Unit III:The Founding of New Societies: 1607-1763
Question/Problem 2: Identify and summarize the reasons why English settlers came to America and founded colonies as soon as they arrived
[November 11, 1620]
In the Name(1) of God Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord King James(2) by the grace of God, of great Britaine, Franc, and Ireland king, defender of the faith, &c.Having undertaken for the glorie of God(3), and advancements of the Christian faith and honour of our king and countrie, a vouage to plant the first Colonie in the Northerne Parts of Virginia(4), doe by these presents(5) solemnly & mutualy in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant & combine our selves togeather into a civil body politick; for our better ordering(6), & preservation & furtherance of the ends aforesaid(7); and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute, and frame(8), shuch just & equall lawes, ordinances(9), Acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete(10) & convenient for the generall good of the Colonie: unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.
2The word "dread" was usually used to imply deep awe or reverence. The Pilgrims did not want to anger the king so they portrayed themselves as loyal subjects and used a polite form of address. They did not fear him; more likely they did not like him b ecause of his religious convictions.
3God's glory is mentioned before the king's honor because as a religious people they saw this as most important, followed by spreading the Christian religion. The honor of king and country came third in this list of priorities.
4Virginia is mentioned because they were supposed to have gone to Virginia. The land in front of them did not yet have a name. In fact, they were not entirely certain where they were, except that they were too far north. "Northern parts of Virginia" seemed as good a name as any.
5Here "presents" means "formal statements."
6"Better Ordering" means here to bring better law and order.
7"Ends aforesaid" refers to the ends or purposes mentioned earlier--advancement of the Christian faith, etc.
8They could not just say "enact" instead of "enact , constitute, and frame." Civil societies enact laws, constitute a form of government, and frame ordinances. They should also have said "elect" since one does not enact, frame, or constitute officers.
9"Frame ordinances" means what we do today would term making particular "codes" such as an education code or a building code. After a number of laws have been passed, they are often organized into a set of ordinances which brings all the laws on a given topic together in one place and puts them in a logical order. Otherwise they remain scattered through the records of the legislature. A logically ordered set of ordinances was often called a frame--sometimes a frame of government. The term ordinances was a synonym of statutes.
10"Meet" means "in conformity with our wishes."
In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cap-Codd the *11* of November, in the year the raigne of our soveraigne Lord King James of England, France, & Ireland the eighteenth and of Scotland the fiftie fourth. Anno Dom. 1620.
Mr. John Carver11 Mr. Samuel Fuller Edward Tilly Mr. William Bradford Mr. Christopher Martin John Tilly Mr. Edward Winslow Mr. William Mullins Francis Cooke Mr. William Brewster Mr. William White Thomas Rogers Isaac Allerton Mr. Richard Warren Thomas Tinker Myles Standish John Howland John Ridgdale John Alden Mr. Steven Hopkins Edward Fuller John Turner Digery Priest Richard Clark Francis Eaton Thomas Williams Richard Gardiner James Chilton Gilbert Winslow Mr. John Allerton John Craxton Edmund Margesson Thomas English John Billington Peter Brown Edward Doten Joses Fletcher Richard Britteridge Edward Liester John Goodman George Soule
From Stephen L. Schechter, ed., Roots of the Republic (Madison, WI: Madison House, 1990), pp. 22-23. The text of the compact is from Samuel Eliot Morison's edition, Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647 by William Bradford (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1952) copyright by Samuel Eliot Morison and renewed 1980 by Emily M. Beck.