Changes

In Leiden, the congregation found the freedom to worship as it chose, but Dutch society was unfamiliar to these immigrants.  Scrooby had been an agricultural village, whereas Leiden was a thriving industrial center.  More serious was their children began adopting Dutch customs and language.  Finally, the Pilgrims were not free from the persecutions of the English Crown; after William Brewster in 1618 published comments highly critical of the King of England and the Anglican Church, English authorities came to Leiden to arrest him.  Though Brewster escaped arrest, the events motivated the congregation to move even further from England.<ref name=Philbrick-pp16-18>Philbrick (2006), pp 16-18</ref>

In Leiden, the congregation found the freedom to worship as it chose, but Dutch society was unfamiliar to these immigrants.  Scrooby had been an agricultural village, whereas Leiden was a thriving industrial center.  More serious was their children began adopting Dutch customs and language.  Finally, the Pilgrims were not free from the persecutions of the English Crown; after William Brewster in 1618 published comments highly critical of the King of England and the Anglican Church, English authorities came to Leiden to arrest him.  Though Brewster escaped arrest, the events motivated the congregation to move even further from England.<ref name=Philbrick-pp16-18>Philbrick (2006), pp 16-18</ref>

In 1619, the Pilgrims obtained a land patent from the [[London Virginia Company]], allowing them to settle at the mouth of the [[Hudson River]].  They obtained financing—a loan—through the "Merchant Adventurers," a group of Puritan businessmen who viewed colonization as a means of both spreading their religion and making a profit.  Upon arrival in America, the Pilgrims would then work to repay their debts.<ref>The debt was finally paid off in 1648. Philbrick (2006), pp 19-20, 169</ref>  Using the money from the Merchant Adventurers, the Pilgrims bought provisions and obtained passage on two ships, the ''[[Mayflower]]'' and the ''Speedwell''.  After some delays the Pilgrims finally boarded the ''Speedwell'' in July [[1620]] from the Dutch port of Delfshaven.<ref>Philbrick (2006), pp 20-23</ref>

In 1619, the Pilgrims obtained a land patent from the [[London Virginia Company]], allowing them to settle at the mouth of the [[Hudson River]].  They obtained financing—a loan—through the "Merchant Adventurers," a group of Puritan businessmen who viewed colonization as a means of both spreading their religion and making a profit.  Upon arrival in America, the Pilgrims would then work to repay their debts.<ref>The debt was finally paid off in 1648. Philbrick (2006), pp 19-20, 169</ref>  Using the money from the Merchant Adventurers, the Pilgrims bought provisions and obtained passage on two ships, the ''[[Mayflower]]'' and the ''Speedwell''.  After some delays the Pilgrims finally boarded the ''Speedwell'' in July 1620 from the Dutch port of Delfshaven.<ref>Philbrick (2006), pp 20-23</ref>

===Mayflower voyage===

===Mayflower voyage===

The ''Mayflower'' arrived in [[Southampton, England]] to rendezvous with the ''Speedwell'' and to pick up supplies and additional passengers.  Among the passengers to join the group in Southampton were several Pilgrims including William Brewster, who had been in hiding for the better part of a year, and a group of passengers known to the Pilgrims as "The Strangers".  This group was largely made up of passengers recruited by the Merchant Adventurers to provide governance for the colony as well as additional hands to work for the colony's ventures.  Among the Strangers were [[Miles Standish]] (1584-1656), who became the colony's military leader. Characterized in Longfellow's poem as a shy and diffident person and suitor, Standish in reality was a pugnacious, touchy, short-tempered, and aggressive professional soldier.<ref>David Standish, "Myles and Me," Smithsonian 2000 30(12): 126-128, 130-140. ISSN: 0037-7333  Fulltext: at Ebsco</ref> Also included were [[Christopher Martin]], who had been designated by the Merchant Adventurers to act as Governor for the duration of the trans-Atlantic trip, and [[Stephen Hopkins]], a veteran of a failed colonial venture to Bermuda.<ref>Philbrick (2006) pp 24-25</ref>  

