--- title: The Mayflower Compact description: When one is associated with the Mayflower Society and other Pilgrim groups, it is almost inevitable that eventually one will be called upon to read the Mayflower Compact in public, and it was my duty image: https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Signing-the-Mayflower-compact-cropped-300x172-1.jpg --- # [Vita Brevis A resource for family history from AmericanAncestors.org](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # The Mayflower Compact [November 26, 2014](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2014/11/mayflower-compact) [News](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/news), [Early New England Families Study Project](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/early-new-england-families-study-project), [Spotlight](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/spotlight), [Great Migration Study Project](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/tag/great-migration-study-project) [Alicia Crane Williams](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/author/acwilliams) [![Signing the Mayflower compact cropped](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Signing-the-Mayflower-compact-cropped-300x172-1.jpg?width=300&height=172&name=Signing-the-Mayflower-compact-cropped-300x172-1.jpg)](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Signing-the-Mayflower-compact-cropped-1.jpg)When one is associated with the Mayflower Society and other Pilgrim groups, it is almost inevitable that eventually one will be called upon to read the Mayflower Compact in public, and it was my duty to do so at the annual meeting of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts this year. The Mayflower Compact was written 394 years ago by a group of “forefathers” who found themselves sitting in a cold, wet ship in November in Cape Cod Bay. (They had thought they were going to land somewhere near the Hudson River, in what they called “Northern Virginia.”) It probably wasn’t much warmer on the Hudson, but the bigger problem was that they had landed outside the bounds of their grant from King James. Anarchy was a possibility as the *Mayflower* passengers began to argue about who had authority over whom. Being pragmatic Englishmen, however, they sat down and drew up a very simple contract stating that their mutual purpose was to plant a colony in the name of King James and that they all agreed to make and abide by their own rules as a community. It was signed by 41 adult males. That contract has become known as the Mayflower Compact and is a symbol today not only of the Pilgrim settlement of New England, but of the rule of law in America. But reading it out loud is akin to singing the *Star-Spangled Banner* without music.  It just wasn’t written as oratory. **IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN**. *We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King* James, *Great by the Grace of God, of  *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*. I’ve often wondered whether, if they had let the Pilgrim “foremothers” clean it up before publication, would it have read better? ### Share this: - [mailto:?body=https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2014/11/mayflower-compact](mailto:?body=https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2014/11/mayflower-compact) - - - More - - ![Alicia Crane Williams](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/hubfs/Williams_Alicia.jpg) ## About Alicia Crane Williams Alicia Crane Williams, FASG, Lead Genealogist of Early Families of New England Study Project, has compiled and edited numerous important genealogical publications including The Mayflower Descendant and the Alden Family “Silver Book” Five Generations project of the Mayflower Society. Most recently, she is the author of the 2017 edition of The Babson Genealogy, 1606-2017, Descendants of Thomas and Isabel Babson who first arrived in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1637. Alicia has served as Historian of the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants, Assistant Historian General at the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, and as Genealogist of the Alden Kindred of America. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s degree in History from Northeastern University.[View all posts by Alicia Crane Williams →](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/author/acwilliams) [← Thanksgiving, a history we all share](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2014/11/thanksgiving-history-we-share) [A lost relative in San Francisco →](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2014/11/lost-relative-san-francisco) This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. ### Recent Posts [Sailor Bill and His Forgotten Wife](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/sailor-bill-and-his-forgotten-wife) [Professor X](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/professor-x) [Part I: Malaga Island, Maine](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/part-i-malaga-island-maine) [The Norwegian folge](https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/the-norwegian-folge) [Research…in a Miniskirt? 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