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Source: page 5 of The Plymouth Colony by Andrew Santella

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The Mayflower Landed in Plymouth in November of 1620

The Mayflower voyage itself was brutal. The ship was cramped, storm-battered, and took much longer than expected.

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The compact was signed by most of the male passengers on the Mayflower ship. William Bradford recounts the event as “a combination made by them before they came ashore; being the first foundation of their government in this place.” (The Mayflower Society)

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Myles standish

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Myles Standish signed the Mayflower Compact on November 11, 1620, while the ship was anchored at Provincetown. By February 1621, he was appointed the colony’s Captain, known for his fearless, sometimes overly aggressive, leadership. Described as small in stature but fiery in temper, he played a key role in both defense and diplomacy.

Standish also served as treasurer and Assistant to the Governor. In 1645, he led 40 men in preparation for war with the Narragansetts, later joining the Council of War in 1646. By 1654, he was named Commander-in-Chief of a 50-man force for an expedition against the Dutch, praised for his loyalty, skill, and leadership. (General Society of the Mayflower)

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So they drafted the Mayflower Compact, an agreement to govern themselves together (Santella 5-9; Paul 138-139). While often celebrated today as an early example of democracy, some historians argue that it was really about keeping order and keeping power in the hands of a few. Mark Sargent, in his essay The Conservative Covenant, points out that “Bradford depicts the Pilgrims’ ‘combination’ as an effort to crush dissent” (Sargent 236), meaning it was more about unity and control than liberty.

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This is a Memorial Bas Relief of the Signing of the Compact on Bradford Street in Provincetown below the Pilgrim Monument - photo by Peter Whitlock (permission for use granted by GNU Free Documentation License)

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Edward Doty/Doten/Dolton

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Edward Doty (or Doten) came to America on the Mayflower as a servant to Stephen Hopkins. Believed to have been born around 1597–1599 in London, he signed the Mayflower Compact in 1620, meaning he was at least 18 at the time. He later received land in the 1623 division and appeared in records as “Edward Dolton.”

Doty was involved in the colony’s first recorded duel on June 18, 1621, fighting fellow servant Edward Leister with a sword and dagger. Both were wounded and punished by being tied head-to-foot for 24 hours, though they were released early after begging for mercy.

Doty married twice, first around 1630 (his first wife likely died in the 1633 sickness), and then to Faith Clarke in 1635. He died in Plymouth on August 23, 1655; Faith was buried in Marshfield in 1675. (General society of the Mayflower)

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When they finally reached Cape Cod in 1620, they were far north of their planned destination and had no legal right to settle there.

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Source: Page 20 The Plymouth Colony by Andrew Santella

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Signatures on the Mayflower compact

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Source: Page 17 of Thy Plymouth Colony by Andrew Santella

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The people who founded Plymouth weren’t your typical colonists; they were religious outcasts known as Separatists. They believed the Church of England hadn’t reformed enough and wanted to worship freely without government control. That stance put them in direct conflict with King James I, who was not only king but also head of the church.

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Source: Page 7 of the Plymouth Colony by Andrew Santella

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King James I

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Work Cited:

Bradford, William. “Of Plimoth Plantation : Manuscript, 1630-1650.” State Library of Massachusetts, http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/208249.

Deetz, j.; deetz, p. E. S. The times of their lives : life, love, and death in Plymouth Colony. James Deetz and Patricia Scott Deetz. [s. l.]: W.H. Freeman, 2000.

General Society of Mayflower Descendants. “History.” General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 18 Sept. 2024, http://www.themayflowersociety.org/history/.

Paul, Heike. “Pilgrims and Puritans and the Myth of the Promised Land.” The Myths That Made America: An Introduction to American Studies, transcript Verlag, 2014, pp. 137–96. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1wxsdq.7.

Sargent, Mark L. “The Conservative Covenant: The Rise of the Mayflower Compact in American Myth.” The New England Quarterly, vol. 61, no. 2, 1988, pp. 233–51. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/366234.

Santella, Andrew. The Plymouth Colony. Compass Point Books, 2001.

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Source: Page 27 of The Plymouth Colony by Andrew Santella

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The settlers eventually chose a spot to build their colony on land that had once been the Wampanoag village of Patuxet, abandoned after a deadly epidemic years before.

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Source: Page 29 of the Plymouth Colony by Andrew Santella

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Even so, the first winter was devastating. Almost half of the colonists died from cold, hunger, and disease (Santella 6; General Society). They even buried their dead at night so local Native tribes wouldn’t see how vulnerable they were (Deetz and Deetz 64-65). But those struggles created a strong sense of community among the survivors.

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Source: Page 32 of the Plymouth Colony by Andrew Santella

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One of the most famous events from early Plymouth is the alliance with the Wampanoag, led by sachem Massasoit. This alliance, made possible with help from Squanto, a Patuxet man who spoke English, was beneficial to both sides.

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The Native Americans and The First Thanksgiving

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The Native Americans and The First Thanksgiving

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Source: Page 33 of the Plymouth Colony by Andrew Santella

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The Pilgrims needed food and farming advice; the Wampanoag needed allies after waves of disease and growing tribal conflicts (Santella 32-31; Paul 147).

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Source: Page 35 of the Plymouth Colony by Andrew Santella

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Source: Page 36 of the Plymouth Colony by Andrew Santella

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The harvest feast in 1621, later known as the “First Thanksgiving,” happened during this short-lived peace. Edward Winslow briefly mentioned the gathering in a letter describing fowl, deer, and several days of feasting (Deetz and Deetz 178).