SUGGESTIONS FOR WRITTEN WORK.

Powhatan tells a friendly chief about Pocahontas's saving John Smith's life.

John Smith's reply to the letter from the Company mentioned.

One of the colonists describes the punishment given to a profane person.

VI

PLYMOUTH, THE FIRST COLONY IN NEW
ENGLAND

IN 1620 the first settlement in New England was made at First settle- Plymouth in Massachusetts. The Virginia colonists came to ment in New America to make their fortunes; the Massachusetts colonists England came that they might be free to worship God in the way that they believed would be most pleasing to him.

THE PILGRIM DRESS

In those times most people thought that every person in a country ought to belong to the same church as the king, and to pay taxes for the support of that church. King James belonged to the Episcopal Church, or Church of England, and he declared that he would make all his subjects attend it. Those who were not Episcopalians were fined and imprisoned without mercy. Among them were the Puritans and the Separatists. "Puritans " was a nickname that was given to those who said that they wished to make the church purer. The name "Separatists" was given to those who wished to leave the church, and these were the people whom we call the Pilgrim Fathers.

knew that

go to Holland

The king forbade them even to hold meetings at one another's The Pilgrims houses, and whenever one of his officers found them doing this, they were either fined or imprisoned. They in Holland men were free to attend whatever church they chose, and they determined to go to Holland to live. King James had said that he would "harry out of the land" all who would not attend his church, but when the Separatists were ready to go, his officers found out their plan and arrested the whole company. They made a second attempt, and a second time the king's men discovered the plan. At last they succeeded in making their way to Holland. They were in a strange land with a people whose customs and language were new, but they were free. For a while they were happy, but as their children grew older, the parents found that in spite of all that could be done, the young folks were learning the ways of the children around them and were talking in their language.

WINDMILL IN HOLLAND

They had left their homes for the sake of religious freedom, but they still longed to live under English rule. They talked They decide to go to about Guiana, but decided that it would be too warm. In VirAmerica ginia the Episcopal Church was in power. John Smith had explored the coast of New England and had given it its name, but he had reported that it was exceedingly cold. They concluded that the best place was somewhere between the Potomac and Long Island. The London Company would gladly allow them to settle on their land, but the king's permission must be gained.

When they asked King James for a charter, or written agree

1

The Mayflower sets sail

ment that they might settle in America, he said no, he would give no charter, but they might go if they chose, and so long as they behaved themselves no one should disturb them.

To England they went, and then set sail for America in two vessels, the Speedwell and the Mayflower. The Speedwell sprang a leak; and it is possible that the captain's report made the injury greater than it was, for he had agreed not only to carry the Pilgrims to America, but to remain there with them for a year, and he was sorry for his bargain. Over one hundred passengers The voyage crowded into the Mayflower. Nine weeks they were on the ocean. There was an accident. Severe storms drove them out of their course, and forced them to take refuge in Massachusetts Bay instead of going farther south as they had planned. The land about the bay belonged to the Plymouth Company, but the Pilgrims knew that the Company would be only too glad to have

a settlement made on their territory, so they decided to stay

where they were.

Before they landed, they met in the cabin of the Mayflower and

wrote a paper promising to obey whatever laws should be made. In search of After the paper had been signed, a party went ashore to explore a home the country and find a suitable place for their home. It was November. The shores were barren, " of a wild and savage hue," wrote one of the Pilgrims. No place fit for a settlement was found. For many days they explored the coast. The captain and the sailors grew more and more impatient. Choose your place soon," said the captain," for I shall keep enough food to carry my men to England." The sailors muttered, "We'll put your goods on shore and leave you."

66

Another party went out to explore. John Carver, the first governor, William Bradford, the second, and the fiery little soldier, Miles Standish, were of this party. Such troubles as they had! It was so cold that the spray froze to their clothes. A heavy storm began to rage, the rudder broke, and the mast snapped into three pieces. At last they reached land, but what land it was they knew not, for night had come upon them. They contrived to kindle a fire in the driving rain, and waited for the morning. When morning came, the sun shone bright and clear. They were on Clark's Island, and there they kept their Sunday with prayer and singing, for great as was their need, they would do no exploring on the Lord's Day.

Monday morning they sailed to the mainland, and went ashore at a place that John Smith had named Plymouth, and that they Plymouth now agreed to call Plymouth in remembrance of the English town from which they had sailed. This was the best place that they

chosen

the first

winter

had seen, and it did not take them long to go back to the ship and
report that they had decided upon a home. In Plymouth there is
a rock which is carefully protected and

guarded, for people believe that on this
rock the explorers stepped ashore. De-
cember twenty-first, the day of their
landing, is called Forefathers' Day, and
is celebrated in their honor. There
were a number of children on board,
and after being crowded into the ship for so many weeks, they
must have been glad enough to go ashore.

PLYMOUTH ROCK

There was no room to spare, even when they were on land, for after they had been in Plymouth all winter and all the following summer, there were but seven houses. For a while they had only one house into which they crowded their goods and as many persons as possible. Some had to remain on the Mayflower for several weeks.

The story of the winter seems almost like that of the starving Hardships of time in Virginia, though the Pilgrims were somewhat better supplied with food. One after another fell ill, and at one time only six or seven were well enough to take any care of the others. The minister, William Brewster, and the brave soldier, Miles Standish, were the most tender nurses that could be imagined; but in spite of their care, more than half the company died in the first three months, sometimes two or three in a day. Before they left the Mayflower a baby was born to Mrs. White, and was named Peregrine from the Latin word peregrinus, meaning a wanderer. Strangely enough, this little child was one of the survivors of the hard winter. graves of those who died were leveled with the ground and sown

The