[1]An immense body of literature, both popular and scholarly, has been written on the story of the Pilgrims, and much of it is excellent. One of the most comprehensive accounts is also one of the most enjoyable; George F. Willison’sSaints and Strangers(New York, 1945) combines exhaustive scholarship with style and wit.[2]In the Biblical sense of “God’s chosen people,” or simply, “members of a Christian church.”[3]So-called because they were unknown to members of the Leyden congregation, having been enlisted by the sponsors of the expedition.[4]The Pilgrims originally embarked in two ships at Southampton, 5 August 1620, but because theSpeedwellleaked dangerously they put in at Dartmouth for repairs. When they returned to the open sea, they discovered that she still shipped water. Turning to the nearest port, they reluctantly decided to abandon theSpeedwellas unseaworthy, and many of the party transferred to the already crowdedMayflower, while a few decided to defer their emigration. The successful voyage from Plymouth began 6 September, with their third departure from the homeland.[5]Thomas Prince,A Chronological History of New England... (Boston, 1736), vol. I, pt. 2, p. 71, fn. 38.[6]Although portions of the book have been reprinted frequently, the only other presentation of the full text was a facsimile in an edition limited to 285 copies, prepared by Henry M. Dexter, and entitledMourt’s Relation(Boston, 1865). It is a heavily annotated volume, and Dexter’s monumental effort has aided a generation of scholars, but his meticulous attention to “faithful reproduction of the original, letter for letter” makes it formidable to any but a dedicated student. The best known and most widely available edition includes annotation and uniform spelling, but is marred by some minor omissions and transpositions: Alexander Young,Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers(Boston, 1841), pp. 110-249.[7]Presumably, the initials of John Peirce. Peirce was a London businessman one of the “merchant adventurers” who had contributed to theMayflower’sfirst voyage. It is possible that he underwrote the printing of the book; it is certain that the patent to lands occupied by the Pilgrims—as virtual squatters for almost a year—was finally issued in his name, in trust for the settlers. They were delighted to receive this confirmation of their legal rights, and may have dedicated the book to him in gratitude. Only later did they learn of the many devious ways in which he tried to cheat them.[8]Acknowledging their indebtedness to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and his partners in the Council for New England, (formerly, the Second Virginia Company, and the Plymouth Company), who exercised legal authority over the area, which had previously been called “Northern Virginia.”[9]Presumably a misprint for the initials of Robert Cushman. SeeIntroduction.[10]The writer studiously avoids mentioning the grim fact that more than half of the group who sailed on theMayflowerhad already died.[11]Although they were pioneer settlers in New England, the Pilgrims had not come to unknown territory. This portion of the coast had been sailed by Giovanni de Verrazzano as early as 1524; probably the first Englishman to visit the area was Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602. In 1605, George Waymouth commanded a voyage of exploration and trade, and kipnapped five Indians in Maine, of whom one, Squanto, later befriended the Pilgrims. By 1608, Samuel de Champlain had even charted thePort du Cap de St. Louis, which was to become Plymouth Harbor. Capt. John Smith’s map of New England, prepared on a voyage in 1614, already shows the site named “Plimouth.” Apparently two mates (or pilots?) of theMayflowerhad sailed the coast previously.[12]Reasons for assuming that the writer is George Morton have been discussed in theIntroduction.[13]Presumably, the initials of John Robinson, pastor of the Leyden congregation. SeeIntroduction.[14]Bradford’sOf Plymouth Plantationidentifies this as the Hudson River, where the New Netherlands Company had invited the Pilgrims to settle. Ten leagues appears too short a distance from Cape Cod to the Hudson:tenmay here be a misprint, or reference may be to the appropriate latitude rather than to the mouth of the river.[15]Presumably, Provincetown Harbor.[16]to vomit and have diarrhea[17]Members of the Leyden congregation were fearful of mutiny and other abuses by some of the many “Strangers” who had joined the group in England. The party had no patent for New England, so that they would have been a people outside the law as soon as they disembarked, and individual license could have posed a real threat.[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’sNew 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 theMayfloweris 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 forskate.[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]TheMayflowerwas a vessel of 180 tons.[61]I.e., approximately 600 feet.[62]hip-bone[63]Presumably a misprint forCarver. 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 forsaker, 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 forWilliams. 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 theMayflowerreturned 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, andNew 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 theMayflower, from Capt. John Smith’sDescription 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 forour allies; I am not altogether happy with that interpretation but have nothing better to offer.[104]Bradford’sOf Plymouth Plantationsets 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. SeeIntroduction.[109]TheFortune, first to follow theMayflower.[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’sNew 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 forothers.[115]I.e., salad greens.[116]raspberries[117]Thirty-five new settlers arrived on theFortune, of whom some had set out with the original party but had to return to Plymouth, England, with the disabled shipSpeedwell. 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 theFortune’sreturn trip a month later.[118]Bradford’sOf Plymouth Plantationdescribes theFortune’scargo 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 shipAnne.[120]advise[121]Presumably, Edward Winslow. SeeIntroduction.[122]I.e., in England.[123]shyness[124]That is, the preceding journal.[125]hindrance[126]Presumably, Robert Cushman. SeeIntroduction.