The ''Mayflower'' arrived in [[Southampton, England]] to rendezvous with the ''Speedwell'' and to pick up supplies and additional passengers.  Among the passengers to join the group in Southampton were several Pilgrims including William Brewster, who had been in hiding for the better part of a year, and a group of passengers known to the Pilgrims as "The Strangers".  This group was largely made up of passengers recruited by the Merchant Adventurers to provide governance for the colony as well as additional hands to work for the colony's ventures.  Among the Strangers were [[Miles Standish]] (1584-1656), who became the colony's military leader. Characterized in Longfellow's poem as a shy and diffident person and suitor, Standish in reality was a pugnacious, touchy, short-tempered, and aggressive professional soldier.<ref>David Standish, "Myles and Me," Smithsonian 2000 30(12): 126-128, 130-140. ISSN: 0037-7333  Fulltext: at Ebsco</ref> Also included were [[Christopher Martin]], who had been designated by the Merchant Adventurers to act as Governor for the duration of the trans-Atlantic trip, and [[Stephen Hopkins]], a veteran of a failed colonial venture to Bermuda.<ref>Philbrick (2006) pp 24-25</ref>  

120 passengers, ninety on the ''Mayflower'' and thirty on the ''Speedwell'', finally departed on August 15.<ref>Addison (1911), pp 63</ref>  The ''Speedwell'' proved unseaworthy; some passengers went home; most crowded onto the "Mayflower." With 102 settlers, it left [[Plymouth]] on September 6, 1620.  The voyage took almost two months as it was drawn out by strong westerly winds and by the Gulf Stream.  Land was sighted on [[November 9]] off the coast of [[Cape Cod]] and with winter approaching and provisions running dangerously low, the passengers decided to return north and abandon their original plans to land sat the mouth of the Hudson River.<ref>Philbrick (2006), pp 35-36</ref>

120 passengers, ninety on the ''Mayflower'' and thirty on the ''Speedwell'', finally departed on August 15.<ref>Addison (1911), pp 63</ref>  The ''Speedwell'' proved unseaworthy; some passengers went home; most crowded onto the "Mayflower." With 102 settlers, it left [[Plymouth]] on September 6, 1620.  The voyage took almost two months as it was drawn out by strong westerly winds and by the Gulf Stream.  Land was sighted on November 9 off the coast of [[Cape Cod]] and with winter approaching and provisions running dangerously low, the passengers decided to return north and abandon their original plans to land sat the mouth of the Hudson River.<ref>Philbrick (2006), pp 35-36</ref>

===Mayflower Compact===

===Mayflower Compact===

The “Mayflower Compact” was a written agreement signed on Nov. 11, 1620, by the male  settlers before coming ashore.<ref>[http://www.pilgrimhall.org/compact.htm see text at]</ref> It created a "civil Body Politick" whose purpose was to frame just and equal laws for the general good of the colony.  It bound the men to form a government and submit to the will of the majority in whatever laws were passed.  Its purpose, according to William Bradford, was to hold in check the strangers who said they did not have to obey anyone because there was no government here. That was because the  Pilgrims’ patent from the Virginia Company granted rights of local  self-government, but it did not apply to a settlement in New England. Some new compact was needed. The Mayflower Compact was thus an agreement to establish a local  government that, although having no official legal status until a patent could be obtained, would at least have the strength of common consent. Its  importance in American history comes from its premise that government rests on the consent of the governed, and that decisions should be made democratically rather than imposed by an authority figure. It was a [[social compact]] of the sort [[John Locke]] imagined years later. [[John Quincy Adams]] hailed the Mayflower Compact as "perhaps the only instance, in human history, of that positive, original, social compact, which speculative philosophers have imagined as the only legitimate source of government."<ref>Michael P. Zuckert, ''The Natural Rights Republic: Studies in the Foundation of the American Political Tradition'' (1996) p 126</ref>

