Among the wrong impressions and mistaken ideas which have been conveyed
by writers and speakers during the last two hundred and fifty years, and
even down to the present day, there are, perhaps, none more prominent
and important than those relating to, and connected with, that most
interesting body of people and most important event in our history—the
Pilgrims and their coming to America. In no instance that is now called
to mind, of the settling of a country or planting of a colony, have
the motives and purposes of the colonists been so misrepresented and
falsified, and so much fiction made to hang about their acts, as in the
case of the Pilgrims. It is proposed in the present article to deal with
two main ideas—who were the Pilgrims, and what were their objects or
motives in coming to this country.
With regard to the first idea there seems to be great and unpardonable
ignorance and confusion, for they were not Puritans nor Persecutors,
as the latter became both in England and early in America, but were
Separatists. Much has been done by Mr. Benjamin Scott, Chamberlain
of the City of London, towards setting this matter right and putting
it in proper shape before the public, and, he in turn, obtained much
information through the studies and investigations of Dr. Waddington.
The latter says: “The ignorance still existing on this subject is
almost incredible. We find men of education who seem to have no exact
information respecting the Pilgrim Fathers. Quarterly reviewers, members
of Parliament, Christian divines and ecclesiastical historians speak of
them with the same complacent disregard of facts.” The church presumed
to dictate as to what kind of christians the Puritans should be, and the
form and manner of worship they should adopt and be governed by. To these
requirements there was a partial submission.
The Pilgrims separated from them because of this church imposition,
and so became “Separatists.” Parliament declared, in Mary’s reign, the
Pope to be the spiritual head of the church in England. When Elizabeth
ascended to the throne 1558, she was confronted with this state of
affairs respecting these matters, and issued a proclamation forbidding
any change in the forms of religion, until they should be determined
according to law. Thus it happened that there was no freedom to worship
according to conscience for either Roman Catholics or Protestants.
Elizabeth was opposed to Popery, but she was just as vindictive toward
Protestants who did not shape their religious course and belief in
accordance with her standard and the law of the State.
This Act of Supremacy, which she caused to be passed soon after she came
into power, was not long after followed by the Act of Uniformity, which
required everybody to worship, not only as the State directed, but also
in the parish churches. Two years later came the crowning act in the
adoption of the Articles of Religion; and the Church of England was
established by the highest authority of the realm, and then commenced
separations and persecutions. There were a few people, a small band,
who found some errors yet left in the wake of the Reformation against
which they protested. They also objected to any human power assuming
that headship which they claimed belonged alone to Christ, and also
asked the privilege of worshiping according to the simplicity of form
and practice of the primitive Christians. Minor questions, such as
baptism and the like, which have since given rise to divisions and
sects, were not considered, and this little band of people, together
with the Roman Catholics, were the only persons throughout England who
objected to the church as the law had established it. Accordingly they
formed themselves into distinct bodies, or associations, or churches,
chose their own teachers and determined their own affairs. They claimed
that the church was a spiritual association and should, therefore, be
separated from the world, and was amenable only to the laws of Christ
as given in the New Testament. Hence the name “Separatists.” They were
simple in their manners and conduct and morals, and all these things
rendered them unpopular and drew upon them the ill-will and enmity of the
church, which found plenty of reason and many excuses and opportunities
for persecuting them. There arose at this period another party, some of
whom were English reformers, who had been driven from the country and
had returned on the ascension of Elizabeth, but were disappointed to find
that religious matters and laws had been settled and established.
