SCENE OF LANDING
It was here also that the famous document referred to by Bradford as a “combination” but later known as the Compact was drawn and signed. This document has often been referred to as the genesis of our present form of constitutional government as expounded in the Constitution of the United States and later expressed by Lincoln as “of the people, by the people and for the people.” It anticipates future growth and development and the enactment of laws necessary to meet changing conditions as “by vertue hereof to enacte, constitute and frame such just & equall lawes, ordinances, Acts, constitutions & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & conuenient for ye generall good of ye Colonie.” (sic)
It has been said of the Pilgrims that “They builded better than they knew.” This should not be interpreted too literally. They laid a solid foundation upon which future generations could and did build, and upon this foundation rests the security of the structure that is our present form of government.
The literal text of this immortal document follows:
THE COMPACT
(Copied from Bradford’s “History of Plymouth Plantation”)
In ye name of God Amen. We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soueraigne Lord King James, by ye grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland king, defender of ye faith, &c. Haueing undertaken, for ye glorie of God, and aduancemente of ye christian faith and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to plant ye first colonie in ye Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in ye presence of God, and one of another; couenant, & combine our selues togeather into a ciuill body politick; for our better ordering, & preseruation & furtherance of ye ends aforesaid; and by vertue hereof to enacte, constitute, and frame such just & equall lawes, ordinances, Acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & conuenient for ye generall good of ye Colonie; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we haue hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd ye .11. of Nouember in ye year of ye raigne of our soueraigne Lord King James of England, France, & Ireland ye eighteenth, and of Scotland ye fiftie fourth. Ano: Dom. 1620.
John Carver William Bradford Edward Winslow William Brewster Isaac Allerton Myles Standish John Alden John Turner Francis Eaton James Chilton John Crakston John Billington Moses Fletcher John Goodman Samuel Fuller Christopher Martin William Mullins Degory Priest Thomas Williams Gilbert Winslow Edmund Margeson Peter Brown Richard Britterige George Soule Edward Tilley John Tilley Francis Cooke Thomas Rogers Thomas Tinker John Rigdale Edward Fuller Richard Clark Richard Gardiner John Allerton William White Richard Warren John Howland Stephen Hopkins Thomas English Edward Doty Edward Leister
During the first year the colony was reduced nearly one-half through exposure and disease. These losses were later offset by arrivals in the Fortune in 1621 and the Little James in 1623.
In April, 1621, a treaty was made with Massasoit, chief of the Wampanoag Indians, who occupied the surrounding territory. This was brought about through the good offices of Samoset and Squanto, two friendly Indians, the former having learned some English from contact with fishermen along the coast of Maine whence he had come, while the latter had been taken with a number of others by a Captain Hunt who had “got them under cover of trucking with them and carried them away and sold them as slaves.” He had made his escape and returned to his home with the Nausets on Cape Cod.