Text 6.2: The Mayflower Compact. Text 6.7: Legal text passed by the General Court

Transcription

1 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

2 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 <y> What is stipulated by this law? The unknowne tongue

3 The Mayflower Compact 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

4 Signing the Mayflower Compact by Edward Percy Moran

5 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

6 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

7 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

8 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. 23 For 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. 24 Therefore 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.

9 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. (

10 The Legal Text The letter <y> was used to represent thorn <þ>. Today we would replace the <y> with <th> often with a vowel added: yt --> that, ym --> them But notice that the use of <y> is inconsistent.

11 The Legal Text the first in the English-speaking world mandating general common schools. Education is major element of culture and society beyond religion itself main motivation for establishing schools was to provide the people with access to reading and writing and hence to the Word of God. The Puritan population was extraordinarily well educated Practically all the ministers of the Congregational church in the colonial period were collegeeducated

12 The Legal Text 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