641—Inhabitants—Villages—Churches—Houses—Agriculture—Commerce— Trade—Manufactures—Foreign Influence of the Pilgrims—The Tone of New England in treating with the...

The influence of that mysterious triad, the gold eagle, the silver dollar, and the copper cent, has been overestimated. Spiritual forces are more potent than the motors of mater...

“Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him; but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.” JER. 22:10.

“Can ye lead out to distant colonies The o’erflowings of a people, or your wronged Brethren, by impious persecution driven, And arm their breasts with fortitude to try New regio...

“Like Israel’s host to exile driven, Across the flood the Pilgrims fled; Their hands bore up the ark of heaven, And Heaven their trusting footsteps led, Till on these savage sho...

“Whoso shrinks or falters now, Whoso to the yoke would bow Brand the craven on his brow. Take your land of sun and bloom; Only leave to freedom room For her plough, and forge, a...

“Quit ye as men; be true then, who would fight In this so holy cause; think ye a soul Weighed down by beggarly lusts can have a right To urge God’s ark of freedom to its goal? T...

Happily, God blessed the Pilgrims with an early and mild spring.[168] By the middle of March the birds began to sing; the streams shook off their icy cerements; the rills ran la...

“The spring’s gay promise melted into thee, Fair summer; and thy gentle reign is here; Thy emerald robes are on each leafy tree; In the blue sky thy voice is rich and clear; And...

Two or three days after the return of Winslow and Hopkins from Massasoit’s forest rendezvous, the routine life of the colonists was broken by the sudden disappearance of one of...

“A golden treasure is the tried friend; But who may gold from counterfeits defend? Trust not too soon, nor yet too soon mistrust; Who twines betwixt, and steers the golden mean,...

On the return of the settlers from the shore where they had said good-by to the “Fortune,” it was arranged that the new-comers should for the present, in the absence of other ac...

Just here it is perhaps fit that the salient features of the unique government under which the forefathers lived and prospered should be briefly sketched; and in order that this...

“Still to ourselves in every place consigned, Our own felicity we make or find; With silent course, which no loud storms annoy, Glides the smooth current of domestic joy.” GOLDS...

It was towards the close of May, 1622, that the seven pioneers from Weston’s fishing-smack had landed at Plymouth. About a month later, in the end of June or beginning of July,...

“And when they talk of him, they shake their heads, And whisper one another in the ear; And he that speaks doth gripe the hearer’s wrist; Whilst he that hears makes fearful acti...

A few weeks after the final abandonment of Wessagusset by Weston’s colonists, a fishing-smack dropped anchor off Plymouth. A boat was lowered, and in a trice an Englishman, in t...

“I, under fair pretence of friendly ends, With well-placed words of glozing courtesy, Baited with reason not unplausible, Wind me into the easy-hearted man, And hug him into sna...

The Pilgrims were fretted by the unsatisfactory and clogging conditions of their compact with the London partners. Their prosperity was perpetually menaced by the factions and t...

“And when our children turn the page To ask what triumphs marked our age— What we achieved to challenge praise, Through the long line of future days— This let them read, and hen...

“Behold, they come, those sainted forms, Unshaken through the strife of storms; Heaven’s darkest cloud hangs coldly down, And earth puts on its rudest frown; But colder, ruder w...

With the precious charter in its pocket, the complacent Massachusetts Company strode out of the royal antechamber, and proceeded at once to effect an organization. Matthew Crado...

“We will renew the times of truth and justice, Condensing into a fair free commonwealth, Not rash equality, but equal rights, Proportioned like the columns of the temple, Giving...

Nine weeks the “Arbella” tossed on the Atlantic; then the lookout descried the New England coast-line, and shouted, “Land ho!” “About four in the morning,” was Winthrop’s entry...

The fundamental law of the colonies of Massachusetts Bay was the charter, which bore the crown seal. The old parchment contained a permit and a fiat. It gave the corporation the...

The life of the Pilgrim Fathers in these first years of their settlement was full of incident. They could not assent to Solomon’s _dictum_, that “there is nothing new under the...

“So work the honey-bees— Creatures that, by a rule of nature, teach The art of order to a peopled kingdom. They have a head and officers of sorts, Where some, like magistrates,...

“I venerate the man whose heart is warm, Whose hands are pure, whose doctrine and whose life, Coincident, exhibit lucid proof That he is honest in the sacred cause.” COWPER’S _T...

Spite of internecine struggle and transatlantic intrigue, New England walked steadily on in the path towards material prosperity. It was inevitable; for the parents of success w...

“The shout Of battle, the barbarian yell, the bray Of dissonant instruments, the clang of arms, The shriek of agony, the groan of death, In one wild uproar and continued din, Sh...

The Pilgrim Fathers were not students of Godefridus de Valle’s odd book, “_De Arte Nihil Credendi_”—The Art of believing Nothing. They did believe, from the bottom of their hear...

’Tis a trite saying, that legislation reflects character. The penal code of a state mirrors the culture, the thought, and the habits of its citizens; because laws grow from men’...

“Like one who had set out on his way by night, and travelled through a region of smooth or idle dreams, our history now arrives on the confines, where daylight and truth meet us...