USA > Massachusetts > The history of Massachusetts, from its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 3
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Among others, who were induced to seek that freedom of worship abroad which was denied them in their own land, was a portion of the members composing the church of Mr. John Robinson. Flying in detached parties to Am- sterdam, in Holland, during the year 1608, they joined, for a brief season, the church already established in that city by exiles of the same persuasion.
Some differences arising between the earlier fugitives and the new-comers, Robinson removed with his followers to Leyden, where they led an industrious and pious life ; and by their sterling probity won the admiration of the Dutch magis- trates, who bore willing testimony that they never had any suit or accusation against them. By the arrival, at various times, of many more
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36
HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1617.
of their persecuted brethren, the congregation was greatly increased ; but its members, notwith- standing they were " diligent in their callings," found the means of obtaining a livelihood very difficult to procure. The free manners of the Hollanders were not suited to men of their austere and precise habits of life. They still clung affec- tionately to the language of their mother tongue ; and at no time during their residence of twelve years in the land, could they be brought to feel that sense of freedom and home comfort, which would lead them to settle down permanently in the country. As their children grew up to man- hood, another cause for solicitude arose. Many of them entered into the Dutch service, and were gradually losing that warm feeling of nationality, by which, notwithstanding the persecution they had undergone, their fathers were yet animated.
The various reports of adventurers concerning America finally induced the "Pilgrims," during the year 1617, to entertain the design of found- ing a colony, where they could bring up their children in their own faith, and, at the same time, advance "the gospel of the kingdom of Christ."
They at first thought of going to Guiana, which the last voyage of the unfortunate Raleigh had brought prominently into notice ; but upon consultation it was found that a majority of the members inclined to prefer the "most northern
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NEGOTIATIONS.
1617.]
parts of Virginia," provided they might be allowed to live in a distinct body by themselves, and to follow their own mode of worship without restriction or interference. Robert Cushman and John Carver accordingly proceeded to Eng- land and conferred with the London Company. In the petition transmitted by the Pilgrims on this occasion, they argued their greater ability to found a permanent settlement, by reason of their being already "weaned from the delicate milk of their mother country," and inured to the difficulties of a strange land. "That they were knit together in a strict and sacred bond, by virtue of which they held themselves bound to take care of the good of each other, and of the whole. That it was not with them, as with other men, whom small things could discourage, or small discontents cause to wish themselves at home again."
The Virginia Company eagerly closed with the proposal of the petitioners, and offered their envoys a patent at once ; but the latter declined to receive it until after they had again consulted their people. Encouraged by the prospect which now opened upon them, an application was soon after made to the king to confirm to the proposed colonists, under the great seal, liberty of religion. This James declined; but promised not to molest them. The congregation again conferred to- gether, and finally concluded, that the promise
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HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1619.
was as binding as the seal, since, if there existed a desire to wrong them, means could easily be taken to do so, "though they had a seal as broad as the house floor."
Resting therefore upon the doubtful staff of a king's word, they agreed to accept a patent at the hands of the Virginia Company, and in ac- cordance with this determination renewed their correspondence with that association during the year 1619. Some confusion, however, in the affairs of the company retarded the delivery of the patent until toward the close of the year ; and, at length, the grant being made in the name of John Wincob, a gentleman who was prevented by circumstances from emigrating with his friends, it never became of any service.
One serious obstacle yet remained to be over- come. The congregation was poor, and, without receiving assistance from others, could not sus- tain the charge of their transportation across the Atlantic, much less could they provide the means of temporary support in the wilderness. In this dilemma they applied to Mr. Weston, and certain other merchants of London, with whom their agents succeeded in forming a partnership for seven years, rating the services of each emigrant at ten pounds. At the close of the period for which the copartnership was formed, the profits derived from the labours of the colonists, to- gether with all the «houses and lands, gardens
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1619.] PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE.
and fields," acquired during that time, were to be divided among the stockholders, in proportion to the shares which each one held. This ar- rangement pressed most heavily upon the poor emigrant, since, for his seven years' service, he received no greater proportion of the property which had been acquired than the London mer- chant who had only adventured the sum of ten pounds sterling.
