Posted on 05/21/2025 6:35:16 AM PDT by knarf
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, &c.
Having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian Faith, and 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 11. of November, in the year of the reign of our sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini 1620.
(the signers names follow at the link)
No, I’m sure she did it and has her certificate. Which makes me a descendent as well, but I never went thru the process.
Sooooo important. Possibly the first ever real “constitution” as it outlined the purpose of the colony, its governance, and its equality among “strangers” and saints.
The confusion arises from Plymouth Colony’s initial communal labor system, imposed not by the Compact but by the colony’s financial backers, the Merchant Adventurers, a London-based investment groupThis contract stipulated that for seven years, the colonists would work collectively, with all land, houses, and produce held in common and profits shared equally among settlers and investors. Individual property and private incentives were limited, as the goal was to maximize output to repay the colony’s debt.
Bradford did not “tear up” or “discard” the Mayflower Compact. The Compact remained the colony’s political foundation, guiding governance through elected officials and General Court meetings.The communal system contributed to economic struggles, as Bradford observed, but it wasn’t the sole cause of hardship. Poor soil, unfamiliar climate, and initial reliance on limited supplies also played roles. By 1623, harvests were improving, partly due to Wampanoag aid, but the communal system was visibly straining morale and output.
In 1623, Bradford and other leaders, with the settlers’ consent, modified the economic system to boost productivity. They assigned each family a private plot of land, with the right to keep what they grew, while still requiring some collective work to meet the Adventurers’ debt. Bradford wrote that this shift to private incentives “had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious.” Women and children, previously less involved, worked harder when their families directly benefited. This reform significantly improved harvests, helping Plymouth stabilize.
My point is that there was no private ownership of the land. In the some 40 or so members that were participating in the “commune”, they nearly starved to death the first year because some were workers and others were lazy. There was a feeling of not equal efforts for equal rewards. That unrest is when Bradford said, here is your land, no one is going to take it away or help you. You will live or die on YOUR land. I was speaking of property ownership.
I just recently found out I had a descendent on the Mayflower. It was the son of a Dr. Samuel Fuller. They ended up being loyalists and moved to Canada and eventually ended up migrating back to Michigan.
Pilgrim Richard Warren was one of my ancestors.
This link tells the story of the Pilgrims:
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3912010/posts
“This reform significantly improved harvests, helping Plymouth stabilize. “ ie privately ownership. NOT SO. The extra effort buy these folks did not pay off because they had a server drought that year, the crop dried up and turned brown, showing no life. The record shows that they took this happening as a sign that God was displeased with them and their greed. They repented after which, rain came gently and steadily bringing back the dried up crops to life which produced in the end a bountiful harvest. Their leaders record that God was merciful and not their extra effort by individual families.
As it turned out after the harvest the supply ship brought more Pilgrams but no supplies. And they had to stretch out the bountiful harvest to make it last till the next year’s harvest.
It really is good idea to go back and see what their interpretations were, not what we might want the interpretations to be.
Yep, RUSH used to do a nice summary every Thanksgiving.
Ping
One would think they would have learned from reading their Bible, when Paul had to roam the world looking for donations to the believers in Jerusalem (who sold what they had to help the poor). Although as a missionary tool, their generosity DID help spread the word and brought many people to Christ.
On my dad’s side of the family, we’re related to William Bradford.
On my mom’s side of the family, it’s Judge Roy Bean.
My 8th great-grandfather George Soule signed The Mayflower Compact.
You joke but reality is...
No one will admit it, but in smaller clans survival demands labor sharing and profit sharing to better the chances of survival of the future generations. Take a blood family as an example. I have seen law enforcement families protect their own even if it meant breaking the law they uphold to do it. I have seen it in my own family. Clan blood... Cost sharing... Reward sharing... Self defense of the clan at all costs.
Family/Clan on the smaller scale is socialism Communism. We have all seen it...
I cut ‘em some slack because without five or six of those folks, I wouldn’t be here. :^)
“I cut ‘em some slack because without five or six of those folks, I wouldn’t be here. :^)”
True... Maybe even ten or twenty... :)
Someone had to chip rock points while the younger hunted and the gals cooked the catch for the whole crew...
Without simultaneous task sharing none of us would be here. :)
Hey, cousin, me too ... I understand the Warrens have tons of descendents because they had a large family and all the kids survived and had families.
One of the Mayflower’s crew members, John Clark, is also an ancestor. He had made at least one voyage to Jamestown in 1608 I think. That’s where the Mayflower was headed, I’ve been told. Most of my ancestry can be traced to Jamestown.
Richard Warren is one of the handful of Yankees in my family tree. I don’t like to talk about it, though.
Man has ALWAYS had a sort of trial and error history.
We are the result of a lot of good intentioned men.
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