The Second Book Chapters XI-XV Summary and Analysis

Chapter XI: The Remainder of Anno 1620 [The Mayflower Compact]

In chapter ekeven, Radford returns to some of the events that happened before the landing at Plymouth. Bradford states that the first foundation of the new government was put in place aboard the Mayflower. This was caused in part by "discontented and mutinous speeches" by strangers (Chap. 11, p. 75). The strangers claimed that when the group went ashore, they would be able to use their own liberty and not be answerable to another government, particularly that of New England. Instead, the travelers had a patent for Virginia and were pleased that Virginia had nothing to do with the New England government.

The form of the new government is laid out as it was written on the Mayflower. The people who signed the contract were loyal...