[1]An immense body of literature, both popular and scholarly, has been written on the story of the Pilgrims, and much of it is excellent. One of the most comprehensive accounts is also one of the most enjoyable; George F. Willison’sSaints and Strangers(New York, 1945) combines exhaustive scholarship with style and wit.
[2]In the Biblical sense of “God’s chosen people,” or simply, “members of a Christian church.”
[3]So-called because they were unknown to members of the Leyden congregation, having been enlisted by the sponsors of the expedition.
[4]The Pilgrims originally embarked in two ships at Southampton, 5 August 1620, but because theSpeedwellleaked dangerously they put in at Dartmouth for repairs. When they returned to the open sea, they discovered that she still shipped water. Turning to the nearest port, they reluctantly decided to abandon theSpeedwellas unseaworthy, and many of the party transferred to the already crowdedMayflower, while a few decided to defer their emigration. The successful voyage from Plymouth began 6 September, with their third departure from the homeland.
[5]Thomas Prince,A Chronological History of New England... (Boston, 1736), vol. I, pt. 2, p. 71, fn. 38.
[6]Although portions of the book have been reprinted frequently, the only other presentation of the full text was a facsimile in an edition limited to 285 copies, prepared by Henry M. Dexter, and entitledMourt’s Relation(Boston, 1865). It is a heavily annotated volume, and Dexter’s monumental effort has aided a generation of scholars, but his meticulous attention to “faithful reproduction of the original, letter for letter” makes it formidable to any but a dedicated student. The best known and most widely available edition includes annotation and uniform spelling, but is marred by some minor omissions and transpositions: Alexander Young,Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers(Boston, 1841), pp. 110-249.
[7]Presumably, the initials of John Peirce. Peirce was a London businessman one of the “merchant adventurers” who had contributed to theMayflower’sfirst voyage. It is possible that he underwrote the printing of the book; it is certain that the patent to lands occupied by the Pilgrims—as virtual squatters for almost a year—was finally issued in his name, in trust for the settlers. They were delighted to receive this confirmation of their legal rights, and may have dedicated the book to him in gratitude. Only later did they learn of the many devious ways in which he tried to cheat them.
[8]Acknowledging their indebtedness to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and his partners in the Council for New England, (formerly, the Second Virginia Company, and the Plymouth Company), who exercised legal authority over the area, which had previously been called “Northern Virginia.”
[9]Presumably a misprint for the initials of Robert Cushman. SeeIntroduction.
[10]The writer studiously avoids mentioning the grim fact that more than half of the group who sailed on theMayflowerhad already died.
[11]Although they were pioneer settlers in New England, the Pilgrims had not come to unknown territory. This portion of the coast had been sailed by Giovanni de Verrazzano as early as 1524; probably the first Englishman to visit the area was Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602. In 1605, George Waymouth commanded a voyage of exploration and trade, and kipnapped five Indians in Maine, of whom one, Squanto, later befriended the Pilgrims. By 1608, Samuel de Champlain had even charted thePort du Cap de St. Louis, which was to become Plymouth Harbor. Capt. John Smith’s map of New England, prepared on a voyage in 1614, already shows the site named “Plimouth.” Apparently two mates (or pilots?) of theMayflowerhad sailed the coast previously.
[12]Reasons for assuming that the writer is George Morton have been discussed in theIntroduction.
[13]Presumably, the initials of John Robinson, pastor of the Leyden congregation. SeeIntroduction.
[14]Bradford’sOf Plymouth Plantationidentifies this as the Hudson River, where the New Netherlands Company had invited the Pilgrims to settle. Ten leagues appears too short a distance from Cape Cod to the Hudson:tenmay here be a misprint, or reference may be to the appropriate latitude rather than to the mouth of the river.
[15]Presumably, Provincetown Harbor.
[16]to vomit and have diarrhea
[17]Members of the Leyden congregation were fearful of mutiny and other abuses by some of the many “Strangers” who had joined the group in England. The party had no patent for New England, so that they would have been a people outside the law as soon as they disembarked, and individual license could have posed a real threat.
[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’sNew 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 theMayfloweris 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 forskate.
[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]TheMayflowerwas a vessel of 180 tons.
[61]I.e., approximately 600 feet.
[62]hip-bone
[63]Presumably a misprint forCarver. 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 forsaker, 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 forWilliams. 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 theMayflowerreturned 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, andNew 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 theMayflower, from Capt. John Smith’sDescription 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 forour allies; I am not altogether happy with that interpretation but have nothing better to offer.
[104]Bradford’sOf Plymouth Plantationsets 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. SeeIntroduction.
[109]TheFortune, first to follow theMayflower.
[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’sNew 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 forothers.
[115]I.e., salad greens.
[116]raspberries
[117]Thirty-five new settlers arrived on theFortune, of whom some had set out with the original party but had to return to Plymouth, England, with the disabled shipSpeedwell. 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 theFortune’sreturn trip a month later.
