Agreement Between the Settlers at New Plymouth : 1620

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1 Mayflower Compact 1620 The 102 passengers on the Mayflower were divided into two groups. Only 37 of them were Pilgrims--religious dissenters called Separatists, who had fled England for Holland. Now they sought a new life in America where they could practice their religion in the manner they chose. The rest of the passengers, called "strangers" by the Pilgrims, included merchants, craftsmen, skilled workers and indentured servants, and several young orphans. All were common people. About one-third of them were children. The Mayflower was originally bound for the mouth of the Hudson River, in land granted in a patent from the Crown to the London Virginia Company. The decision was made instead to land further north, in what is now Massachusetts. Almost immediately, an argument broke out. According to William Bradford (who later wrote an account of the Pilgrims' experiences) several "strangers" made "discontented and mutinous speeches." They apparently argued that, since the Cape Cod area was outside the jurisdiction of the Virginia Company, its rules and regulations no longer applied. The troublemakers threatened to do as they pleased "for none had power to command them," wrote William Bradford. Three thousand miles from home, a real crisis faced the colonists even before they stepped ashore Agreement Between the Settlers at New Plymouth : 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, &c. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour 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 Officers, 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; Mr. John Carver, Mr. William Bradford, Mr Edward Winslow, Mr. William Brewster. Isaac Allerton, Myles Standish, John Alden, John Turner, Francis Eaton, James Chilton, John Craxton, John Billington, Joses Fletcher, John Goodman, Mr. Samuel Fuller, Mr. Christopher Martin, Mr. William Mullins, Mr. William White, Mr. Richard Warren, John Howland, Mr. Steven Hopkins, Digery Priest, Thomas Williams, Gilbert Winslow, Edmund Margesson, Peter Brown, Richard Britteridge George Soule, Edward Tilly, John Tilly, Francis Cooke, Thomas Rogers, Thomas Tinker, John Ridgdale Edward Fuller, Richard Clark, Richard Gardiner, Mr. John Allerton, Thomas English, Edward Doten, Edward Liester

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5 Excerpt from A Model of Christian Charity, 1630 John Winthrop Now the onely way to avoyde this shipwracke and to provide for our posterity is to followe the Counsell of Micah, to doe Justly, to love mercy, to walke humbly with our God, for this end, wee must be knitt together in this worke as one man, wee must entertaine each other in brotherly Affeccion, wee must be willing to abridge our selves of our superfluities, for the supply of others necessities, wee must uphold a familiar Commerce together in all meekenes, gentlenes, patience and liberallity, wee must delight in eache other, make others Condicions our owne rejoyce together, mourne together, labour, and suffer together, allwayes haveing before our eyes our Commission and Community in the worke, our Community as members of the same body, soe shall wee keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace, the Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us, as his owne people and will commaund a blessing upon us in all our wayes, soe that wee shall see much more of his wisdome power goodnes and truthe then formerly wee have beene acquainted with, wee shall finde that the God of Israell is among us, when tenn of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when hee shall make us a prayse and glory, that men shall say of succeeding plantacions: the lord make it like that of New England: for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us; soe that if wee shall deale falsely with our god in this worke wee have undertaken and soe cause him to withdrawe his present help from us, wee shall be made a story and a byword through the world, wee shall open the mouthes of enemies to speake evill of the wayes of god and all professours for Gods sake; wee shall shame the faces of many of gods worthy servants, and cause theire prayers to be turned into Cursses upon us till wee be consumed out of the good land whether wee are going: And to shutt upp this discourse with that exhortacion of Moses that faithfull servant of the Lord in his last farewell to Israell Deut. 30. Beloved there is now sett before us life, and good, deathe and evill in that wee are Commaunded this day to love the Lord our God, and to love one another to walke in his wayes and to keepe his Commaundements and his Ordinance, and his lawes, and the Articles of our Covenant with him that wee may live and be multiplyed, and that the Lord our God may blesse us in the land whether wee goe to possesse it: But if our heartes shall turne away soe that wee will not obey, but shall be seduced and worshipp other Gods our pleasures, and proffitts, and serve them, it is propounded unto us this day, wee shall surely perishe out of the good Land whether wee passe over this vast Sea to possesse it; Therefore lett us choose life, that wee, and our Seede, may live; by obeyeing his voyce, and cleaveing to him, for hee is our life, and our prosperity.

