Tuesday, April 28, 2009

What is the signifcance of the Mayflower Compact?

The Pilgrim's journey to America began in 1608 when they were forced to leave their native England for Holland. Their religious beliefs were in conflict with those of England's Anglican Church. As the Anglican Church and the monarchy of King James I were one, the Pilgrim's opposition could be interpreted as treason; consequently, they felt it prudent to leave the country.





By 1620, the Pilgrim's experience in Holland had gone sour and they returned to England with the objective of making passage to America.








Problems plagued their departure from the start. Leaving Southampton on August 5 aboard two ships (the Mayflower and the Speedwell) they were forced back when the Speedwell began to leak. A second attempt was thwarted when the Speedwell again began to leak and again the hapless Pilgrims returned to port.





Finally, after abandoning the Speedwell, 102 Pilgrim passengers departed from Plymouth aboard the Mayflower on September 6. The intended destination was Virginia where they planned to start a colony. After a journey of 66 days they made landfall at Cape Cod near present-day Provincetown - more than 600 miles off course.





William Bradford was a prominent member of the expedition and would soon be elected governor of the Plymouth Colony. He kept a record of the journey and we join his story as the Mayflower sails out of Plymouth: (The Old English of the original account has been modernized)





"...they put to sea again with a prosperous wind, which continued several days together, which was some encouragement unto them; yet according to the usual manner many were afflicted with seasickness.





And I may mention here a special work of God's providence. There was a proud and very profane young man; one of the sea-men, of a lusty, able body, which made him the more haughty; he would always be condemning the poor people in their sickness, and cursing them daily with grievous execrations, and told them, that he hoped to help to cast half of them over board before they came to





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their journey's end, and to make merry with what they had; and if he were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first that was thrown overboard. Thus his curses fell on his own head; and it was an astonishment to all his fellows, for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him.





After they had enjoyed fair winds and weather, they encountered many times, crosswinds, and met with many fierce storms, with which the ship was thoroughly shaken, and her upper works made very leaky; and one of the main beams amidships was downed and cracked, which put them in some fear that the ship could not be able to perform the voyage. So some of the chiefs of the company, perceiving the mariners to fear the condition of the ship, as appeared by their mutterings, they entered into serious consultation with the master and other officers of the ship, to consider whether to return, rather than to cast themselves into desperate and inevitable peril. And truly there was great distraction and difference of opinion amongst the mariners themselves.





But in examining of all opinions, the master and others affirmed they knew the ship to be strong and firm underwater; and for the buckling of the main beam, there was a great iron screw the passengers brought out of Holland, which would raise the beam into its place; which was done. The carpenter and master affirmed that with a post put under it, set firm in the lower deck, and other ways bound, he would make it sufficient. And as for the decks and upper works they would caulk them as well as they could, and though with the working of the ship they would not long hold firm, they would be safe as long as they did not over-stress her with sails.





So they committed themselves to the will of God, and resolved to proceed. In many of these storms the winds were so fierce, and the seas so high, as they could not bear a knot of sail, but were forced to heave to (face into the wind to stop the ship), for many days together. And in one of them, as they thus lay hove to, in a mighty storm, a strapping young man (called John Howland) was, with a lurch of the ship thrown into the sea; but it pleased God that he caught hold of the ropes which hung overboard. He held his hold (though he was many feet under water) till he was hauled up by the same rope to the brim of the water, and then with a boathook and other means got into the ship again, and his life saved.





In all this voyage there died but one of the passengers, which was William Butten, a youth, servant to Samuel Fuller, when they drew near the coast.





...after long beating at sea they fell with that land which is called Cape Cod: they were not a little joyful! After some deliberation amongst themselves and with the master of the ship, they resolved to sail southward to find someplace about Hudson's river for their habitation. But after they had sailed that course about half a day, they fell amongst dangerous shoals and roaring breakers, and resolved to bear up again for the Cape, and thought themselves happy to get out of those dangers before night overtook them.





Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof."





References:


William Bradford's account appears in: Davis, William, T. (ed), Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation, 1606-1646 (1908); Morrison, Samuel Eliot, Builders of the Bay Colony (1930).





Mayflower Compact (November 1620)





IN The Name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, %26amp;c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honor of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience. In WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth and of Scotland, the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620

What is the signifcance of the Mayflower Compact?
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony.The compact is often referred to as the foundation of the Constitution of the United States, in a figurative, not literal, way.


The Mayflower Compact ??

The Mayflower Compact is often cited as the first constitution in what became the United States. Give an example of a democratic point within the Mayflower Compact. Give an example of a non-democratic point of the Mayflower Compact.

The Mayflower Compact ??
This is a quote from the compact:


..."Haveing undertaken, for the glorie of god, and advancemente of the Christian faith and honour of our king %26amp; countrie, a voyage to plant the first colonie in the Northerne parts of Virginia.."





This quote shows that they expect everyone to be of one religion (Christianity) and nothing else, and also are in favor of the King. So, if you did not meat these two criteria, you wouldn't be part of the compact, which is against what a democracy is, a government or group that lets everyone, regardless of their beliefs join, I think.


