PART II.

BRITISH AMERICAN COLONIES.

PERIOD II.

FROM THE SETTLEMENT OF PLYMOUTH, IN 1620, TO THE
UNION OF THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES, IN 1643.

English Pu

Leyden.

1620.

THIS year is memorable for the first settlement of New England. It was agreed by the English Congregation at Leyden, that some of their number should go to America, to make preparation for the rest. Mr. Robinson, their minister, was prevailed on to stay with the greater part at Leyden; Mr. Brewster, their elder, was to accompany the first adventurers; but these, and their brethren remaining in Holland, were to continue to be one church, and to receive each other to Christian communion, without a formal dismission, or testimonial. Several of the congregation sold their estates, and made a common bank, which, together with money received from other adventurers, enabled them to purchase the Speedwell, a ship of 60 tons, and to hire in England the Mayflower, a ship of 180 tons, for the intended enterprise.

Preparation being thus made, the adventurers, having left Leyritans leave den for England in July, sailed on the 5th of August from Southampton for America; but, on account of the leakiness of the small ship, they were twice obliged to return. Dismissing this ship, as unfit for the service, they sailed from Plymouth on the 6th of September in the Mayflower. After a boisterous passage, they at break of day on the 9th of November discovered the land of Cape Cod. Perceiving that they had been carried to the northward of the place of their destination, they stood to the southward, intending to find some place near Hudson's river, for

Sept. 6.
Sail for
America.

settlement; but falling among shoals,1 they were induced by this 1620. perilous incident, the advanced season of the year, and the weakness of their condition, to relinquish that part of their original design. The master of the ship, availing himself of the fears of the passengers, and of their extreme solicitude to be set on shore, gladly shifted his course to the northward; for he had been clandestinely promised a reward in Holland, if he would not carry the English to Hudson's river. Steering again therefore Nov. 10. for the cape, the ship was clear of the danger before night; and Anchor at the next day, a storm coming on, they dropped anchor in Cape Cape Cod. harbour, where they were secure from winds and shoals.

Finding the harbour to be in the 42d degree of north latitude, and therefore beyond the territory of the South Virginia company, they perceived that their charter, received from that company, had become useless. Symptoms of faction at the same time appearing among the servants on board, who imagined, that, when on shore, they should be under no government; it was judged expedient, that, before disembarkation, they should combine themselves into a body politic, to be governed by the majority. After solemn prayer and thanksgiving, a written instrument, drawn for that purpose, was accordingly subscribed on board the ship, on the 11th day of November. This contract Nov. 11. was signed by 41 of their number; and they, with their families, Sign conamounted to 101 persons.3 Mr. John Carver was now unani- civil govmously chosen their governor for one year. Thus did these in- ernment. telligent colonists find means to erect themselves into a republic, even though they had commenced their enterprise under the sanction of a royal charter; "a case that is rare in history, and can be effected only by that perseverance, which the true spirit of liberty inspires."4

tract

Government being thus established, 16 men, well armed, with Various oca few others, were sent on shore the same day, to fetch wood currences. and make discoveries; but they returned at night, without having found any person or habitation. The company, having rested on the Lord's day, disembarked on Monday, the 13th of November; and soon after proceeded to make farther discovery of the country. On Wednesday the 15th, Miles Standish and 16 armed

1 The same, which Gosnold called Point Care and Tucker's Terror; but which the French and Dutch call Malebar. Prince, 1620. See A. D. 1602.

2 Some historians represent this bribery of Jones, the master of the ship, as what was suspected merely; but Morton [N. Eng. Memorial, 34.] says, "Of this plot, betwixt the Dutch and Mr. Jones, I have had late and certain intelligence."

3 This contract, with the names of its subscribers, is in Morton's N. England's Memorial, 37-39; Purchas, v. 1843; Prince, P. 2. § 1; Hazard, Coll. i. 119; and Belknap, Biog. Art. CARVER.

4 Univ. Hist. xxxix. 275.

1620. men, in searching for a convenient place for settlement, saw five or six Indians, whom they followed several miles, until night; but, not overtaking them, were constrained to lodge in the woods. The next day they discovered heaps of earth, one of which they dug open, but, finding within implements of war, they concluded these were Indian graves; and therefore, replacing what they had taken out, they left them inviolate. In different heaps of sand they also found baskets of corn, a large quantity of which they carried away in a great kettle, found at the ruins of an Indian house. This providential discovery gave them seed for

pean child

a future harvest, and preserved the infant colony from famine. First Euro- Before the close of the month, Mrs. Susanna White was deliverborn in N. ed of a son, who was called Peregrine; and this was the first England. child of European extraction, born in New England.

The adven

a place for

On the 6th of December, the shallop was sent out with several turers seek of the principal men, Carver, Bradford, Winslow, Standish and settlement. others, and 8 or 10 seamen, to sail around the bay in search of a place for settlement. The next day, this company was divided; and, while some travelled on shore, others coasted in the shallop. Early in the morning of the 8th, those on the shore were surprised by a flight of arrows from a party of Indians; but, on the discharge of the English muskets, the Indians instantly disappeared. The shallop, after imminent hazard from the loss of its rudder and mast in a storm, and from shoals, which it narrowly escaped, reached a small island on the night of the 8th; and here the company the next day, which was the last day of the week, reposed themselves, with pious gratitude for their preservation. On this island they kept the Christian sabbath.3

