The Mayflower Compact and What “City on a Hill” Meant

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW12740455 BCX4"> <p class="Paragraph SCXW12740455 BCX4"><span class= "TextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">According to</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">modern retellings</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">,</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">the American story</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">is</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">one</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">long</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">tale</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">of violence and oppression,</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">with</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">founders</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">who</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">should be universally condemned as hypocrites, thieves,</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">and</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">racists.</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">O</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">f course, o</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">ur nation’s</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">hi</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">stor</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">y i</span><span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">s, like all nations,</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">about</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">sinful and flawed people</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">.</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">However, in</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">our</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">modern attempts to</span> <span class= "NormalTextRun SCXW12740455 BCX4">deconstruct</s