Nothing daunted, however, by this additional burden thus laid upon them, the Puritans pre- pared for their departure. The Mayflower and the Speedwell, two ships which had been char- tered for the voyage, not being of sufficient capacity to contain the whole congregation, it was concluded to leave Robinson behind at Leyden, with the feebler and more timid of his flock, while the younger members went first and prepared the way
This prudent arrangement having been adopted, . so soon as the adventurers were in readiness for their journey, accompanied by a large number of their friends from Amsterdam and Leyden, they proceeded to Delft Haven, where the Speed- well, a small ship of sixty tons, lay waiting for them. The night previous to this memorable journey was spent in tears and prayers, in the singing of psalms, and the interchange of those tender courtesies which the approaching separa- tion rendered so grateful. At Delft Haven,
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HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1620.
before the embarkation took place, the prayers of the pastor were again offered up; and when the fair wind of the following day invited them to repair on board the ship, the members who remained behind with their beloved pastor fell upon their knees, "and with eyes, and hands, - and hearts lifted to heaven, fervently commended their adventuring brethren to the Lord, and his blessing. Thus, after mutual embraces, accom- panied by many tears, they bade a long, and many of them, a last farewell."
Firing a parting volley, the little band of emigrants, under the guidance of Elder Brewster, crossed over to Southampton, and reaching that port with a prosperous wind on the 2d of July, found the Mayflower, an English ship of one hundred and eighty tons, had already arrived from London with their provisions and outfit. On the 5th of August, the two ships set sail for America; but in a few days the leaky condition of the Speedwell compelled them to return to Dartmouth and refit. Sailing again on the of August, the reluctance of the captain of the Speedwell to trust himself on a strange coast, joined to the timidity of his crew, induced them to represent the vessel as too frail for the voyage. Again putting back, they entered the harbour of Plymouth, where the Speedwell was abandoned. So many of her passengers as could be accommo- dated embarked on board the Mayflower; but
41
ARRIVE OFF CAPE COD.
1620.]
Cushman and some twenty others they were re- luctantly constrained to leave behind.
On the 6th of September, the Mayflower, hav- ing on board one hundred emigrants, a portion of whom were women and children, in bold de- fiance of the disasters which had hitherto at- tended the expedition, put out into the broad Atlantic, and commenced her lonely voyage. The emigrants had already selected, with great sagacity, the coast near the Hudson, as the most favourable point for founding a new settlement. But either from the ignorance of their pilot or from some other cause, they were carried much farther to the northward, and after a stormy voyage of two months, the first land they espied was the promontory of Cape Cod. On the 10th of November they came to an anchor in the fine harbour formed by the curvature of that famous cape. What little they could see of the coast, they discovered to be barren in the extreme. It was also beyond the limits of their patent ; but the season being too far advanced to ad- venture farther, they determined to seek a more suitable place for settlement, even though its harbour should be found to possess fewer ad- vantages. 1
But as some symptoms of disaffection had been noticed during the voyage, it was thought conducive to the future harmony of the colonists that they should enter into a mutual compact 4*
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HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1620.
for the purposes of government. This being unanimously agreed upon, a contract was drawn up and signed, in which the democratic principle of a government based upon the will of a ma- jority of the people was first practically estab- lished. This remarkable instrument is in the following words :
"In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are under written, 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 advance- ment of the Christian faith, and honour of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony on the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation, and fur- therance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws and ordinances, acts, constitu- tions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony, unto which we pro- mise all due subjection and obedience."
This paper having been signed by forty-one persons, as representatives of their families and dependants-the aggregate number on board
43
EXPLORATIONS.
