The Mayflower Compact

243
1
2
0
2
10
261shares

November 11, 1620

Mayflower Compact was signed

The Mayflower Compact was the first document of what would evolve into the republic of the United States. It should never be assumed, however, that the Pilgrim Fathers intended to break with the Old World. Rather, the Mayflower Compact demonstrates commitment to what the Pilgrims had known and believed. This fact has been aptly captured by C. P. Breckinridge in his 1889 oration at Plymouth. He noted that the Mayflower Compact was ". . . not a constitution, nor yet a charter; nor yet in a true sense a social compact," but rather "...the complete demonstration that they were planting the seeds of the old truths, not attempting to make some new and unknown harvest from untried seed." As is evident from the reading of the Mayflower Compact below, the "old truths" which the Pilgrim Fathers brought with them to the New World was the Christian faith!

Mayflower Compact

Mayflower Compact

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; 1620.

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[1]

Conclusion

One Nation Under God

Throughout the twentieth century, anti-American groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) – which was initiated under the influence of communism – have suppressed and denied America's true Christian origin. Children and youth have been subjected to redacted forms of historical sources which have been edited to remove their Christian origin. In fact, the charters of all Thirteen American Colonies were based upon the Bible and Christian principles, while eight of the Thirteen Colonies had state churches. However, America's courts began to deny the nation's Christian origin during the mid-twentieth century. America's Founding Fathers understood it would require great commitment and resolve if they were to bequeath a heritage of Christian freedom to succeeding generations, and that responsibility is no less great for the present generation.

Celebrating Our Christian Heritage!

We are a user supported non-profit organization. Your small gift is tax-deductible and will go a long way to help us meet our operating budget — and it is vital, because
America deserves to know its true heritage.
Please contribute today!

Click to donate

The Origin and Principles of the American Revolution Compared

From the end of the nineteenth century to the opening of the twenty-first century, America’s true Christian heritage has been under attack. Tragically, some Christians have mistakenly joined the effort to attack America’s Christian origin by attacking the spirituality of the Founding Fathers.American Revolution Compared For decades, secularists and the irreligious have erroneously insisted that the Founding Fathers were anti-Christian Deists, but nothing can be further from reality. The overwhelming majority of America’s Founding Fathers werRead more...

Sabine Baring-Gould: "Onward Christian Soldiers"

One of the most prodigious examples of Christian ministry is found in the legacy of the Anglican priest who gave the world the much-loved song, "Onward Christian Soldiers." Generations of Christian children were raised singing the verses of this song with wide-eye enthusiasm and even more gusto as they sang its refrain. The life and ministry of this song's author is a legacy of both articulated Christian principles and ardent Christian practice. For this reason, believers of every generation will be greatly edified with even a brief understanRead more...

The Bell-ringer—William and Mary's President of Hope

The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia was founded in 1693, by Anglican priest, James Blair (1656 — April 18, 1743; The Christian Origin of William and Mary). Established under a charter granted by King William III and Queen Mary II of England, it is the second oldest institution of higher education in the United States, preceded only by Harvard University. As a school for the training of Anglican clergy, it was supported by the British crown from its establishment until 1776. In 1906, it became state-supported, and in 191Read more...

America's Founding Fathers and Camp Meeting

Early in the twenty-first-century, Islam has distinguished itself as the fastest growing religion in America.[1] As it has done throughout its history, Islam has wedded religion with permission to gratify the basest human passions of the human heart. Armed with the erroneous belief that death in battle is the surest means of securing eternal sensual pleasure, Muslims race into battle and eagerly perform the most life-threatening acts. Such heroic efforts appeal to the naive and uninformed, and for this reason, their numbers are quickly multiplRead more...

House Speaker Robert Winthrop Defends the Bible

Robert Charles Winthrop was an American lawyer, politician, and philanthropist who at one point in his political career rose to the office of Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Like most who lived during the Founding Era of the United States, Winthrop was concerned about the moral character of America's development. As was characteristic of many Founding Fathers, Winthrop involved himself in the advancement of Christianity in America—particularly through his political influence, oratory, literary endeavors, and the distributRead more...

Article Notes and Sources

[1]The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws of the State, Territories, and Colonies Now or Heretofore Forming the United States of America, ed. Francis Newton Thorpe, 7 vols. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1909), 3:1841.