11 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 11

On the 11th day of the 11th month of 1620, forty-one of the male passengers on the Mayflower drafted, agreed, and signed the Mayflower Compact before they left the ship.

Why did they need it and what was the Mayflower Compact?

When the Mayflower landed in the new world, there was "discontented and mutinous" talk among the non-Pilgrims. Originally, they set sail for the Virginia Colony. Since the Mayflower landed 200+ miles north of that colony, there were no governing laws in this portion of the new world. 

To ensure civility they created, drafted, and signed the Mayflower Compact. This initial compact was an early and successful attempt at self-governance. (In fact it was so successful, it inspired our Founding Fathers as they drafted the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.)

In the Compact, all agreed to self-govern under one civil body and create, enact, and abide by "just and equal laws" for the greater good; all would submit and obey the laws; and the purpose of the passengers in this new colony was to advance and live out the Christian faith.

We've come to our eleventh and last day of the last stanza of the Thanksgiving song! Here is the song in full, "On the eleventh day of Thanksgiving, we recount gratefully eleven 'hallelujahs',  ten crops a growing, nine praying Pilgrims, eight strong and able, seven treaty terms, six game and fish, five trip attempts, four peace pipes, three days feasting, two Indians, and a Mayflower on the sea."

Make this your go-to Thanksgiving song. Sing it and share it with your family and friends so they can know the history of Thanksgiving too.

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