Many of them however, accepted the change, including Royal Supremacy,
Uniformity of Worship and Articles of Religion. They were nevertheless
much dissatisfied, but hoped to effect still further changes and
reformations. But in this they failed. This as will be seen, was a
party within a party, a church within a church, or a party within the
“establishment,” and they were the “Puritans.” In other words, the
Protestants may be said to have been divided into three classes. The High
Ritualists, Puritans and Separatists. High Ritualists claimed divine
authority for the form of government, and the ceremonial of the Church
of England. The king, they claimed, was the head of the church, as well
as supreme in all civil matters and had power and authority over persons
and property. The Puritans, on the contrary, believed none of these
doctrines, although they were as devoted to the Church of England as was
the other party, the High Ritualists, and the reforms they desired, they
sought to make from within the church. Separation they regarded as the
rankest kind of an offense, a terrible sin. To draw a comparison, or to
make an illustration—the Puritans were Episcopalians—the low-church wing
of that period. In another sense there was a difference or distinction
between Puritans and Pilgrims: The Puritans had among their number, as
influential persons, many of the nobility, men of business, capitalists
and educated, fashionable and accomplished people. Indeed, during the
entire reign of James I, they formed a majority in the House of Commons,
and no person not a communicant of the Church of England could then sit
in that body.
From this body of Puritan Episcopalians sprang that company who landed
at Salem and settled at Boston in 1630, not the Pilgrims who settled at
Plymouth in 1620. The latter, the “Separatists,” renounced the Church
of England, and separated from it. They were likewise socially from the
humbler walks of life. Some of their number, it is true, were persons of
education, culture and refinement, but as has been said, the great bulk
were from among the common people, without means, power or influence.
Indeed, they sustained about the same relation to other classes and
denominations that the Methodists, in their beginning, did to other
religious denominations. In short, they were persecuted by the Church of
England by the Puritans and by the Roman Catholics.
The Separatists, one and all, suffered every indignity, privation and
want, while many, among them Barrow, Greenwood, Dennis and Penry, were
hung. Others still were thrown into prison, and died from neglect, hunger
and cold. Others were permitted to leave the country, but were informed
that if they returned, their lives would be the forfeit. Later on, this
was even denied them, and their departure from the country was forbidden.
For these reasons, the Separatist congregations fled secretly to Holland,
and even in Holland the Dutch shunned them, for they were afraid of
offending King James, whose good will and help they wanted. These
“Separatists,” or Pilgrims, therefore gradually disappeared from English
soil, and from the English mind, and in 1607, there remained in the
kingdom only one organized congregation of this kind, which was within
the limits of the little town of Scrooby. Here their pastors were Richard
Clifton and John Robinson, the latter a somewhat rash and inconsiderate
young man, but they depended chiefly for material aid and favors, as well
as sympathy and encouragement, on William Brewster, afterwards their
“venerated elder.” He was postmaster, and his duties included the charge
of public travel, which necessitated a house of large dimensions, and in
this building he permitted the “Separatists” to worship weekly, lodging
and entertaining them. About this time there appeared another person,
a mere lad, who became interested in, and identified himself with, the
Pilgrims, and who subsequently occupied a useful and prominent position
in their history.
This was William Bradford, who came from a very respectable family in
a neighboring village. They were not long, however, to remain here in
peace and unmolested quiet. Their retreat was sought out and persecutions
anew visited upon them, and there remained only two alternatives, the one
to yield a hypocritical conformity and submission, or to become exiles
from their native land, from “the graves in which their fathers slept.”
They accordingly gathered themselves together, and under the leadership
of the youthful and brave Bradford, fled to Amsterdam—Brewster, Robinson
and Clifton remaining behind, like the marshal of Napoleon’s grand army,
to guard the rear, when, having seen all safely on their journey and
beyond the reach of the “King’s hirelings,” they followed on and soon
joined those who had gone before. They were disappointed however, and
failed to find peace and quiet and rest, for at Amsterdam there were
two societies or congregations of English worshipers who had fled their
country, but they were in continual dissensions with each other, and
rendered the situation of the little band of “Separatists,” uncomfortable
and unpleasant. There remained therefore, nothing for the latter to do
but to “move on,” which they did, forty miles distant to the “goodly and
pleasant city” of Leyden. Here at last they found peace and quiet and
freedom of worship, but were not without perplexities and disadvantages.
