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Plymouth Colony

"After the charter was granted by James to the Council of Plymouth in November 1620, a colony of pilgrims, consisting of one hundred and one persons, arrived from England, and after spending some time in exploring the coast, landed on the 21st of December at a place since called Forefathers' Rock, which was the first permanent settlement in New England, calling it New Plymouth.

The persons composing this colony, and indeed, the first settlers of New England, were principally from the counties of Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire, England. In these counties there prevailed, about the year 1602, an extensive revival of religion. The new converts, willing to worship God in a manner more simple than was observed in the established church, but not being allowed to do it while they continued members of it agreed upon a separation from it; and for the sake of peace and more liberty of conscience, resolved upon a removal to the states of Holland, which at that time, granted a free toleration to different denominations of Protestants. The leader of these emigrants, in the year 1607, was an able and pious man, Mr. John Robinson, who with his congregation, prepared for their removal to Amsterdam; but they found the ports and harbors carefully watched, strict orders being given not to suffer them to depart. Twice they attempted to embark, but were discovered and prevented. At another time, having got on board a ship with their effects, the shipmaster sailed a little distance, and then returned and delivered them to the resentment of their enemies.

In 1608, they made another attempt in which, after the severest trials, they succeeded. Yet, when only a part of their number were on board, and while the women and children were in a bark, approaching the ship, the Dutch captain, apprehensive of danger to himself, hoisted sail, and, with a fair wind, directed his course to Holland. The passengers used every effort to persuade him to return, but in vain.  They saw their wives and children fall into the hands of merciless enemies, while unable to afford them any relief. They had none of their effects, not even a change of clothes, on board.

Moreover, a storm arose, which raged seven days without intermission. By its violence, they were driven to the coast of Norway. Suddenly, the sailors exclaimed, "The ship has foundered! she sinks! she sinks!"  The seamen trembled in despair; the pilgrims looked up to God, and cried, "Yet, Lord, thou canst save; yet, Lord, thou canst save." To the astonishment of all, the vessel soon began to rise, rode out the storm, and at length reached its destined port. After some time, all their friends who had been left arrived safely in Holland.

After remaining a number of years in Holland, first at Amsterdam, and then at Leyden, this little flock found their situation, on many accounts, unpleasant. The immoralities of their neighbors were dangerous to the rising generation; the difficulties of procuring a comfortable living induced not a few of their sons to enter the Dutch armies; and at no distant day, there was reason to apprehend, their posterity would become incorporated with the people of the country, and their church become extinct. These considerations, added to the more powerful motive, the hope of laying the foundation for the extensive advancement of their kingdom of Christ in the western wilderness, induced them to remove to America. Previous to their final determination, as their governing maxim always was, "In all thy ways, acknowledge God, and he shall direct thy paths," they set apart a day for fasting and prayer, to seek direction from God.

Their original plan contemplated a settlement in South Virginia on lands owned by the London Company; but the king not being willing to tolerate them in their religious worship by his public authority under his seal, they concluded to form a partnership with certain merchant adventurers of London. The terms of this partnership were hard upon these pilgrims; but as there was to be no interference with their civil and religious rights, the articles were agreed upon.

They now began to prepare themselves for their momentous enterprise. For this purpose, they procured two vessels, the Speedwell and the Mayflower. The Speedwell, of sixty tons, they purchased in Holland, with the intention of keeping her for their accommodation in America. The Mayflower, of one hundred and eighty tons, they hired at London.

All things being in readiness for their departure from Leyden, they kept a day of solemn humiliation and prayer. On the 1st of August, the pilgrims repaired to Delfthaven, a place about twenty miles from Leyden, and two miles from Rotterdam. Here they were to embark. To this port they were kindly attended by many of their brethren and friends from Amsterdam, as well as from Leyden. Leaving Delfthaven, they sailed for Southampton, at which place they were joined by the rest of their company from London, in the Mayflower. On the 15th of August 1620, both vessels set sail for the New World; but before proceeding far the Speedwell sprung a leak, and at Plymouth, whither they put in, she was condemned as not seaworthy. Under these circumstances, part of the emigrants, were dismissed, and the rest were taken on board of the Mayflower.

With one hundred and one passengers, this vessel sailed from Plymouth, on September 16th. For two months they were tossed and driven upon the tempestuous ocean; until, at length, on the 19th of November, they had the happiness to descry the bleak and dreary shores of Cape Cod. But they were still remote from the place selected for habitation, it being their intention to settle near the mouth of the Hudson. Toward that river they now bent their course. But the wintry season induced them to relinquish their design, and seek the nearest resting place. They therefore turned back, and, after two days, November 21st, anchored in Cape Cod harbor, between Cape Cod and Plymouth.

Before landing, having devoutly given thanks to God for their safe arrival, they formed themselves into a body politic, forty-one signing a solemn contract, according to the provisions of which they were to be governed. Mr. John Carver was elected governor for one year. Government being thus established, sixteen men, well armed, with a few others, were sent on shore, to procure wood and make discoveries; but they returned at night, without having found any person or habitation. The company, having rested on the Lord's day, proceeded, on Monday the 23rd, to make further discovery of the country.

