In what ways might this account have been different if the pilgrims had settled further south

The people we know as Pilgrims have become so surrounded by legend that we are tempted to forget that they were real people. Against great odds, they made the famous 1620 voyage aboard the ship Mayflower and founded Plymouth Colony, but they were also ordinary English men and women. To understand them, it is important that we look beyond the legend. This story will help you get to know these people, now known as the Pilgrims, through their first years in New England.

England was a Roman Catholic nation until 1534, when King Henry VIII (reigned 1509-1547) declared himself head of a new national church called the Church of England. Although he and his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I (reigned 1558-1603), changed some things that made the Church of England different from the Roman Catholic Church, a few people felt that the new Church retained too many practices of the Roman Church. They called for a return to a simpler faith and less structured forms of worship. In short, they wanted to return to worshipping in the way the early Christians had. Because these people wanted to purify the church, they came to be known as “Puritans.” Another group, considered very radical, went even further. They thought the new Church of England was beyond reform. Called “Separatists,” they demanded the formation of new, separate church congregations. This opinion was very dangerous; in England in the 1600s, it was illegal to be part of any church other than the Church of England.

The Separatist church congregation that established Plymouth Colony in New England was originally centered around the town of Scrooby in Nottinghamshire, England. Members included the young William Bradford and William Brewster. Like others who refused to follow the Church of England’s teachings, some of them were harassed, fined or even sent to jail. When they felt they could no longer suffer these difficulties in England, they chose to flee to the Dutch Netherlands. There, they could practice their own religion without fear of persecution from the English government or its church.

Although they had religious freedom, life in the Netherlands was not easy. The Separatists had to leave their homeland and friends to live in a foreign country without a clear idea of how they would support themselves. The congregation stayed briefly in Amsterdam and then moved to the city of Leiden. There they remained for the next 11 or 12 years. Most found work in the cloth trades, while others were carpenters, tailors and printers. Their lives required hard work. Even young children had to work. Some older children were tempted by the Dutch culture and left their families to become soldiers and sailors. Their parents feared that they would lose their identity as English people. To make matters worse, the congregation worried that another war might break out between the Dutch and Spanish. They decided to move again.

The Move to America

After careful thought, the congregation decided to leave Holland to establish a farming village in the northern part of the Virginia Colony. At that time, Virginia extended from Jamestown in the south to the mouth of the Hudson River in the north, so the Pilgrims planned to settle near present-day New York City. There they hoped to live under the English government, but they would worship in their own, separate church. Because their own money wasn’t enough to establish their village, they entered into an agreement with financial investors. The company of investors would provide passage for the colonists and supply them with tools, clothing and other supplies. The colonists in turn would work for the company, sending natural resources such as fish, timber and furs back to England. All assets, including the land and the Pilgrims’ houses, would belong to the company until the end of seven years when all of it would be divided among each of the investors and colonists. The colonists and investors had many disagreements, but eventually the Pilgrims were able to leave Europe for America.

The entire congregation could not come to America together. Those who could settle their affairs in Leiden went first while the greater number, including their pastor John Robinson, remained behind. The congregation purchased a small ship, Speedwell, to transport them across the sea and to use for fishing and trading in America. At Southampton, a port in England, they were joined by a group of English colonists who had been gathered by the investors. Speedwell and Mayflower – a ship rented by the investors – departed for America together. After twice turning back to England because Speedwell leaked, they were forced to leave the ship. As a result, many families were divided when some passengers had to be turned back for lack of space. A month after first leaving England, on September 6, 1620, Mayflower set out alone with 102 passengers.

Mayflower arrived in New England on November 11, 1620 after a voyage of 66 days. Although the Pilgrims had originally intended to settle near the Hudson River in New York, dangerous shoals and poor winds forced the ship to seek shelter at Cape Cod. Because it was so late in the year and travel around Cape Cod was proving difficult, the passengers decided not to sail further and to remain in New England. It was here, in Cape Cod Bay, that most of the adult men on the ship signed the document that we know as the Mayflower Compact. It laid the foundation for the community’s government.

A party of the most able men began exploring the area to find a suitable place to settle. After several weeks, the exploring party arrived at what appeared to be an abandoned Wampanoag community. The plentiful water supply, good harbor, cleared fields, and location on a hill made the area a favorable place for settlement.

Mayflower arrived in Plymouth Harbor on December 16, 1620 and the colonists began building their town. While houses were being built, the group continued to live on the ship. Many of the colonists fell ill. They were probably suffering from scurvy and pneumonia caused by a lack of shelter in the cold, wet weather. Although the Pilgrims were not starving, their sea-diet was very high in salt, which weakened their bodies on the long journey and during that first winter. As many as two or three people died each day during their first two months on land. Only 52 people survived the first year in Plymouth. When Mayflower left Plymouth on April 5, 1621, she was sailed back to England by only half of her crew.

