It is uncertain if they had access to the original, or were basing their list of signers off Nathaniel Morton's. A list of signers is also found in Thomas Prince's 1736 book, Chronological History of New England and Thomas Hutchinson published a list of signers in 1767 as well. Bradford did not list the signers nor did he refer to the document as "Compact" or "Mayflower Compact." Nathaniel Morton, secretary for Plymouth Colony, published it, along with the earliest known list of the signers, in his history, New England's Memorial in 1669.
Though the original no longer exists, the text was first published in Mourt's Relation in 1622. The earliest surviving handwritten copy of the text is included in Governor WIlliam Bradford's manuscript (pictured below). The Pilgrims had originally intended to settle near the mouth of the Hudson River, but due to dangerous shoals and a near shipwreck on their attempt to head south, they decided instead to settle outside the bounds of the Virginia Company patent-which caused some "mutinous speeches" amongst some of the passengers. The Mayflower Compact was an attempt to establish a temporary, legally-binding form of self-government. The "Mayflower Compact" was signed on Novemonboard the Mayflower shortly after coming to anchor off Provincetown Harbor. The Pilgrims had obtained permission from English authorities to settle in Virginia, whose northern border at the time extended up to what is now New York. These colonists, who were originally called “Old Comers,” persevered through their hardships, frequently aided by the area’s original inhabitants, and went on to mark a place for themselves in the annals of American history.Īlthough it appears Bradford never attempted to publish his manuscript, he made it clear that he wanted it preserved and read by future generations. They suffered as well from a scarcity of food, harsh and unforgiving weather, and conflicts with the indigenous populations in the area over land and traditions. The original settlers were beset by diseases and illnesses that killed nearly half of the original 100 settlers within the first six months of the expedition. The Bradford Manuscript gives historical scholars, researchers, and everyday history enthusiasts a first-hand account from the perspective of a European settler of the founding of Plimoth Plantation, or Plymouth Colony, as it is now known. It has been incorrectly called the "Log of the Mayflower " however Bradford started writing long after the arrival of the Pilgrims and it cannot be considered an actual daily journal of the Mayflower's voyage. Lost for nearly a century and often believed by many to be Bradford’s personal journal in the new land, Of Plimoth Plantation, which is also commonly known as the “Bradford Manuscript,” represents a written retrospection on his experiences and observations, initially written as two books, the second of which was never completed.
Written by William Bradford, a Pilgrim leader in the religious Separatist movement, the book presents in manuscript format the initial authoritative account of the Mayflower voyage and the settling of what would become the first permanent settlement of Europeans in New England, using the newly-signed Mayflower Compact as the colony’s governing document. The original copy of Of Plimoth Plantation details the travels and everyday lives of a small group of religious Separatists, who set out from England to seek the religious freedom they felt was not available to them back home. State Library acquires new exhibition case with enhanced security features for display of Library holdings will be used for short-term display of the Bradford manuscript to commemorate Plymouth's 400th Anniversary at a future date. State Library secures funding to conserve and digitize the manuscript and to make a digital version available to the public. Facsimile edition of entire volume is published. Volume is returned to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Library is given custody. Volume rediscovered in England, in the library of the Bishop of London. Last known location is the library of the Old South Church, Boston the volume is presumably removed by British soldiers during the American Revolution.
Manuscript volume remains in Bradford’s family, who allow it to be used by historians and clergymen to document the history of the colony. Bradford writes his last notes in the volume in 1650. Bradford begins writing “ Of Plimoth Plantation,” a detailed history of the founding of Plymouth Colony and the lives of the colonists from 1621 to 1647.
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