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8 Suffolk County Court: Records, Excerpts Christopher Webb beeing convicted that he hath beene a disturber of the peace of the Church Of Brantry severall years Last past & by his acting an abettor of the Inhabitants in Invading the rights & priviledges of the Church contrary to Law the Court sentences him to pay five pounds fine to the County & to stand henceforward disfranchised during the pleasure of this Court & to be bound to his good behavior... The Court haveing taken into consideracion the many means yt have beene used with the Church of Brantry & hitherto nothing done to efect as to the obtayning the Ordinances of Christ amongst them, The Court Orders & desiries Mr Moses Fiske to improve his Labours in preaching the word at Brantry untill the Church there agree & obtayne suply for the worke of the Ministry or this Court take further Order. Alice Thomas being accused of severall shamefull notorious crimes & high misdemeanors, she put herelfe upon Tryall of a jury who brought in theire verdict, 1. That if breaking open warehouses & Vessells in the night & stealing goods thence bee by Law Burglary then ye sd Alice Thomas is guilty of abetting accessary in Burglary. however that she is guilty of a betting & accessary in Fellonious Theft in receaving buying & concealing severall goods stol n out of Thomas Beards barque & Mr Hulls.& Mr Pincheons warehouses. 2. That she is guilty of giving frequent secret and unseasonable Entertainmt in her house to Lewd Lascivious & notorious persons of both sexes, giving them oppertunity to commit carnal wickedness, & that by common fame she is a common Baud. 3. That She is guilty of Selling Wine & Strong Waters Wthout Licence. 4. That She is guilty of Entertaining Servants and Children from theire Master's and Parent's Families. 5. That She is guilty of the profanation of ye Lord's day, by Selling drinke & entertaining Idle persons & paiing money in a way of Trade upon that day. The Court upon due consideration of this Verdict Sentenced her to restore to Jon Pinchon Junr forty one pounds fifteen shillings and three pence to Thomas Beard thirteene pounds seaven shillings and eight pence to Capt Jon Hull twelve pounds, all in money being ye proportion of that 3.fld restitution ye Law requireth also to pay fivety pounds fine in money to ye County and fees of Court and prison. Alsoe to bee carried from the prison to ye Gallows, and there stand one hour wth a rope about her necke, one end fastened to ye sd Gallowes, and thence to bee returned to prison. & alsoe to be carried from the prison to her one house and bought out of the gate or fore-doore strip't to the waste, & there tyed to a Cart's Taile, and soe to be whip't through ye Streete to the prison wth not undr thirty nine Stripes, & there in prison to remaine during the pleasure of this Court. Robert Marshall being accused by Walter Barefoote for being an Atheist ye Court ordered him ye sd Marshall to bee committed to prison except hee put in bond of two hundred pounds to Appeare at the next Court of Assistance to bee holden at Boston. Accordingly ye sd Robert Marshall in one hundred pounds as principle to ye Treasuror of ye County Of Suffolk on condicion that ye sd Marshall shall appear at ye next Court of Assistants, to answer what shall bee alledged against him as to his being an Atheist & that... in ye meane time bee of good Behavior. William Carpenter, bound over to this Court to answere for beating his wife, ye Court Sentences him to bee whipt wth fifteen Stripes, & to give in bond for his good behavior paying fees of Court & prison Standing committed till ye Sentence bee performed Carpenter acknowledged himselfe bound to the Treasuror of ye County of Suffolke in ye Summe of ten pounds upon condicion that he shall bee of good behavior unto all men espetially towards his wife Brian Murphey, presented for being a common drunckard, wch hee owned in Court, & also for striking Elinor Shearne that was wth Childe, & other misdemeanors. The Court Sentences him to be whipt wth fifteen Stripes paying fees of Court & prison, Standing committed till the Sentence be performed. Margarett, the wife of Brian Murphey, presented for common railing & cursing & other misdemeanors, the Court Sentances her to be whipt wth ten Stripes paying fees of Court and prison. Standing committed till the sentence be performed.