The “Mayflower Compact” was a written agreement signed on Nov. 11, 1620, by the male  settlers before coming ashore.<ref>[http://www.pilgrimhall.org/compact.htm see text at]</ref> It created a "civil Body Politick" whose purpose was to frame just and equal laws for the general good of the colony.  It bound the men to form a government and submit to the will of the majority in whatever laws were passed.  Its purpose, according to William Bradford, was to hold in check the strangers who said they did not have to obey anyone because there was no government here. That was because the  Pilgrims' patent from the Virginia Company granted rights of local  self-government, but it did not apply to a settlement in New England. Some new compact was needed. The Mayflower Compact was thus an agreement to establish a local  government that, although having no official legal status until a patent could be obtained, would at least have the strength of common consent. Its  importance in American history comes from its premise that government rests on the consent of the governed, and that decisions should be made democratically rather than imposed by an authority figure. It was a [[social compact]] of the sort [[John Locke]] imagined years later. [[John Quincy Adams]] hailed the Mayflower Compact as "perhaps the only instance, in human history, of that positive, original, social compact, which speculative philosophers have imagined as the only legitimate source of government."<ref>Michael P. Zuckert, ''The Natural Rights Republic: Studies in the Foundation of the American Political Tradition'' (1996) p 126</ref>

In actual practice, Plymouth Colony,  though less theocratic than neighboring Massachusetts, nevertheless leaned more  toward theocracy than toward democracy.

In actual practice, Plymouth Colony,  though less theocratic than neighboring Massachusetts, nevertheless leaned more  toward theocracy than toward democracy.

===Landings at Provincetown and Plymouth===

===Landings at Provincetown and Plymouth===

The ''Mayflower'' anchored at [[Provincetown Harbor]] on [[November 11]], [[1620]].  The Pilgrims did not have a patent to settle this area, and thus some passengers began to question their right to land; they complained that there was no legal authority to establish a colony.  In response to this, a group of colonists, still aboard the ship as it lay off-shore, drafted and ratified the first governing document of the colony, the [[Mayflower Compact]], the intent of which was to establish a means of governing the colony.  Though it did little more than confirm that the colony would be governed like any English town, it did serve the purpose of relieving the concerns of many of the settlers.<ref>Philbrick (2006) pp 41</ref>

The ''Mayflower'' anchored at [[Provincetown Harbor]] on November 11, 1620.  The Pilgrims did not have a patent to settle this area, and thus some passengers began to question their right to land; they complained that there was no legal authority to establish a colony.  In response to this, a group of colonists, still aboard the ship as it lay off-shore, drafted and ratified the first governing document of the colony, the [[Mayflower Compact]], the intent of which was to establish a means of governing the colony.  Though it did little more than confirm that the colony would be governed like any English town, it did serve the purpose of relieving the concerns of many of the settlers.<ref>Philbrick (2006) pp 41</ref>

The group remained on board the ship through the next day, a Sunday, for prayer and worship.  The immigrants finally set foot on land at what would become [[Provincetown]] on November 13.  The first task was to rebuild a shallop, a shallow draft boat that had been built in England and disassembled for transport aboard the ''Mayflower''.  It remained with the Pilgrims while the ''Mayflower'' returned to England.  The ''Mayflower'' left Provincetown Harbor and set sail for [[Plymouth Harbor]].<ref>Philbrick (2006), pp 55-77</ref>

The group remained on board the ship through the next day, a Sunday, for prayer and worship.  The immigrants finally set foot on land at what would become [[Provincetown]] on November 13.  The first task was to rebuild a shallop, a shallow draft boat that had been built in England and disassembled for transport aboard the ''Mayflower''.  It remained with the Pilgrims while the ''Mayflower'' returned to England.  The ''Mayflower'' left Provincetown Harbor and set sail for [[Plymouth Harbor]].<ref>Philbrick (2006), pp 55-77</ref>