On Wednesday, Miles Standish and sixteen armed men, in searching for a convenient, place for settlement, saw five or six Indians, whom they followed several miles; but, not overtaking them, were constrained to lodge in the woods. The next day they discovered heaps of earth, which proved to be Indian graves. In different heaps of sand they also found baskets of corn, a quantity of which they carried away. This providential discovery gave them seed for a future harvest, and preserved the infant colony from famine. Before the close of the month Mrs. Susannah White became the mother of an infant son, who was called Peregrine, the first child of European extraction born in New England.

From this time, the 16th of December, they were employed for several days in searching for a proper place on which to settle. On the night of the 18th they reached a small island, on which they spent Saturday and the Sabbath. The day following, the 21st, they sounded the harbor and found it fit for shipping, went on shore, and explored the adjacent land, where they saw various cornfields and brooks; and judging the situation to be convenient for a settlement, they returned with the welcome intelligence to the ship. This marks the era or the Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers, on what has been appropriately styled "Forefathers' Rock."

In a few days, the Mayflower was safely riding in the harbor. As a matter of high importance, a platform for their ordnance was erected on a hill, commanding an extensive prospect of the plain beneath, and of the neighboring bay. Preparations were also begun for the erection of habitations for the settlers, to each of which was assigned a suitable lot for house and garden. A house about twenty feet square was erected and used in common. This for a time, besides a place of rendezvous, served as a  Meeting House. In 1622, however, a timber fort was erected, with fiat roof and battlements, on which their cannon were mounted, and a watch was kept. This also was their house of worship.

However, difficulties and discouragements gathered round these servants of God. Many soon fell sick, by reason of want and exposure. Winter set in before their habitations were comfortably prepared. Death too, swept many to an untimely grave. Six died in December, eight in January, seventeen in February, thirteen. in March; and of these forty-four, nineteen had subscribed the great compact on board the Mayflower. The burying place selected, was but a short distance above  Forefathers' Rock. Those early graves, however, are lost from present knowledge, having been leveled by the pilgrims, and sowed, for the purpose of concealing them from the Indians, lest, by counting the number of the dead, they should ascertain the weakness of the living.

Fortunately for the colony, the neighboring Indians offered them no serious molestation during the time of their severest trials; nor for several months did they approach sufficiently near to hold any intercourse. In March, however, 1621, the way was prepared for the negotiation of a treaty in the ensuing autumn, through Governor Carver, with Masassoit, the great sachem of the neighboring Indians. This treaty of friendship, commerce, 0and mutual defense was kept inviolate for over fifty years, until the breaking out of King Philip's War in 1675; and not only gave general peace to the colony, but laid the foundation for the colony's intimate and amicable correspondence with the neighboring tribes.

The manner in which Canonicus, the proud and powerful chief of the Narragansett Indians, was awed into submission, is at once an evidence of his cowardice and of the sagacity of Governor Bradford. Canonicus, in token of his hostile bearing towards the colony, sent to Plymouth a bundle of arrows wrapped in a rattlesnake's skin. Not daunted, William Bradford filled the skin with powder and shot, and returned it. Upon seeing this, the courage of Canonicus cooled. He did not choose to accept the challenge; and hence, skin, powder and shot, were brought back to the governor.

In 1623, fears were entertained for the safety of the colony, by reason of an anticipated famine. From the third week in May to the middle of July, no rain fell. The corn withered under the heat of a scorching sun. The Indians prophesied famine for the colony, and a consequent easy triumph over them. In this extremity, a public fast was observed, with great solemnity, the first voluntary fast ever kept on these western shores. The morning of the fast was cloudless, and the day proved intensely hot as evening approached, but clouds collected, and rain descended in moderate but refreshing showers; the languishing crops revived, and a bountiful harvest succeeded. In token of the general gratitude, a day of public Thanksgiving was ordered, the second such day ever observed in the New Land, the first having been observed after the first harvest had been gathered by the fathers.

[Before the appointment of the first Thanksgiving, the governor had sent out a "fowling expedition," that for their Thanksgiving, and for the festivities of the week they "might have more dainty and abundant materials than ordinary." This was the week in which Masassoit and ninety of his men were entertained. Labor was suspended, and the English employed themselves in military exercises before their visitants. The annual New England custom of Thanksgiving dates back to the first year of our forefathers' arrival.]

The partnership convention of  the colonists with the London Adventurers had, from the commencement, proved unprofitable and embarrassing.  The former were compelled to effect loans of the adventurers at ruinous rates of interest; while the latter, receiving few or no return for investments, grew discouraged, and in several instances acted in opposition to the interests of the colony, especially in refusing the venerable Pastor Robinson a passage to America.

In 1627, however, an end was put to the partnership, the colonists purchasing the interests of the London Merchants for eighteen hundred pounds, two hundred of which were to be paid yearly. Upon this, the colonists became the sole proprietors of the land on which they had settled, a patent for which having been procured from the Council of Plymouth in 1621, during the existence of the partnership. An equitable division of the property, which before was in common stock, was now made by the colonists among themselves.

It may added here, that the colony was never incorporated by the king. The government was at first formed and conducted according to a voluntary compact, entered into before landing. Until the year 1624, it consisted of a governor and one assistant only. From this period, five were annually chosen, the governor having a double vote. The number of assistants was afterwards increased to seven. The laws of the colony were enacted, and the affairs of government conducted, by these officers, for near twenty years. In 1639 the towns for the first time sent deputies. The colony continued distinct near seventy years, until 1691, when, by charter of William and Mary, it was united to the colony of Massachusetts and the Province of Maine.

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