Portsmouth Compact facts for kids

The original Portsmouth Compact document.

The Portsmouth Compact was an important paper signed on March 7, 1638. It helped create the town of Portsmouth, which is now in Rhode Island. This document was special because it was the first time in American history that a group decided to break away from England's political and religious control.

Why Was the Portsmouth Compact Created?

This document was written and signed by a group of people who wanted religious freedom. They were Christians who disagreed with the rules of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. To find freedom, they moved to Aquidneck Island to start a new colony.

One famous person in this group was Anne Hutchinson. She had been sent away from Massachusetts Bay because of her religious beliefs. The Portsmouth Compact was made to create a new, independent colony. This new colony would be Christian but would not be controlled by one specific church group. Some people have called it "the first instrument for governing as a true democracy."

What Did the Portsmouth Compact Say?

The main part of the Portsmouth Compact said:

The 7th Day of the First Month, 1638.

We whose names are underwritten do hereby solemnly in the presence of Jehovah incorporate ourselves into a Bodie Politick and as He shall help, will submit our persons, lives and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, and to all those perfect and most absolute laws of His given in His Holy Word of truth, to be guided and judged thereby.

This means the people signing it promised to create a government together. They said they would follow the laws of Jesus Christ, as written in the Bible.

The document also mentioned these Bible verses: Exodus 24:3-4 1 Chronicles 11:3 2 Kings 11:17

Plaque commemorating the Portsmouth Compact.

Who Signed the Portsmouth Compact?

Twenty-three men signed the Portsmouth Compact. Some of the well-known signers included:

• William Coddington
• John Clarke
• William Hutchinson (Anne Hutchinson's husband)
• John Coggeshall
• William Aspinwall
• Samuel Wilbore
• John Porter
• John Sanford
• Edward Hutchinson, Jr.
• Thomas Savage
• William Dyre (Mary Dyer's husband)
• William Freeborn
• Phillip Shearman
• John Walker
• Richard Carder
• William Baulston
• Edward Hutchinson, Sr.
• Henry Bull X his marke
• Randall Holden
• Thomas Clarke (John Clarke's brother)
• John Johnson
• William Hall
• John Brightman

The last four names (Thomas Clarke, John Johnson, William Hall, and John Brightman) seem to have been erased or crossed out later. We don't know why. The first three of these four were among the first people to settle in Newport in 1638. John Brightman might have been too.

The Compact of Loyalty

Another document, called the Compact of Loyalty, was signed on April 30, 1639. It said:

"We whose names are underwritten do acknowledge ourselves the legal subjects of His Majesty King Charles, and in his name do hereby bind ourselves into a civil body politic, unto his laws according to matters of justice."

This means the people signing it promised to be loyal to King Charles of England. They also agreed to form a government that would follow his laws for justice.

It's interesting to note that William Hutchinson is the only person who signed both the Portsmouth Compact and the Compact of Loyalty.