Historical Society and reproduced with their kind permission. THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE SERIES Published by Corinth Books, Inc. 32 West Eighth Street, New York 11, N. Y. Distributed by The Citadel Press 222 Park Avenue South, New York 3, N. Y. _Printed in U.S.A. by_ NOBLE OFFSET PRINTERS, INC. NEW YORK 3, N. Y. CONTENTS Editor’s introduction vii _MOURT’S RELATION_ To His Much Respected Friend, Mr. I. P. 3 To the Reader. 6 Certain Useful Advertisements sent in a Letter written by a Discreet Friend unto the Planters in New England, at their first setting sail from Southampton, who earnestly desireth the prosperity of that, their new plantation. 9 A Relation or Journal of the Proceedings of the Plantation settled at Plymouth in New England. 15 A Journey to Pokanoket, the habitation of the great King Massasoit; as also our message, the answer and entertainment we had of him. 60 A Voyage Made by Ten of Our Men to the Kingdom of Nauset, to seek a boy that had lost himself in the woods; with such accidents as befell us in that voyage. 69 A Journey to the Kingdom of Nemasket in defense of the great King Massasoit against the Narragansets, and to revenge the supposed death of our interpreter, Squanto. 73 A Relation of Our Voyage to the Massachusets, and what happened there. 77 A Letter sent from New England to a Friend in these parts, setting forth a brief and true declaration of the worth of that plantation; as also certain useful directions for such as intend a voyage into those parts. 81 Reasons and Considerations touching the Lawfulness of Removing out of England into the parts of America. 88 ILLUSTRATIONS Photographs from Plimoth Plantation 1. The _Mayflower_. 2. The shallop. 3. Indian wigwam. 4. Constructing a house at Plymouth. 5. Pilgrim house in winter. 6. A Pilgrim family. 7. The first Thanksgiving. 8. Pilgrims going to church. Samuel de Champlain’s Map of Plymouth Harbor xix Captain John Smith’s Map of New England xxiii Facsimile of original title page xxvii EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION _Background_ The coming of the Pilgrims and their establishment of the Plymouth Plantation is one of the great adventures in the American experience. This book is the earliest published account of that adventure, a day-by-day journal written in a simple forceful manner by men who took part in it. The story is familiar[1]—deceptively familiar, in that portions of it have undergone a complex process of transformation and emerge as modern myths in our national folklore. Still it is a story full of glory, and of tragedy, which deserves a wider public. The glory, as usual, exists mostly in retrospect. The Separatists had already shown the courage of their convictions in defying both Church and State by worshiping in their own way in England. They had finally been driven to take refuge in Holland, the only European nation where they could then enjoy complete religious tolerance. After twelve years of poverty and social isolation in Amsterdam and Leyden, the self-styled “Saints”[2] sought the New World largely as a land of economic opportunity where they hoped to start afresh. Similar motives undoubtedly moved the “Strangers,”[3] the motley group of fellow travelers who joined the party at Plymouth, England, and doubled their numbers. The “Strangers” were loyal to the Church of England, as were the few indentured servants and hired men, who soon comprised a dissident faction. They cared no more for freedom of conscience than did the “merchant adventurers,” a joint stock company of about seventy London businessmen who sponsored the plantation only as a commercial venture likely to...