Hope it helps!!!
Reply:Ahh, yes. The Mayflower Compact was the first car in the Americas. The car of choice for the piligrims of England. The Spaniards prefered the mustang which was told by different colors in that time.

irene

Geneology...Mayflower?

OK, I understand that the Mayflower took off from England with the Speedwell, a Dutch ship. The Speedwell had a leak so some of the passengers, after a few more tries I guess, boarded the Mayflower to America.





I am part dutch, my grandma is half so could I be related to the pilgrims because my family (grandmother and mom) have told me that our family cam over by the Mayflower)





I know that much of the people on board were English but there were dutch too and i think some servants to the english.





I don't recognize any of the surnames of the list of passengers on the ship, mainly because a woman that I'm related to could have married a man and got last name changed.





So do u know of anyway for sure how I can know and do u think it is possible?





Thanks

Geneology...Mayflower?
There is no ambiguity on who came over on the MAYFLOWER since there is an exact list available of all the passengers:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pas...





Please note that a few passengers are identified as from Leiden, The Netherlands.





You might also want to reseach the Great Migration (1620-1643) http://www.greatmigration.org/books.html





The Great Migration which occured from 1620-1643 concerns the 900 New England families who emigrated from Europe.
Reply:At least 3 of the pasengers coming over on the Mayflower were my ancestors. There were no Netherlanders on board; they were all English.


Dutch is the language, not the people.


Read the book, "Mayflower Bastard, A Stranger Among the Pilgrims", David Lindsay, Copyright 2002 by David Lindsay, Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martin’s Press, New York. Resources %26amp; books relating to Massachusetts and England.


(Strangers is the name for any one who was not a Separtist, those erringly called "Pilgrims" or "Puritans".)


And: "History and Genealogy of the Mayflower Planters and First Comers to Ye Olde Colonie", by Leon Clark Hills, Reprinted for Clearfield Company, Inc., by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. Baltimore, Maryland 1990, 1996, 2002.





and:


The Mayflower Descendant, Vol. 1, 1899 --- Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants. The Mayflower Descendant, A Quarterly Magazine of Pilgrim Genealogy and History 1899. Volume I. Boston. Published by the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, 1899. Facsimile Reprint Published 1994 by Heritage Books, Inc.





The Reverend John Robinson fled England to avoid persecution, taking his flock with him. Although they dwelt in Holland, in the Netherland, for years, all were English that boarded the Speedwell AND the Mayflower.





Here are two other books:


Mayflower Families Through Five Generations, Volume Nineteen, Thomas Rogers. Descendants of the Pilgrims Who Landed at Plymouth, Mass. December 1620. Originally compiled by Alice W. A. Westgate; Revised by. Reeves. Published by General Society of Mayflower Descendants 2000. Copyright 2000 by General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 4 Winslow Street, Plymouth, MA 02360. Edited by L. M. Kellogg and others. Includes bibliographical references and indexes.





Other Books


Mayflower Passengers by Mrs. Katherine (Robinson?) Carver, 104 passengers.





Check: http://www.revjohnrobinson.com/index.htm


and:


http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/





The only way to find out, is to start with your parents and work backwards, one generation at a time.





For me, the Mayflower is 9 generations ago...
Reply:The only way to realistically do this is to start with you, go to your parents, then grandparents. At that point, concentrate on the line that you believe came from the Mayflower and follow that line back (this can take years - and you may even hit a dead end - we all do).





Let's take "old" ages for individuals. Say you are 30, and that your mother had you when she was 30, and her mother had her when she was 30. That means your grandmother was born 90 years ago - or 1917. Let's add another 30 years slop to that and use 1887. The Mayflower voyage was in 1620...267 years before your grandmother was born.





Why does she think you were descendants of the Mayflower? What was her reasoning? If it was sound, then you should be able to use that same reasoning to work that line backwards..if not, well you will find that out too.





But definitely don't start with the Mayflower manifest and work towards the present. You will quickly be faced with thousands of lines to trace. Even if this association with the Mayflower is correct, how would you ever pick the right line?





Start with you, then your parents, then grandparents and backtrack concentrating on the line you believe may have come from the Mayflower.
Reply:The Mayflower Society has great helps for those who are looking to connect to a pilgrim family. Your best bet is to get your family lineage as far back as you can in the line you believe is the Mayflower lineage. Then check with the society about others who have completed their documentation to join the society to see if your lineage as already been completed.


I have a Mayflower lineage that I am still working on to complete documentation to join.





30+years of researching %26amp; 20 years of teaching genealogy has made me use all FREE sources including the local genealogy public library, US gov archives,NARA , federal sources, and local history/genealogical societies in the areas where the family lived. Use the Mormon Library with caution, as most family information is not listed with sources cited but from some one in the familys memory. Using original filmed records are best sources for proof of facts. Use several sources to verify each vital area of Birth, Death, and Marriage before you put down for posterity sake the "facts" . In this age of computers, internet %26amp; instant genealogy, one wrong statement can lead many others astray down the wrong family tree.


