Of Plymouth Plantation: Book 1, Chapter 5 Summary & Analysis

The next task for the reformers is to decide which part of America to sail for. Some propose sailing to Guyana (present-day Venezuela), while others support Virginia. Guyana is said to be fertile and warm, while Virginia has the advantage of already having an English population. Some argue that Guyana will foster disease. Others point out that settling in Virginia, where there are other English settlers, defeats the point of sailing to a new land. In the end, the reformers decide that they will live as a separate colony under the government of Virginia, and that they will try to persuade King James I to allow them to worship in their own way.

Two members of the congregation sail to England to negotiate a voyage to America. The Virginia Company is eager for volunteers to sail to America, and in return, it uses some of its connections, including Sir Robert Nanton, to convince the king to allow the reformers to practice their faith. James I consents to allow the reformers to worship in America in their own way, but he refuses to publicly agree to honor their religion. This awkward compromise is the best the Virginia Company can offer the reformers.

The English reformers are unsure how to proceed. Some think that King James’ limited support is enough; others fear that his successors might back out of his promise. In the end, the reformers agree that the British crown won’t infringe upon their faith. By 1617, John Robinson and William Brewster receive word that the Virginia Company has arranged an agreement for their congregation. In their negotiations with the Virginia Company, Robinson and Brewster stress their congregants’ diligence and unity.

Bradford provides letters that give an overview of the process by which the reformers negotiated a contract with the Virginia Company. In December 1617, Robinson and Brewster write to Sir John Worstenholme, another important ally of the Virginia Company, to defend their religion from common criticisms. In response to the criticism that their congregants aren’t loyal to the crown, Robinson and Brewster insist that they will take an Oath of Allegiance recognizing the king’s authority over the pope. In response to the criticism that the reformers are unlike other Christians, Robinson and Brewster argue that they are similar to the French Reformed Churches (i.e., the French Protestants).

There are many delays in the negotiation process. One important point of contention is who will lead the Virginia colony when it arrives in America. The company’s preferred candidate, Sir Thomas Smith, is reluctant to be governor. However, he doesn’t approve of the company’s new proposed governor, Sir Edwin Sandys. There’s also a controversy over how many people will be able to travel to America, and when. In 1619, a reformer named Blackwell splits from the congregation and begins supporting the English prelates. He then sails for America along with a small group of followers. Blackwell, according to rumor, makes a huge mistake by packing too many people into the ship, with the result that many die of disease or else starve to death.

In spite of many complications and controversies, the Virginia Company succeeds in obtaining a contract for the Leyden congregants. The Company even obtains a land patent (i.e., legal right to land) for the reformers. However, the patent isn’t taken out in the name of the reformers, but rather in the name of single person, John Pierce, who eventually decides not to go to America at all. Thus the patent is a symbol, Bradford says, of “the uncertain things of this world.”