1620.]
the Mayflower being one hundred and one-by general consent, John Carver, "a pious and well approved gentleman," was chosen governor for one year.
On the same day, the 11th of November, 1620, a company of men, well armed, were sent on shore to obtain wood and make discoveries. They found the country well covered with trees of various kinds; but saw no Indians, nor any signs of habitations. Having loaded their small boat with juniper, a fuel to which, from its fra- grance, they were partial, they returned to the ship.
As the winter season was rapidly approaching, the company, some of whom had been on board the Mayflower for more than a hundred days, were very anxious that a place for settlement should be selected as speedily as possible. After a delay of sixteen days, the shallop, which had been stowed between decks, and used as a place to sleep in during the voyage, was repaired by the carpenter, and pronounced seaworthy. In the mean time another exploring party, under the command of Captain Miles Standish, set out, on the 15th of November, in search of a settle- ment. They had not- penetrated the forest more than a mile before they discovered some five or six Indians, whom they pursued for several miles. Upon the approach of darkness the exploring party halted; and, having arranged their senti-
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HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1620.
nels, encamped for the night. The following morning pursuit of the Indian fugitives was renewed with an equal want of success. The English, though greatly impeded by the natural obstacles which presented themselves, and suf- fering severely from want of water, persevered in penetrating the forest, until at length they emerged into a beautiful valley, where, to their delight, they discovered several fine springs of fresh water, and the tracks of deer. After resting and refreshing themselves at this place, they moved southward until they reached the shore, where they made a fire upon the beach, as a signal of their safety to the anxious watchers on board the ship. When this thoughtful duty had been performed, they proceeded on their way, until they came to some small sand-hills covered with mats, and which, from their con- taining decaying weapons of war, they rightly conjectured to be Indian graves. Passing re- verently on, they came to an open field, from which the corn had evidently been gathered not long before. Presently they reached a spot bearing indications that a house had recently stood there. Frail, oblong structures, arching at the top, and covered with mats, formed the usual Indian houses of this period. Here they found a ship's kettle, and a quantity of corn, some shelled, and some remaining on the ear; part of this corn was openly exposed in a round,
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A CHILD BORN.
1620.]
narrow-topped basket, and part was buried in the ground. Of the grain thus fortunately dis- covered they carried away about ten bushels, the remainder they buried. Returning to the valley of springs, they remained there during the night, and the following day rejoined their ship.
The repairs of the shallop being at length completed, an expedition was organized on a somewhat larger scale. Thirty-four persons em- barked on board the small vessel, a portion of whom were to cruise along the shore, while a stronger exploring party moved in a parallel direction inland. They now began to experience all the severities of a most inclement season. The snow fell, the wind blew, and the spray of the sea as it dashed upon them was converted into ice. It was a bitter, and to some a fatal time. Utterly overcome by the piercing cold, the sufferings experienced by a part of the com- pany finally resulted in death. Those who attempted to penetrate inland fared no better. After wandering about and enduring great fatigue for two days, they returned to the vessel. It was while a portion of the company was absent on this painful and unsuccessful ex- ploration, that a child was born on board the Mayflower, the first child of English parents born in New England. He was named Pere- grine White, and lived to see a feeble, half-
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HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1620.
famished settlement become a powerful colony. He died at Marshfield in 1704, at the age of eighty-three years and three months.
On the 6th of December a third party, among whom were Carver, Bradford, Winslow, and Standish, embarked in the shallop, and cruised around the bay in search of a place for settle- ment. The next morning the company was divided as before, and while one detachment proceeded by land the other coasted. But they united toward evening, the shallop being moored to the shore, and the whole party encamping in the vicinity of each other on Great Meadow Creek. About midnight a surprise was attempt- ed by the savages; but it was frustrated by the vigilance of the sentinels. The next morning, shortly after prayers, a succession of yells and a flight of arrows were the first indications which the exploring party received of a return of the Indians, whose presence had created so un- expected an alarm during the night. Although the company was at this time divided, a part of them having returned to the shallop, a few discharges of musketry were sufficient to dis- perse their enemies. Naming the place where they had been assaulted, "The First Encounter," they offered thanks to God for their bloodless victory, and returning on board the shallop, continued their cruise. A biting and pitiless storm arose soon after, by which their rudder
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LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS.