9 Sarah Carpenter, presented upon strong suspicion of being wth Childe, the Court ordered she should see Searched by mrs Parker, mrs Williams, & mrs Sands who made return wth Goodwife Tailor a midwife, that she was not with Childe. Elizabeth Arnold, convicted of Cursing & Lewd profane Speeches, & other misdemeanors, the Court Sentanced her to pay ten Shillings fine in mony the County & fees of Court & to bee bound to the good behavior. Ursula the wife of Henry Edwards presented for striking her husband & abusive Carriage & Language the presentment was Owned & she was Sentances to be whipt wth ten Stripes or pay twenty Shillings fine in money to the County & fees of Court Standing committed till the Sentence bee performed. Conwesett Indian, convict for his abusive carriage to John Bennett, in coming into his house contrary to his minde & demanding drincke there, throwing Severall Stones at the said John Bennett & pulling him by the haire. The Court Sentanceth him to have his haire cut round close of from his head & to bee whip t with thirth Stripes, paying fees of Court & prison is discharged, & if hee bee founde in Boston after his discharge hee is to bee taken by the Constable & to bee whipt with twenty Stripes. Jonathan Atherton, bound over to this Court for his wounding of an Indian with his Sword; wch hee owned hee did upon provocacion given him by the Indian. The Court Sentanceth him to defray all the charges about the cure of saide Indian if it bee not already done & disinable him for wearing a Sword during his continuance on the Colony, or till this Court take farther order, & to pay fees of Court. Jonathan Adams & his wife of Medfielde, presented for absenting themselves from publique worship of god on the Sabbath dayes, the persons being Summoned & making default in appearance. The Court orders an Attachmt to bee issued forth for them against the next Court. The Towne of Brantery presented for defect of a Schoolemaster answer was made they were Supplied. Christopher Mason, convict of getting Mr Rock s Negroe maide Bess with Childe, which hee owned in Court. The Court Sentanceth him to bee whipt with twenty Stripes & to pay fees of Court & prison & to give in bond twenty pounds for the good behaviour till the next Court of this County James Robinson presented for rayling in the Streets using the name of God vainely & a which hee owned in Court. The Court Sentanceth the saide Robinson to bee admonished & to pay fees of Court & to give his owne bond of ten pounds for his good behaviour; according the saide Robinson acknowledged himselfe bound in the Summe of ten pounds to the Treasurer of the County of Suffolke on condicion that hee shall bee of good behaviour especially that hee will not rayle or use the name of god vainly, untill the next Court of this County & that then hee shall appear. John Veering presented for beeing drunck & abuseing his wife in bad language calling her whore & a reproaching mr Allen & Church members in saying mr Allen was a black hypocriticall Rogue, of all which hee was convict in Court. The Court Sentanceth him to bee whip t with thirty Stripes severely laide on & to stand in the open market place in Boston, exalted upon a Stoole for an houres time on a Thursday after Lecture; with a paper fastned to his breast, with this inscription in a lardge characted A Prophane & Wicked Slanderd & Impious Reviler of a minister of the Gosple & Church-members; & to pay charges of witnesses & Fees of Court standing committed & Upon the peticion of the saide Veering & humble acknowledgement made in open Court. The Court reverseth the Sentence & Sentence the saide Veering to pay ten pounds mony fine to the County & to give in bond for the good behaviour of twenty pounds himselfe & ten pounds apiece two Sureties & to pay the Charge of Witnesses & Fees of Court standing committed. John Chandler presented for disorder in his house at unseasonable times of night & suffering people to bee singing & fiddling at midnight of which hee was convict in Court. The Court Sentanceth him to pay Forth shillings in Mony fine to the County & to pay Charges of Witnesses & Fees of Court & to give bond for his good behaviour of five pounds & fifty shillings apiece two Sureties. Dr Robert Couch bound over to this Court for making Verses tending to the reproach of the late Govr Richard Bellingham Esqr & of the Ministers: The Court Sentanceth hum to give in bond for the good behavior ten pounds himselfe & five pounds apiece two Sureties.