Plymouth Declaration of rights.
In 1636 the Plymouth Colony adopted a body of laws called “The General fundamentals.” The first article declared “That no act, imposition, law, or ordinance be made or imposed upon us at present or to come but such as shall be enacted by the consent of the body of freemen or associates, or their representatives legally assembled; which is according to the free liberties of the freeborn people of England.” The second article read: “And for the well governing of this colony, it is also ordered that there be free elections annually of governor, deputy governor, and assistants by the vote of the freemen of this corporation.” These and other fundamentals are dated 1636, and were revised in 1671. The style of enactment is: “We, the associates of the colony of New Plimouth, coming hither as freeborn subjects of the kingdom of England, endowed with all and singular the privileges belonging to each, being assembled, do enact,” etc. The seal adopted by the Plymouth Colony was called the “Old colony” seal, because Plymouth Colony was established before Massachusetts Bay Colony.
