History of English, SS 2009
Text 6.2: The Mayflower Compact
Text 6.7: Legal text passed by the General Court
presented by Sarah Zumdick Table of contents
• The Mayflower Compact – Historical background • What context was is written in by whom and when? • How was it transmitted to us? – What is striking about the names of those who signed it? • Legal text – The use of the
• A written agreement (November of 1620) • First governing document of Plymouth Colony • Settlers crossed the Atlantic aboard the Mayflower • Seeking for freedom to practice Christianity according to own determination Signing the Mayflower Compact by Edward Percy Moran The Mayflower Compact • Original document was lost • Transcriptions are in agreement and accepted as accurate • Bradford’s hand written manuscript is kept in a special vault at the State Library of Massachusetts • One of the first lists of the signers was provided by William Bradford’s nephew • Names are published in his 1669 New England’s Memorial • 41 of the 102 passengers signed Signers of the Mayflower Compact 1. John Carver 18. Richard Bitteridge 35. Thomas Rogers 2. William Bradford 19. George Soule 36. Thomas Tinker 3. Edward Winslow 20. Edward Tilly 37. John Ridgate 4. William Brewster 21. John Craxton 38. Edward Fuller 5. Isaac Allerton 22. John Billington 39. Richard Clark 6. Miles Standish 23. Joses Fletcher 40. Richard Gardiner 7. John Alden 24. John Goodman 41. John Allerton 8. John Turner 25. Samuel Fuller 9. Francis Eaton 26. Christopher Martin 10. James Chilton 27. William Mullins 11. Stephen Hopkins 28. William White 12. Digery Priest 29. Richard Warren 13. John Howland 30. Thomas English 14. Thomas Williams 31. Edward Doten 15. Gilbert Winslow 32. Edward Liester 16. Edmund Margesson 33. John Tilly 17. Peter Brown 34. Francis Cooke The Mayflower Compact
• Same list in same order was provided by Thomas Prince • Some corrections were made – Addition of title Mr. to ten names – Addition of Capt. to Standish – Correction of spelling of five names (John Crackston, Moses Fletcher, Degory Priest, Richard Briterige, Ed Dotey) – Spelling of Francis Cook and Richard Clarke Text 6.2 The Mayflower Compact
Linguistic (pragmatic) point: What is striking about the names of those who signed the Mayflower Compact? Two social criteria seem to be of importance. What are they and why is this?
1. Only men signed the Compact. This may be credited to the prevailing practice of male legal dominance. When a women married, she became completely subject to her husband ("22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." (Ephesians 5:22-24; see also Titus 2:4-5) Furthermore, Eve's corruption was seen as a justification for their hierarchically inferior position. A single women was subject to her father; a widow was independent and could own property and even vote. Text 6.2 The Mayflower Compact
2. Some men had the title Mr., but not all of them did. "Puritans refer to one another as 'Brother' and 'Sister'. They may also address one another as 'Good Puritan', if they do not know the name of the other person. Arch-Bishops and Bishops are referred to as 'Your Grace', whereas lower members of the clerical orders are referred to as 'Sir Priest'. Deacons, Sextons and so on are referred to as 'Master' or, if of obviously lower economic status, 'Goodman'. 'Goodwife' (or 'Goody') is the Puritan form of address for any woman, even including those accused of witchcraft.“
(http://www.clockworksky.net/puritan_world/ah_pw_world_nc.html) The Legal Text
• The letter But notice that the use of • The “unknowne tongue” – Latin – Phrase used by the Bible – the word "tongue" simply refers to a language • the language spoken is unknown to the audience often with a vowel added: – yt --> that, – ym --> them