2

1 This "had been some ship's kettle, and brought out of Europe." Mourt's Relation in Purchas, v. 1844, 1845. In a second excursion a few days after, they discovered near the same place more corn, which, in addition to what they had taken away before, made about ten bushels; the whole of which was afterward paid for, to the entire satisfaction of the natives. This place they called Cornhill; a name, which the inhabitants of Truro (in whose township it lies) have lately consented to revive. Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. viii. 214. But for the first excursion, this very interesting discovery of the corn would probably not have been made; for, in the second instance, "the ground," says Mourt's Relation, "was now covered with snow, and so hard frosen, that we were faine with our cutlaxes and short swords, to hew and carve the ground a foote deepe, and then wrest it up with leavers." It was a custom of the country to preserve the corn in these subterrranean granaries. "The natives commonly thresh it as they gather it, dry it well on mats in the sun, and then bestow it in holes in the ground (which are their barns) well lined with withered grass and mats, and then covered with the like, and over all with earth; and so it is kept very well, till they use it." Mr. Winthrop's account of "The Culture of Maize" in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (Abridg.), ii. 635.

2 These were the Nauset Indians. Purchas, v. 1849. Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. viii. 161, 267.

3 The shoals, " in a cove full of breakers," were between the Gurnet's Nose and Saquish. For the correction of Morton's mistake about the name of the last place, I was long since indebted to Judge Davis, who has corrected it himself

!

The day following they sounded the harbour, and found it fit for 1620. shipping; went on shore, and explored the adjacent land, where

they saw various cornfields and brooks; and, judging the situa- Dec. 11. tion to be convenient for a settlement, they returned with the First land

welcome intelligence to the ship.1

ing at Plymouth.

On the 15th they weighed anchor, and proceeded with the Ship sails ship for this newly discovered port, where they arrived on the for this following day. On the 18th and 19th they went on shore for port. discovery, but returned at night to the ship. On the morning of the 20th, after imploring divine guidance, they went on shore again, to fix on some place for immediate settlement. After viewing the country, they concluded to settle on a high ground, facing the bay, where the land was cleared, and the water was excellent.

23.

go on shore.

Dec. 25.

On Saturday the 23d, as many of the company as could, with convenience, went on shore, and felled and carried timber to the Company spot, designated for the erection of a building for common use. On Lord's day the 24th, the people on shore were alarmed by the cry of Indians, and expected an assault; but they continued unmolested. On Monday the 25th they began to build the first house. A platform for their ordnance demanding the earliest attention, they on the 28th began one upon a hill, which com- Build the manded an extensive prospect of the plain beneath, of the ex- first house. panding bay, and of the distant ocean. In the afternoon they divided their whole company into 19 families; measured out the ground; and assigned to every person by lot half a pole in breadth, and three poles in length, for houses and gardens. Though most of the company were on board the ship on the Lord's day, December 31st; yet some of them kept sabbath for Epoch of the first time in their new house. Here therefore is fixed the their first

in his edition of the Memorial. The island on which the first sabbath was kept, was afterwards called Clark's Island, "because Mr. Clark, the master's mate, first stepped ashore thereon" [Morton]; and it still retains that name. It is " by the mouth of Plymouth harbour," and in full view of the town.

1 "The place of this first landing at Plymouth is satisfactorily ascertained. Unquestionable tradition had declared, that it was on a large rock, at the foot of a cliff near the termination of the north street leading to the water. In the year 1774 an attempt was made to remove this rock (over which a wharf had been built) to a more central situation. The rock was split in the operation. The upper portion of it was removed and placed near the Court House; and is regarded by the Inhabitants and by Visitors as a precious memorial of that interesting event, the arrival of the first planters of New England to their place of settlement." The 22d day of December, New Style, corresponding to the 11th Old Style, has long been observed at Plymouth, and occasionally at Boston, in commemoration of the Landing of the Fathers. "The New England Society, in the city of New York, annually celebrate this day by an appropriate festival. At Plymouth, it has universally and familiarly the appellation of ForefatherDay." NOTE of Judge Davis, p. 48, in his recent edition of New England's

Memorial.

2 This fortification was made on the summit of the hill, on which Plymouth burying ground now lies; and the reliques of it are still visible.

settlement;

1620. epoch of their settlement, which, in grateful remembrance of the Christian friends whom they found at the last town they left in their native country, they called Plymouth. This was the foundation of the first English town, built in New England.1

called Ply

mouth.

After the departure of the adventurers from the coast of Engto Plymouth land, a new patent, dated the 3d day of November, was granted by king James to the duke of Lenox, the marquisses of Buckingham and Hamilton, the earls of Arundel and Warwick, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, with 34 associates, and their successors, styling them, "The Council established at Plymouth, in the county of Devon, for the planting, ruling, ordering, and governing of NEW ENGLAND, in America." By this patent that part of the American territory, which lies between the 40th and the 48th degree of north latitude in breadth, and " in length by all the breadth aforesaid throughout the main land from sea to sea," was given to them in absolute property; the same authority and privileges, which had previously been given to the treasurer and company of Virginia, were now conferred on them; and they were equally empowered to exclude all from trading within the boundaries of their jurisdiction, and from fishing in the neighbouring seas. This patent was the only civil basis of all the subsequent patents and plantations, which divided this country.2 While the foundation of a new settlement was laid in the north, the Virginia colony was making rapid progress in the south. Eleven ships, which had sailed the preceding year from England, arrived at Virginia, with 1260 persons for settlement. Nearly 1000 colonists were settled there, previous to this accession. One of the methods adopted for the increase of their number, if not the most delicate, was perhaps the most politic. The enterprising colonists being generally destitute of families,