The colonists dropped anchor in Plymouth Harbor on December 17 and spent three days surveying for a settlement site.  They rejected several sites in favor of the site of an abandoned Native-American settlement named Patuxet. The location was chosen largely for its defensive position; the settlement would be centered on two hills: Cole's Hill, where the village would be built, and Fort Hill, where a defensive cannon would be stationed.  Also important in choosing the site, the prior Indian villagers had cleared much of the land, making agriculture relatively easy.  Although there are no contemporary accounts to verify the legend, [[Plymouth Rock]] is often hailed as the point where the colonists first set foot on their new homeland.<ref>Philbrick (2006), pp 78-80</ref>

The colonists dropped anchor in Plymouth Harbor on December 17 and spent three days surveying for a settlement site.  They rejected several sites in favor of the site of an abandoned Native-American settlement named Patuxet. The location was chosen largely for its defensive position; the settlement would be centered on two hills: Cole's Hill, where the village would be built, and Fort Hill, where a defensive cannon would be stationed.  Also important in choosing the site, the prior Indian villagers had cleared much of the land, making agriculture relatively easy.  Although there are no contemporary accounts to verify the legend, [[Plymouth Rock]] is often hailed as the point where the colonists first set foot on their new homeland.<ref>Philbrick (2006), pp 78-80</ref>

==First winter==

==First winter==

Adultery was usually dealt with by public humiliation.  The standard punishment was for the convicted adulterers to wear the letters "A.D." sewn into their garments, much in the manner of [[Hester Prynne]] in [[Nathaniel Hawthorne]]'s novel ''The Scarlet Letter''.<ref>Demos (1970), pp 96-98; Deetz and Deetz (2000), pp 143</ref>

Adultery was usually dealt with by public humiliation.  The standard punishment was for the convicted adulterers to wear the letters "A.D." sewn into their garments, much in the manner of [[Hester Prynne]] in [[Nathaniel Hawthorne]]'s novel ''The Scarlet Letter''.<ref>Demos (1970), pp 96-98; Deetz and Deetz (2000), pp 143</ref>

==Geography==

==Geography==

Education of the young was the responsibility of the family more than the school. While formal apprenticeships were not the norm, it was expected that a foster family would teach the children whatever trades they themselves practiced.  The church, as well, played a central role in a child's education.<ref>Demos (1970), pp 144</ref>  The primary purpose of teaching a child to read was so they could read the Bible for themselves.<ref>Demos (1970), pp 104</ref>

Education of the young was the responsibility of the family more than the school. While formal apprenticeships were not the norm, it was expected that a foster family would teach the children whatever trades they themselves practiced.  The church, as well, played a central role in a child's education.<ref>Demos (1970), pp 144</ref>  The primary purpose of teaching a child to read was so they could read the Bible for themselves.<ref>Demos (1970), pp 104</ref>

===Customs and daily life===

===Customs and daily life===

==See also==

==See also==

* [[Vote with your feet]]

* [[Vote with your feet]]

==Bibliography==

==Bibliography==

*Sargent, Mark L.  "Rekindled Fires: Jamestown and Plymouth in American Literature, 1765-1863."  PhD dissertation Claremont Graduate School 1985. 527 pp.  DAI 1986 46(9): 2694-2695-A. DA8523008  Fulltext: in ProQuest Dissertations

*Sargent, Mark L.  "Rekindled Fires: Jamestown and Plymouth in American Literature, 1765-1863."  PhD dissertation Claremont Graduate School 1985. 527 pp.  DAI 1986 46(9): 2694-2695-A. DA8523008  Fulltext: in ProQuest Dissertations

* Seelye, John. '' Memory's Nation: The Place of Plymouth Rock''  (1980) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=95358907 online edition]

* Seelye, John. '' Memory's Nation: The Place of Plymouth Rock''  (1980) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=95358907 online edition]

===Primary sources===

===Primary sources===

==Notes==

==Notes==

[[Category:Colonial America]]

[[Category:Colonial America]]