Being thus arrived in good harbour, and brought safe to land, they [the Mayflower pilgrims] fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element.

I shall a little turn back and begin with a combination made by them before they came ashore . . . occasioned partly by the discontented and mutinous speeches that some of the [non-Puritans] among them had let fall from them, in the ship -- [That] none had power to command them, the [charter] they had being for Virginia, and not for New England [where they were now being forced to land].

The form was as followeth:

In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord, King James . . . having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honour of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws as shall be thought [most practical] for the general good of the colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. [dated 11 November 1620 - ]

...[During the next three months], half of their company died, especially in January and February, being the depth of winter, and wanting houses and other comforts, being infected ...with diseases which this long voyage...had brought upon them. So as there died sometimes two or three of a day... that of one hundred and odd persons, scarce fifty remained. And of these, ...there were but six or seven sound persons, who, to their great commendations be it spoken, spared no pains night or day, but with abundance of toil and hazard of their own health fetched them wood, made them fires, dressed, them meat, made their beds, washed their loathsome clothes, clothes and uncloathed them. In a word, did all the homely and necessary offices for them which dainty and queasy stomachs canot endure to hear named; and all this willingly and cheerfully... showing herein their true love unto their friends and brethren. Two of these seven were Mr. William Brewster, their reverend elder, and Myles Standish, their captain and military commander, unto whom myself and many others were much beholden in our low and sick condition.

[After describing how they were afraid of Indians, until Squanto appeared, speaking English, Bradford suggests that the Indian was a gift from God:] Squanto continued with them and was their interpreter and was a special instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectation. He directed them how to set their corn, where to take fish, and to procure other commodities. . .and never left them till he died.

Excerpts from the Christian Bible.

Isaiah And He said, "It is a light thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth."

Gospel of Matthew [Jesus said] "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

 Lawyer John Winthrop is First Governor of a "City on a Hill," 1630

Teacher's note: Winthrop gave this speech on board the ship Arbella, before landing a group of 1000 Puritans in New England. Unlike the Pilgrims, (also of the Puritan faith), who landed in New England by accident, Winthrop and these settlers came purposefully far away from Virginia, where they could set up a religion-based government, not one based on getting rich.

Now the only way to avoid this shipwreck [of our colony's falling apart] and to provide for our posterity, is to follow the counsel of Micah [in the Bible] to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with our God. ...We must delight in each other, make other's condition our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together . . .as members of the same body. ...The Lord will be our God. . . .We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies. . . .For we must consider that we shall be as a City upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with out God in this work we have undertaken, . . . we shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God.

Teacher's note:This Massachusetts Bay Colony, creating Boston and Salem and other towns, conceived of itself as a light to the world, the way the Jews are in the Hebrew Scriptures. Does this attitude continue today?

Here is the text of a song written around 1630 in Massachusetts Bay Colony. My Source for this is The Annals of History, published by Encyclopedia Brittanica, and available in the Walker School's resource center.

Until the end of the song, it's one long joke, based on complaints. You know the type of joke: "Well, my house burned down, but at least I won't have to vacuum the carpet anymore."

New England's annoyances, you that would know them,
Pray ponder these verses which briefly doth show them.
The place where we live is a wilderness wood,
Where grass is much wanting that's fruitful and good:
Our mountains and hills and our valleys below,
Being commonly covered with ice and with snow;
And when the north-west wind with violence blows,
Then every man pulls his cap over his nose:
But if any's so hardy and will it withstand,
He forfeits a finger, a foot or a hand.

But when the Spring opens we then take the hoe,
And make the ground ready to plant and to sow;
Our corn being planted and seed being sown;
And worms destroy much before it is grown;
And when it is growing, some spoil there is made
By birds and by squirrels that pluck up the blade;
And when it is come to full corn in the ear,
It is often destroyed by raccoon and by deer.

And now our garments begin to grow thin,
And wool is much wanted to card and to spin;
If we can get a garment to cover without,
Our other in-garments [underwear] are clout [cloth patch] upon clout.
Our clothes we brought with us are apt to be torn,
They need to be clouted soon after they're worn,
But clouting our garments they hinder us nothing.
Clouts double are warmer than single whole clothing.