[118]Bradford’sOf Plymouth Plantationdescribes theFortune’scargo 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 shipAnne.
[120]advise
[121]Presumably, Edward Winslow. SeeIntroduction.
[122]I.e., in England.
[123]shyness
[124]That is, the preceding journal.
[125]hindrance
[126]Presumably, Robert Cushman. SeeIntroduction.
THE MAYFLOWERWeighing about 180 tons, and only about 106 feet long, the overcrowdedMayflowermust have had a rough voyage. The Pilgrims sailed across the north Atlantic to avoid pirates who frequented the more temperate latitudes. No one knows exactly what the originalMayflowerlooked like, but this reconstruction of a typical ship of the time and class is probably very similar.
THE MAYFLOWER
Weighing about 180 tons, and only about 106 feet long, the overcrowdedMayflowermust have had a rough voyage. The Pilgrims sailed across the north Atlantic to avoid pirates who frequented the more temperate latitudes. No one knows exactly what the originalMayflowerlooked like, but this reconstruction of a typical ship of the time and class is probably very similar.
THE SHALLOPSmall groups of Pilgrims explored Cape Cod and Clark’s Island before selecting Plymouth as the site for their settlement. They plied between theMayflowerand the shore in a shallop, a large open boat which could be rowed and/or fitted with sails.
THE SHALLOP
Small groups of Pilgrims explored Cape Cod and Clark’s Island before selecting Plymouth as the site for their settlement. They plied between theMayflowerand the shore in a shallop, a large open boat which could be rowed and/or fitted with sails.
INDIAN WIGWAMThis reconstructed wigwam and its contents are like those encountered by the Pilgrims during their first explorations. The bark huts of their Algonquian Indian neighbors soon became familiar shelters to the Pilgrims, whose descriptive accounts allow us to understand much of the native way of life which fast disappeared in New England.
INDIAN WIGWAM
This reconstructed wigwam and its contents are like those encountered by the Pilgrims during their first explorations. The bark huts of their Algonquian Indian neighbors soon became familiar shelters to the Pilgrims, whose descriptive accounts allow us to understand much of the native way of life which fast disappeared in New England.
CONSTRUCTING A HOUSE AT PLYMOUTHMembers of the group early agreed that each family should build its own house, “... thinking by that course men would make more haste.” Roofs were thatched with bundles of rushes and grass, which provided a good watershed but could easily be fired by a spark from the chimney, as is graphically described inMourt’s Relation.
CONSTRUCTING A HOUSE AT PLYMOUTH
Members of the group early agreed that each family should build its own house, “... thinking by that course men would make more haste.” Roofs were thatched with bundles of rushes and grass, which provided a good watershed but could easily be fired by a spark from the chimney, as is graphically described inMourt’s Relation.
PILGRIM HOUSE IN WINTERPilgrim houses like this may have been almost as snug as log cabins which were unknown in America until several years later. Clapboards prepared by the Pilgrims also constituted a major portion of the first shipment which was sent back to the sponsoring “merchant adventurers” in England.
PILGRIM HOUSE IN WINTER
Pilgrim houses like this may have been almost as snug as log cabins which were unknown in America until several years later. Clapboards prepared by the Pilgrims also constituted a major portion of the first shipment which was sent back to the sponsoring “merchant adventurers” in England.
A PILGRIM FAMILYEveryone had to work at securing food during the first difficult years in the new plantation. Corn, pumpkin, and turkey came to be major items in the diet of the Pilgrims after they learned their uses from the Indians.
A PILGRIM FAMILY
Everyone had to work at securing food during the first difficult years in the new plantation. Corn, pumpkin, and turkey came to be major items in the diet of the Pilgrims after they learned their uses from the Indians.
THE FIRST THANKSGIVINGIt must have been a festive occasion when, “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labors.” Massasoit and ninety other Indians were welcomed and contributed five deer to the three-day harvest festival.
THE FIRST THANKSGIVING
It must have been a festive occasion when, “Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labors.” Massasoit and ninety other Indians were welcomed and contributed five deer to the three-day harvest festival.
PILGRIMS GOING TO CHURCHMost of the Pilgrims were Separatists who were opposed to the forms of the Church of England, but spent most of the sabbath in informal services combining social and religious activities. Fear of Indian attack made the first settlers cautious, so they rarely traveled unarmed, and in 1622-23 built a combined fort and meeting-house, although they were fortunate in enjoying warm relations with neighboring tribes for several years.
PILGRIMS GOING TO CHURCH
Most of the Pilgrims were Separatists who were opposed to the forms of the Church of England, but spent most of the sabbath in informal services combining social and religious activities. Fear of Indian attack made the first settlers cautious, so they rarely traveled unarmed, and in 1622-23 built a combined fort and meeting-house, although they were fortunate in enjoying warm relations with neighboring tribes for several years.
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 theMayflower, 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 inMourt’s Relation.
THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE SERIES
“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 inTHE LOS ANGELES TIMES
“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 inTHE LOS ANGELES TIMES
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