They had to depend upon manual labor for subsistence, which employment
they sought from the Dutch, of whose language they understood not a
word. In their own land they had been chiefly agriculturists, but many of
them now became manufacturers and mechanics of various kinds. Thus were
they, by the force of circumstances, fortunate in learning trades which
were useful to the community in after years in their home beyond the
sea. Bradford engaged in the silk dyeing business and Brewster set up a
printing office. It could not be expected that this condition of affairs,
even, although a great improvement, would long satisfy the spiritual
and intellectual longings and demands of such men as the Pilgrims.
Their life, on the whole, was far from satisfactory. True their numbers
had more than doubled, grown from one to over two hundred, yet their
lot here seemed to have been cast in a hard place. Their children were
losing English habits, character and language. Sunday, as was generally
the case in European countries, was a day of recreation and was given
up to merry-making and the playing of games. Influences, associations
and examples were unfortunate, and all these things caused serious
apprehensions in the minds of the Pilgrims. The old adage, too, that “a
rolling stone gathers no moss,” was strikingly illustrated in their case.
Years and life were passing rapidly away.
They had, many of them, become physically weakened from the hardships
they had endured and were nearing old age, Brewster being sixty at the
time of the landing, and they had the very natural feeling and desire to
“lay up something for a rainy day.” After much thoughtful and prayerful
consideration, in view of all these facts and circumstances, they decided
to emigrate to America.
At this period in their lives, from their wanderings, misfortunes and
persecutions, nearly every member of the Separatist-Pilgrim Company had
become reduced to the direst straits. Indeed, this had been the common
lot and experience of a large majority of them from their youth up, and
when it was determined to seek homes in the new world, they were without
means to secure their passage.
To obtain this, they made the best terms and conditions that they could
with the London merchants.
The conditions were hard, but they were in the power of the merchants and
there was no alternative. Concerning this Mr. Cushman who, acted as agent
in the matter, says: “Although they (the proposals) were very afflictive
to the minds of such as were concerned in the voyage, and hard enough for
the poor people that were to adventure their persons as well as their
estates,” they had to be accepted. Had they not done so, Mr. Cushman
adds, “the whole design would have fallen to the ground.”
At the end of the seven years all the original and acquired assets of
the colony, were to be equally divided between the merchants and the
Pilgrims. So practically, it cost the Pilgrims seven years of severe
labor to get from England to America. Nor was this all. There had
been disaffection among the merchants and some had withdrawn from the
co-partnership, leaving an accumulation of indebtedness. Those remaining
friendly to the Pilgrims, wrote the latter: “As there has been a faction
among us more than two years, so now there is an utter breach and
sequestration. The company’s debts are no less than 1400 pounds, and we
hope you will do your best to free them. We are still persuaded that you
are the people that must make a plantation in those remote places where
all others fail. We have sent some cattle, clothes, hoes, shoes, leather
etc., for Allerton and Winslow to sell as our factors.”
And these goods the Pilgrims were to purchase at an advance of seventy
per cent. Thus matters went from bad to worse, until the Pilgrims, seeing
no way of “making out” of the difficulty became convinced that the best
thing they could do was to break up the co-partnership and wind up its
affairs. With this in view, they sent Miles Standish to London to “oblige
them to come to a composition.” He took up 150 pounds of the indebtedness
at the rate of fifty per cent.
Matters were in bad shape in England for the colonists, and among
disheartening things, Standish found that both Robinson and Cushman
had died. Finally, late in 1626, Mr. Allerton went over and through
influence brought to bear on the merchants, the latter agreed to sell
out to the colonists for 1,800 pounds, in payments of 200 pounds a year,
beginning with the year 1628. Here were nine years more of hard labor
before they could hope to be clear of the indebtedness incurred for their
passage money with living expenses added. An arrangement was at last
affected by some of the leading men of the colony with a few staunch
friends in London to take the trade of the colony for six years, pay off
the debts and send the remainder of the Leyden church over. The six years
would end in 1632, a period of twelve years from the time of landing. It
was also the length of time spent by the Separatists in Holland after
they left England. What a history! Almost a generation in time, and
crowded full of trials, hardships, discouragements, sickness and death.
