Leading up to the Mayflower Compact

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Leading up to the Mayflower Compact

• Margaret Johnson
• Social Science 102

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If they looked behind them, there was the mighty
ocean which they had passedto separate them from
all the civil parts of the world.     -- William
Bradford
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The Pilgrims who came to America in 1620, were
mainly a group of Christians called Separatists.
Because of the persecution of Separatists by the
Church-State system of government in England, one
group of Separatists had moved to the United
States of the Netherlands in 1608, but became
dissatisfied with conditions there and decided
their hope lay in the new land of America.
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Delfhaven? Southhampton? Dartmouth? No, Plymouth.
In 1620, on July 12th (O.S. Old Style), they
left Delfthaven
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The exhausting voyage took 66 days and claimed 2
lives. However, they still arrived with 102
souls, since a boy, "Oceanus Hopkins", was born
at sea in route, and another, "Peregrine White",
was born as the ship anchored at Cape Cod.
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After anchoring inside the tip of Cape Cod (in
Provincetown harbor) The Mayflower Compact, "the
first plan for a self-determining government in
America", was drawn up and signed by 41 men
aboard the Mayflower on November 11th, 1620
(O.S.). This agreement was thought necessary
because there were rumors that some of the
non-Separatists, called "Strangers," among the
passengers would defy the Pilgrims if they landed
in a place other than that specified in the land
grant they had received from the London Company.
The compact became the basis of a Body Politick
(temporary government) in the Plymouth Colony.
After it was signed, the Pilgrims elected John
Carver as their first governor. They were to meet
in a yearly "General Court to elect the governor
and assistants. enact laws, and levy taxes."
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First Thanksgiving?
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• Peace Treaty with Massasoit, 1621
•  That neither he nor any of his should injure or
  do hurt to any of our people.
• 2.  And if any of his did hurt to any of ours, he
  should send the offender, that we might punish
  him.
• 3.  That if any of our tools were taken away when
  our people were at work, he should cause them to
  be restored and if ours did any harm to any of
  his, we would do the like to them.
• 4.  If any did unjustly war against him, we would
  aid him if any did war against us, he should aid
  us.
• 5.  He should send to his neighbor confederates,
  to certify them of this, that they might not
  wrong us, but might be likewise comprised in the
  conditions of peace.
• 6.  That when their men came to us, they should
  leave their bows and arrows behind them, as we
  should do our pieces when we came to them.
• Lastly, that doing thus, King James would esteem
  of him as his friend and ally.