1620.]
was rendered wholly useless, and their mast broken into three pieces. By dint, however, of incessant labour at the oars, they were enabled to escape the dangers by which they were threat- ened; and about evening succeeded in shelter- ing themselves under the lee of a small island, subsequently known as Clark's Island, near the entrance of Plymouth Harbour. Disembarking in the midst of the storm, they succeeded in making a fire. Encamping upon the shore, they passed the night there in safety, though not without experiencing great discomfort.
The next day, being the Sabbath, they de- voted wholly to its sacred purposes. The follow- ing morning, the 11th day of December, old style, but the 22d by the modern calendar, they sounded the harbour, and finding it convenient for shipping, a party disembarked on the main- land. The character of the country, partly woodland and partly cleared of timber, with the abundance of pure water, both from springs and streamlets, seemed to indicate a proper place for a settlement. Returning to acquaint their friends with the welcome tidings, on the 15th of December the Mayflower was brought into' the harbour, and anchored about a mile and a half from the shore.
To the place thus selected for their future. home the pilgrims gave the name of New · Plymouth, in grateful remembrance of the kind-
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HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1621.
ness they had experienced at the last English port from which they had taken their departure. By a singular coincidence, Captain John Smith had previously given, upon his map, the name of Plymouth to the same harbour.
CHAPTER III.
A military company organized-Distribution of the settlers into families-Buildings commenced-Great sickness among the colonists-Fearful loss of life-Death of Carver-Departure of the Mayflower-Appearance and salutation of Samoset- Visit of Massasoit-Squanto the interpreter-The earliest offences against the laws of the colony-The mode of punish- ment-Tardy convalescence of the sick-Embassy to Mas- sasoit-Jealousy of Corbitant, a Narraganset sachem-His seizure of Squanto-His village surprised by Standish- Alarm of the neighbouring Indians-Treaty of amity and dependence-Arrival of colonists-Symbolical message of Canonicus-Bradford's bold retort-Its success-Plymouth fortified-Standish undertakes a voyage to Massachusetts Bay -Is dissuaded from it by Hobbamock-Wily device of Squanto-the expedition broken up-Deceit of Squanto dis- covered-His life demanded by Massasoit-Forbearance of Bradford-Arrival of Weston's colonists-Their reckless and dissipated character-Death of Squanto.
WARNED by the disasters which had attended the early settlement of Virginia, the Plymouth colonists immediately on landing prepared to defend themselves from any attack by the sa- vages. A military company was formed, of which Miles Standish, who had seen service in the Low Countries, was appointed captain. Some small
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DEATH OF CARVER.
1621.]
cannon were taken from the Mayflower, and planted advantageously on shore.
To facilitate the division of land, the pilgrims, one hundred and one in number, were distributed into nineteen families. To each person was assigned a lot of ground for a house, eight feet three inches broad, by forty-nine feet six inches deep. Notwithstanding the difficulties presented by the frozen ground and the inclemency of the season, a busy scene soon presented itself. In the midst of great suffering and many priva- tions, the men, one-half of whom were severely ill, set to work to fell trees and to build their houses. Owing to the stormy character of the weather, it was only at intervals that this could be accomplished; but, at length, two rows of houses were erected on a rising ground, with a storehouse in the midst. In the mean time, death had been busy with many. Exposure to cold and wet produced diseases, which were fatally exaggerated by the want of proper food, and other causes scarcely less injurious. Although the winter had not been one of extraordinary severity, before spring one-half of their number had died, and so feeble were those remaining that there was scarcely strength enough left among the living to bury the dead. The 5th of April, 1621, was rendered memorable by the death of John Carver, their governor, and, by the departure of the Mayflower to England, 1
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HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS. [1621.
after having remained on the coast nearly five months, affording shelter to the weaker colonists, and protection against any attack from the In- dians. William Bradford was chosen to succeed Carver; as governor and the soft airs of the spring slowly restored the shattered health of those patient and uncomplaining spirits that yet remained.