The Pilgrims doubtless were a kind, tender hearted and sympathetic
people naturally, and their surroundings and experiences in life would
tend to render more marked these characteristics. They as clearly were a
christian people and deeply religious, and it could hardly be expected
that the Reformation of the sixteenth century, setting men’s minds
and thoughts religiously free, would result in aught else than great
diversity of opinion, and that beliefs and doctrines would be sharply
outlined and stoutly maintained; Luther died but a few years before
Brewster was born, and Melanchthon, his coadjutor and ally, lived for
several years after. Bradford and Robinson were born before religious
feeling and ardor had become cooled. It is not, therefore, a matter of
surprise, when we find Robinson taking a hand in the discussions of the
day. This suited his nature; he seemed to be in his “element,” for he
was yet young, only 32, when the “Separatists,” went from Scrooby into
Holland.
Lest it be thought that the opinion we have expressed concerning Robinson
was incorrect and unjust, the language is here given of an eminent,
English writer and speaker: “It was with the Calvinists that Robinson
took part, entering into the subject with all the learning of which he
was master and all the ardor of a man of his temperament, and still not
40 years old. It is to be regretted that, like all the other polemics
of his day, his zeal betrayed him into intemperate warmth, and the
adoption of harsh, acrimonious and uncharitable expressions. It must be
remembered that the most vehement, violent and vituperative language used
by the most ultra bigot of our times is as mild as milk, compared with
the controversial tone of the theological disputants of the seventeenth
century.” Bradford also says of Robinson that “he was a man of quick and
sharp wit, an acute and expert disputant, very quick and ready;” and
Winslow adds: “’Tis true, I confess, he was more rigid in his course and
way at first than towards his latter end,” when the “fiery vehemence of
youth” had given place to the cooler judgment and conservatism of riper
years. But Robinson did not come to America with the Pilgrims, nor at
all, for he died at the age of 49, in 1625.
He had expected to come, but a majority of the flock at Leyden decided to
remain at that place instead of emigrating, and he concluded to remain
also.
Leaving Robinson out, who had been obliged in early manhood, to resort to
daily labor for a living, it is very doubtful if the desire for freedom
in religious worship was the main motive for their emigrating.
Bradford was thirteen years younger than Robinson, and but a mere boy
when the church at Scrooby was formed, and only nineteen at the removal
to Leyden. He was a noble youth (and a nobler man) and was easily
influenced and led by Brewster and Robinson. The whole company went to
Leyden expecting probably to spend their lives there, and engaged in
various business callings and occupations. On coming of age, Bradford
inherited some money. This he sank in unfortunate business operations.
Brewster had been postmaster at Scrooby from 1594 to 1607, when he
resigned, presumably because his sympathy with the “Separatists” was
obnoxious to the government, which, in all probability, would have
removed him had not he himself deprived it of that pleasure, by vacating
office, following which action he immediately went to Holland.
It will be borne in mind that the Pilgrims, as a congregation or
church, were not the first Separatist body or organization, for one
John Smith had organized a company of these people as early as 1602, at
Gainsborough, numbering some three or four hundred, and in 1604 went with
them to Amsterdam. This was undoubtedly one reason for the Pilgrims going
to that place under Brewster and Bradford, instead of going to any other
place. It is believed that Robinson had little or no connection with our
Pilgrims until after Brewster left the post-office, and they were about
to leave Scrooby. On the way to Amsterdam, and later, on the way to and
at Leyden, accessions were made to the company, so that before the final
emigration their numbers had reached between two and three hundred. These
latter additions were from the common or laboring class, who, in all
probability, joined in the wake of the movement, thinking to better their
worldly condition.