Building a Town & Relationships with Native People

Although they occasionally caught glimpses of Native People, it wasn’t until four months after their arrival that the colonists met and communicated with them. In March 1621, they made a treaty of mutual protection with the Pokanoket Wampanoag leader, Ousamequin (also known as Massasoit to the Pilgrims). The treaty had six points. Neither party would harm the other. If anything was stolen, it would be returned and the offending person returned to his own people for punishment. Both sides agreed to leave their weapons behind when meeting, and the two groups would serve as allies in times of war. Squanto, a Wampanoag man who had been taken captive by English sailors and lived for a time in London, came to live with the colonists and instructed them in growing Indian corn.

In the fall of 1621, the colonists marked their first harvest with a three-day celebration. Massasoit and 90 of his men joined the English for feasting and entertainment. In the 1800s this famous celebration became the basis for the story of the First Thanksgiving.

Over the next six years, more English colonists arrived and many of the people who had to stay behind in England or Holland when Mayflower left England were able to join their families. By 1627, Plymouth Colony was stable and comfortable. Harvests were good and families were growing. In 1627, about 160 people lived in Plymouth Colony.

Why “Pilgrims”?

A pilgrim is a person who goes on a long journey often with a religious or moral purpose, and especially to a foreign land. After the Mayflower arrived, the first baby born was a boy. His parents (William and Susannah White) named him Peregrine - a word which means travelling from far away and also means pilgrim. The writer of Mourt's Relation in 1622 refers to the Plymouth Colonists as pilgrims. Governor William Bradford calls the Plymouth settlers pilgrims when he writes about their departure from Leiden, Holland to come to America: “They knew they were pilgrims, and looked not much on those things, but lifted up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country; and quieted their spirits.” Governor Bradford also wrote a poem in which he refers to himself as a pilgrim.

'Pilgrim' became (by the early 1800s at least) the popular term applied to all the Mayflower passengers - and even to other people arriving in Plymouth in those early years - so that the English people who settled Plymouth in the 1620s are generally called the Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims were a group of English citizens who chose to separate from the church of England and practice Christianity freely. Much of what we know about their journeys is taken from William Bradford's Of Plimoth Colony and Mourt's Relation. Bradford was himself a member of the Pilgrims, and so his writing is an eyewitness account of the events and decisions that shaped their destiny.

In England during the early 1600's, King James ruled over the church of England. Those who chose to separate from his rule faced almost certain persecution, imprisonment, and sometimes even death. The Pilgrims (separatists) saw James' rule over the church to be corrupt and not in keeping with the teachings of the Word of God. They began to meet in secret to study the Bible and worship God together in a manner that they believed to be right and holy. After enough persecution and secretive worship, they decided that it was time to leave England in search of a new land where they could practice their religious beliefs freely.

In 1608 they were exiled from England to Holland for 12 years. At first they arrived in Amsterdam, but later moved to Leiden where they would stay for the rest of their time in Holland. The Pilgrims were attracted to Leiden because it was a town with a university. The University of Leiden had been founded in 1575, and was said to be at the forefront of scholarship in the Christian world.

While they were welcomed by the people there, they began to feel uncomfortable in their new country. The Pilgrims were living in poverty and had great difficulty integrating with the local economy due to the language barrier. They were also quite uncomfortable with what they perceived as immoral influences of the highly industrialized Dutch society. In spite of all of this, accounts tell us that the locals viewed the Pilgrims as productive and honorable members of society, and they welcomed their presence and contributions to the community.

Funding a New Journey

As the Pilgrims considered leaving Holland, they faced a choice between Guiana and America. Eventually, the group decides to leave Holland for the New World. After months of pleading to join the existing Virginia Colony, they are eventually accepted. The Pilgrims briefly considered settling in Jamestown, but decided against this due to fear of once again encountering persecution for their religious beliefs. At this time the Virginia Colony extended from Jamestown in the South all the way to the mouth of the Hudson river in the North. They chose to settle far to the North near present day New York City in a location they felt would be their own.

Most of the Pilgrims were not well off, and as such would require some other source of financing for their journey. They sought support from a man named Thomas Weston. Weston was a successful and wealthy iron merchant in London. He agreed to fund their move to America in exchange for 7 years of service from them after they arrived. Furs, lumber, and crops would be shipped back to England and sold for a profit. After this time, the Pilgrims would own their new colony themselves. During this initial 7 years they would not be able to profit from their new colony. Although many opted out of this agreement, still the opportunity for religious freedom was enticing enough to motivate most of them to accept none the less.

The Journey Begins

So it was that in search still for a more noble existence, the Pilgrims departed Leiden aboard the ship Speedwell on July 22, 1620. William Bradford's account of this event shows it to be a decision made with much sadness. Although they had not been greatly successful in Holland, they still loved and appreciated it as their home for 12 years and were sorrowful to leave it. Knowing who they were and why they were making sacrifices, they none the less lifted their eyes towards heaven and thanked God for what opportunities they had.

The journey was not an easy one. On July 22, 1620, the Pilgrims left from Leiden. 15 days later they returned due to a water leak in their ship. The Speedwell lands in Southampton, England and is hastily repaired.

On August 5, 1620, a second attempt is made to depart. This time two ships, the Speedwell and the Mayflower, set sail from Southampton. After only a few days the Speedwell was once again "open and leakie as a sieve."