If fresh meat be wanting to fill up our dish,
We have carrots and turnips as much as we wish:
And if there's a mind for a delicate dish
We repair to the clam-banks and there we catch fish.
Instead of pottage and puddings and custards and pies,
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies;
We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon,
If it was not for pumpkins we should be undone!
If barley be wanting to make into malt,
We must be contented, and think it no fault;
For we can make liquor to sweeten our lips,
Of pumpkins and parsnips and walnut-tree chips. . . .

Now while some are going let other be coming,
For while liquor's [i.e., broth, soup] boiling it must have a scumming;
But I will not blame them, for birds of a feather
By seeking their fellows are flocking together.
But you whom the Lord intends hither to bring,
Forsake not the honey for fear of the sting;
But bring both a quiet and contented mind,
And all needful blessings you surely will find.

Here are excerpts from the New England BODY OF LIBERTIES (1641), an early Bill of Rights:

1. No man's life shall be taken away. No man's honor of good name shall be stained. No man's person shall be arrested, banished, dismembered, nor any ways punished. No man shall be deprived of his wife or children. No man's goods or estate shall be taken away from him, nor in any way damaged, unless it be by authority of some express law of the country warranting the same.

2. Every person within this colony, whether inhabitant or foreigner, shall enjoy the same justice and law.

... 7. No man shall be made to go out of the limits of this plantation except to defend it.

8. No man's cattle or goods shall be taken for any public use or service, unless it be by legal order of the General Court. A reasonable price based on the ordinary rates of the country will be paid for any goods taken for public use or service. And if his cattle or goods shall perish or suffer damage in such service, the owner shall be paid for his loss.

...45. No man shall be forced by torture to confess any crime against himself nor any other unless it be in some case involving the death penalty, where he is first fully convicted by clear and sufficient evidence to be guilty.

46. For bodily punishments we do not allow any that are inhumane, barbarous, or cruel.

47. No man shall be put to death without the testimony of two or three witnesses.

52. Children, Idiots, Distracted persons, and all that are strangers, or new comers to our plantation, shall have such allowances and dispensations in any cause whether Criminal or other as religion and reason require. Liberties of Women.

79. If any man at his death shall not leave his wife a competent portion of his estate, upon just complaint made to the General Court she shall be relieved.

80. Every married woman shall be free from bodily correction or stripes by her husband, unless it be in his own defense upon her assault. If there be any just cause of correction complaint shall be made to Authority assembled in some Court, from which only she shall receive it. Liberties of Children.

81. When parents dye, the Elder son shall have a double portion of his whole estate real and personal, unless the General Court upon just cause alleadged shall judge otherwise.

82. When parents dye [without sons] their Daughters shall inherit as Copartners...

85. If any servants shall flee from the Tyranny and cruelty of their masters to the house of any freeman of the same Town, they shall be there protected and sustained till due order be taken for their relief...

87. If any man smite out the eye or tooth of his man-servant, or maid servant, or otherwise maime or much disfigure him, unless it be by [accident], he shall let them go free from his service. And shall have such further recompense as the Court shall allow him.

88. Servants that have served diligently and faithfully to the benefit of their masters seven years, shall not be sent away empty...

89. If any people of other Nations professing the true Christian Religion shall flee to us from the Tyranny or oppression of their persecutors, or from famine, wars, or the like necessary and compulsary cause, They shall be entertained and succoured amongst us, according to that power and prudence, god shall give us.

92. No man shall exercise any Tyrranny or Cruelty towards any brute Creature which are usually kept for man's use.

93. If any man shall have occasion to lead or drive Cattle from place to place that is far of, so that they be weary, or hungry, or fall sick, or lambe, It shall be lawful to rest or refresh them, for competent time, in any open place that is not Corn, meadow, or enclosed for some peculiar use.

Note: I've preserved the original spelling here.

(Deut. 13. 6, 10. Deut. 17. 2, 6. Ex. 22.20)
If any man after legall conviction shall have or worship any other god, but the lord god, he shall be put to death.

(Ex. 22. 18. Lev. 20. 27. Dut. 18. 10.)
If any man or woeman be a witch, (that is hath or consulteth with a familiar spirit,) They shall be put to death.