On this point another English writer has said: “The vicinity of Scrooby
was an agricultural district, having a few villages scattered about, each
with its church and perhaps an esquire’s seat, but the population was
for the most part employed in husbandry, an occupation little congenial
to the growth of extreme opinions in either religion or politics or of
voluntary sacrifices to a severe estimate of duty, or a supposed call of
conscience.” The same writer, speaking of those who were even prominently
identified with the movement, says: “Neither Bradford nor Brewster, nor
the divines who were concerned in the movement, were of the eminent of
the earth, about whom there is curiosity widely extended through the
country which gave them birth, and concerning whom nothing is thought
unimportant. It may even be said that they were but inconsiderable
persons at home, and their consequence has undoubtedly arisen out of
the grand results which, unforeseen by themselves, have ensued on their
great resolve. So that there is scarcely anything to be told of their
early history besides those very small facts which make the history of
men who are of but small account in the midst of a large and advanced
population.” It has also been said that the Pilgrims, as we speak of
them, would scarcely have been heard of had it not been first for
Robinson and Brewster and Bradford, and there can be no doubt that the
great majority of them came to this country that they might find homes
and advance their worldly circumstances.
An American of high historical standing and learning has said: “Here
lay a new world for the most part unoccupied, inviting colonization,
and it was as natural for men to come and settle here as to embark
in any other enterprise in life. The only wonder is that the work of
colonization was not begun earlier and pursued by thousands rather than
by hundreds.” This colonizing, this settling and developing a country,
the desire to own the roof under which one sleeps “raise the personal
importance and dignity of the subject or citizens,” and “it can never
be too well understood that the generations of men sow and plant for
their successors.” It seems to have been an entire and pushing necessity
that these people should get away from Holland in order to secure a
comfortable living and to make any provision for their posterity.
Bradford says: “The country (Holland) was hard and many were discouraged.
Grim and grizzled poverty was coming on them as an armed man, old age
was coming upon them and no amelioration of their condition came with
it.” That they should come to America, and for the reasons given, seems
quite reasonable and natural when it is remembered that Captain Smith
and others, returning to England, had expressed the opinion that the
fisheries on the New England coast might be made profitable. And we know
that this was one of the first industries engaged in by the Pilgrims.
Smith states that in 1616 four ships of London and two of Plymouth and
Sir Richard Hawkins were again in the fishing waters in the vicinity of
Massachusetts and Maine.
Early in 1620, also, six or seven sailing vessels set out for the western
country for the same purpose and visited the country about the harbor
where the Pilgrims landed in December following.
That there was a Providence in their coming here is altogether probable.
That the same Providence reached out and extended its ruling and
benignant hand on the journey and after the arrival is certain.
“There is no doubt, a great over-ruling power in all human affairs,
but our concern (the emigration) is with second causes, and it is to
be believed that we often deceive ourselves when we attempt to recover
general principles from which things remarkable in the acts of men have
sprung.” “And if we conclude that these people had mistaken the path or
duty, or had imposed upon themselves a severer burthen than God ever
intended for them, there it still a heroism in their conduct which
forbids us to regard them with indifference, nay rather, which will call
forth the sympathy of every generous mind.”
There has been neither design nor desire, in what has been said, to
reflect on the character of the Pilgrims, or to detract from the high
fame and renown to which they are justly entitled. No one has more
appreciation of their virtues or greater veneration for their memories
than the writer. A train of thought only has been followed which led in
a channel that seems to be altogether reasonable and intelligent. When a
genealogist thought to please Napoleon by telling him that his descent
could be traced from some ancient line of Gothic princes, he replied
that he dated his patent of nobility from the battle of Monte Notte (his
first victory.) The Pilgrims inherited their patent of nobility and
derived their claim to immortality by the excellence of their example and
the beauty and usefulness of their lives.