Always keep a record of your searchs (Research log) of what facility your in and record every film # page %26amp; volume #, publisher %26amp; author of a book (Dewey Decimal # at that library or a repository catalogue #). This keeps you from repeating your search in the next facility and lets you know you've already covered that material. At the end of each days research, log your finds into your genealogical program with your sources cited in footnotes, endnotes or individual persons file notes. Now your ready for another trip to the library.





Best of luck to you.
Reply:If you have the name of a particular person who you think came to the US, contact the Holland Society in NY and see what information they have on her. It's a group that has information on all of the early Dutch settlers to the US.


http://www.hollandsociety.org//





It's not probable that your ancestor was on the Mayflower. But she may have been one of the New Netherlands settlers.


Um...... what effect did the MAYFLOWER COMPACT have on the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ????

the MAYFLOWER COMPACT was the first attempt at self goverment.. people know about th declaration.


what influence did the MAYFLOWER COMPACT have on americe today ??





any answers ?? .....


i need to know ASAP... Thnx

Um...... what effect did the MAYFLOWER COMPACT have on the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE ????
The Mayflower Compact was the predecessor to the U.S Constitution, not the Declaration of Independence.
Reply:I think the most obvious effect that the Mayflower Compact had on the Declaration of Independence was that without the Compact, which acknowledged the sovereignty of the British Crown, there would have been no need to declare independence 150 years later.





As far as similarities to the Constitution, I don't see them. The Constitution created a limited government, with no authority over it within those limitations. The Compact created a government without limitations other than "majority rules", with another unlimited government (the Crown) above it. Near as I can see, they could have just stayed in England and had all that.
Reply:Without one you don't have the other!
Reply:Is this a serious question? Google it bro. That's the dumbest question no offence, like that guy said, you can't have one without the other.





It influenced the creation of the Declaration of Independence.


About Mayflower Park Hotel or Westin Seattle?

Which stayed / had a meal in Mayflower Park Hotel or Westin Seattle of a Seattle, WA? If it is, please give your opinion.

About Mayflower Park Hotel or Westin Seattle?
Westin is nice. A bit pricey, I thought but it is close to everything.


Mayflower Compact??

I don't remember much about the mayflower compact, so I could really use some help on this one. Thanks!!!





2) What different reasons might people have had for sailing to America with the Pilgrims? List as many as you can think of.





3) Why do you think the Pilgrim leaders thought they needed something like the Maflower Compact?





4) If you had been on board the Mayflower, would you have signed the Compact? Why or why not?





5) What significance did the Mayflower Compact have for American government?





Thanks in advance for any help.


God Bless

Mayflower Compact??
What do you mean you don't remember much? I don't think you ever knew anything about it to begin with... I learned about the Mayflower Compact IN THE THIRD GRADE.





Besides that, this sting is HISTORY... it is not Homework done while you wait... that is down the hall... third door on the right.





If you really want to know about it.. then you can giggle it just as easy as I can.
Reply:The Pilgrims lied to the non-Pilgrims on board the Mayflower, who thought they were paying for passage to Jamestown, Virginia.





When the non-Pilgrims onboard figured out they were about to land far to the north of Virginia, the Pilgrims offered them the "Mayflower Compact" as a guarantee they wouldn't be subjected to a harsh theocratic regime. The non-Pilgrims accepted because they really didn't have much choice, unless they were prepared to take control of the ship by force, which was called "mutiny" and was a hanging offense.

Wisdom Teeth

Mayflower compact?? please read if u nknow anything about it.?

how did the mayflower compact influence the 13 colonies??

Mayflower compact?? please read if u nknow anything about it.?
Significance of the Mayflower Compact





After suffering years of persecution in England and spending difficult years of exile in the Netherlands, the Pilgrims wanted to establish their colony on the biblical principles they suffered for in Europe. Before they set foot on land, they drew up this covenant with God. They feared launching their colony until there was a recognition of God's sovereignty and their collective need to obey Him.
Reply:The compact didn't initially inpact the 13 colonies just the plymouth settlement. However, it was the first form of government established in America and eventually would be a starting block for the constitution.


Mayflower ship?

mayflower ship

Mayflower ship?
What about it?
Reply:Mayflower was hired in London, and sailed from London to Southampton in July 1620 to begin loading food and supplies for the voyage--much of which was purchased at Southampton. The Pilgrims were mostly still living in the city of Leiden, in the Netherlands. They hired a ship called the Speedwell to take them from Delfthaven, the Netherlands, to Southampton, England, to meet up with the Mayflower. The two ships planned to sail together to Northern Virginia. The Speedwell departed Delfthaven on July 22, and arrived at Southampton, where they found the Mayflower waiting for them. The Speedwell had been leaking on her voyage from the Netherlands to England, though, so they spent the next week patching her up.


Mayflower Compact???

Okay, I need to know what the purpose of the Mayflower Compact (written aboard the Mayflower on the way to the New World) was?? Why did Gov. William Bradford write it? How did it affect our country??

Mayflower Compact???
It's the building block of our whole government. he wrote it to simply establish laws and order.