North Latitude.
Hence It Is Plain That As No Opportunity For "Faction" - And So No
Occasion For Any "Association And
Agreement" - existed till the
MAY-FLOWER turned northward, late in the afternoon of Friday,
November to, the Compact was not
Drawn and presented for signature
until the morning of Saturday, November 11. Bradford's language,
"This day, before we came into harbour," leaves no room for doubt
that it was rather hurriedly drafted - and also signed - before noon
of the 11th. That they had time on this winter Saturday - hardly
three weeks from the shortest day in the year - to reach and
encircle the harbor; secure anchorage; get out boats; arm, equip,
and land two companies of men; make a considerable march into the
land; cut firewood; and get all aboard again before dark, indicates
that they must have made the harbor not far from noon. These facts
serve also to correct another error of traditional Pilgrim history,
which has been commonly current, and into which Davis falls
(Ancient Landmarks of Plymouth, p. 60), viz. that the Compact was
signed "in the harbor of Cape Cod." It is noticeable that the
instrument itself simply says, "Cape Cod," not "Cape Cod harbour,"
as later they were wont to say. The leaders clearly did not mean
to get to port till there was a form of law and authority.]
for settlement on territory under the
protection of the patent granted in their
interest to John Pierce, by the London
Virginia Company.
[The patent granted John Pierce, one of the Merchant Adventurers,
by the London Virginia Company in the interest of the Pilgrims,
was signed February 2/12, 1619, and of course could convey no rights
to, or upon, territory not conveyed to the Company by its charter
from the King issued in 1606, and the division of territory made
thereunder to the Second Virginia Company. By this division the
London Company was restricted northward by the 41st parallel, as
noted, while the Second Company could not claim the 38th as its
southern bound, as the charter stipulated that the nearest
settlements under the respective companies should not be within one
hundred miles of each other.]
Meeting in main cabin of all adult male
passengers except their two hired seamen,
Trevore and Ely, and those too ill - to make
and sign a mutual 'Compact"
[The Compact is too well known to require reprinting here (see
Appendix); but a single clause of it calls for comment in this
connection. In it the framers recite that, "Having undertaken to
plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia," etc.
From this phraseology it would appear that they here used the words
"northern parts of Virginia" understandingly, and with a new
relation and significance, from their connection with the words "the
first colony in," for such declaration could have no force or truth
except as to the region north of 41 deg. north latitude. They knew,
of course, of the colonies in Virginia under Gates, Wingfield,
Smith, Raleigh, and others (Hopkins having been with Gates), and
that, though there had been brief attempts at settlements in the
"northern plantations," there were none there then, and that hence
theirs would be in a sense "the first," especially if considered
with reference to the new Council for New England.
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