Finally on September 6, 1620, the Pilgrims depart from Plymouth, England. This time the Mayflower goes solo.

The Mayflower is a small cargo ship, it is not built to carry many passengers. It had primarily been used to carry clothing and wine. Over the years spilled wine had seeped into the wood of the ship making it a very smelly vessel by passenger accounts. The Mayflower was a total of 90 feet long. On board were 102 Pilgrims and 30 sailors. Conditions were not pleasant, and the sailors routinely mocked their fellow passengers for their on board religious habits as well as their frequent sea sickness.

The New World

On November 9, 1620, after 66 days at sea, land is finally spotted. Rather than Virginia, the original plan, they arrive at the tip of Cape Cod in present day Massachusetts. The Pilgrims would have pressed on towards the mouth of the Hudson River if they would have been able to. They had landed in the New World much later in the year than they had originally planned. Poor winds during this time of year and a lack of supplies force them to make land.

After enough time at sea, the stored fresh water had become contaminated. So the only drinkable liquid on board was the beer. In these days beer was much more safe to drink than water, as it had been boiled when it was made. The alcohol content was also much lower than common beer is today. So using it as a water source for passengers would not be unheard of during this time. Still, even stores of beer on the Mayflower were running low as they approached the continent. As written by colonist William Bradford on the implications this had on the decision to settle:

"We could not now take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer, and it being now the 19th of December" ~ Mourt's Relation, commonly attributed to colonists William Bradford and Edward Winslow, 1622

"As this calamity fell among the passengers that were to be left here to plant, and were hasted ashore and made to drink water that the seamen might have the more beer, and one in his sickness desiring but a small can of beer, it was answered that if he were their own father he should have none" ~ Of Plimoth Plantation, William Bradford, circa 1650

They Mayflower lands and all are greatly overjoyed to have reached an end to their long and difficult journey. Upon landing, the Pilgrims immediately say a prayer of thanks for their safe arrival:

"Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees, and blessed the God of heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof…" ~ William Bradford

The Pilgrims needed a document that would serve as a contract of cooperation among their new colony. Although the core of the group were religious separatists, there were other colonists who were not. Some wanted to go against the agreement that was made with the investors in England since they did not settle in the location originally agreed upon. To deal with this, a contract was drawn up and signed by 41 of the passengers. The compact stated that the settlers would vote on any issues that came up and that they would remain loyal to England. Additionally, the first governor of the colony was chosen, John Carver, who had chartered the Mayflower. On November 11, 1620, the Mayflower Compact is signed in the cabin of the Mayflower. This document reportedly influenced the way the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were drawn up.

A search party of 18 of the strongest and healthiest men set out to scout the area for a suitable location to build their new colony. Three trips were made. They were briefly lost in a snowstorm and encountered indians during their excursions but eventually find the place John Smith had discovered years earlier which he had named Plimouth. Here there were running brooks and rivers, fields had already been cleared, and there was a harbor safe enough for small boats. There were also no signs of enemy Indians.

A Rough Winter

On December 16 the Mayflower arrives in Plymouth Harbor and construction begins on the new colony. Many stayed onboard the ship until construction of new homes was complete. The first building project is The Common House, it was completed on January 9, 1621. It served as a meeting house, church, a place of storage, and later a hospital for the sick. The remainder of initial construction for the new colony was completed by late February.

That Winter was especially rough for the new colony. Since they had reached the New World much later in the year than they had originally planned, it was too late to begin planting crops. The Pilgrims did the best they could to survive until Spring. By March, only 52 settlers survived. William Bradford succeeded John Carver as Governor after Carver died in 1621. The Mayflower returned to England on April 5, 1621.

The Pilgrims buried their dead in secret at night and did not mark the grave sites. They did this out of fear that the local Indians might overtake them after seeing that their numbers had diminished.

A Friendship is Born

The Native Americans who lived in the area were primarily from the Wampanoag tribe. In March of 1621 a man from the Wampanoag tribe named Samoset entered Plymouth Colony and spoke to the settlers in English. A few days later he brought a native named Squanto with him. Squanto had learned English and been converted to Christianity when he was previously taken captive in 1605 by Captain George Weymouth (an English explorer). Squanto forged a friendship with the settlers and taught them how to plant corn.

On March 22, 1621, a treaty was signed between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. The Pilgrims and the Wampanoag enjoyed a great friendship and would exchange knowledge and culture over the years. In October of 1621, Plymouth Colony was thriving. They celebrated their first harvest with their new friends. The governor declares a three day celebration and invites Chief Massasoit telling him to bring as many friends as he likes (he brings 90).

The Indians and Pilgrims would live in harmony for the next 50 years.

Today in America we celebrate this day as Thanksgiving every year, to remind ourselves of how blessed we really are.

Sources:
  Of Plymoth Plantation by William Bradford
  Mourt's Relation commonly attributed to colonists William Bradford and Edward Winslow
  Thanksgiving Timeline from The Library of Congress
  The History of Massachusetts from The Library of Congress