It was regarded as an especial providence by the early historians of New England, that, a short time previous to the arrival of the pilgrims, a malignant disease had swept away or driven off all the Indian tribes that had inhabited the seaboard. Exploring parties found wigwams still standing, the stubble of recent corn-fields still erect, and large numbers of newly-made graves ; but they saw no Indians, except on rare occasions, and those only hovering at a distance.
At length, on the 16th of March, 1621, an Indian, wearing no apparel with the exception of a strip of leather decorated with a deep fringe around his waist, entered boldly into the village; and as the colonists sought to prevent him from approaching their rendezvous, saluted them with, " Welcome, Englishmen !" From him they learned that the original name of the place was Patuxet, and that most of the recent occupants of the soil had been swept away by a malignant pesti- lence. Hailing his presence as a fortunate cir- cumstance, he was treated to the best they had,
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TREATY WITH THE INDIANS.
1621.]
and when night came on, finding him determined to remain, they reluctantly prepared a lodging for him in one of their houses; but, to guard against treachery, kept up until the next morn- ing a vigilant watc This savage, whose name was Samoset, and who had learned a little English from the fishermen frequenting the coast of Maine, after being gratified with various small presents, returned to Massasoit, the chief of the Wampanoags, a tribe whose villages were the nearest of any to Plymouth. Shortly after- ward, Samoset fulfilled his promise of opening a trade in furs with the feeble English colony. Within a week Massasoit himself came to visit the pilgrims ; and, by the aid of Squanto, an Indian who had been kidnapped by Hunt, but after learning the English tongue had succeeded in returning to his native country, a treaty of peace, offensive and defensive, was agreed to, which for more than fifty years was faithfully maintained by both.
From this' auspicious commencement sprang up a fair traffic with the Indians, from which, in after years, the English derived great ad- vantages. Desirous of improving the friendship exhibited toward the `colonists by Massasoit, Captain Standish, accompanied by Isaac Alder- ton, visited the chief in his camp not long after. Their reception was kindly in the extreme; but provisions in the Indian household were so
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HISTORY OF MASSACHUSETTS.
[1621.
scanty, that they could only bestow upon their guests a few ground-nuts and a small quantity of tobacco. Indeed, Massasoit was not ashamed, at this period of scarcity, to accept alms of the Plymouth people, who returned him his kettle filled with peas.
It was about this same time that the first infringement of the regulations adopted by the Pilgrims for their governance took place. The offender was one John Billington, an incorrigible fellow, who had smuggled himself on board the Mayflower when she first set sail from London. Being convicted of "contempt of the captain's command, and opprobrious speeches," he was sentenced to have his neck and heels tied to- gether; but, in consideration of his humbling himself before the people, he was mercifully forgiven. Kindness was, however, thrown away upon such a man, who continued to lounge about the settlement, a confirmed and disreputable vagabond. He had a son equally worthless, and the two together were a constant source of anxiety to the more staid and religious portion of the colonists. A duel with sword and dagger, fought by two servants of Mr. Hopkins, and in which both combatants were wounded, was the next offence that occurred, and was as speedily dealt with. The offenders, in this instance, were ordered to undergo the same kind of punishment which had previously been awarded to Billing-
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CONVALESCENCE OF THE SICK.
1621.]
ton. This punishment was to be continued for the space of twenty-four hours, during which they were to be denied both food and water. It was rigidly carried into effect; but the suffer- ings which the prisoners experienced were so acute, that they were liberated from their painful position after the lapse of an hour.
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