The Mayflower and the Pilgrims 1620

The Mayflower Ship  The Mayflower ship was captained and owned by Christopher Jones.  Jones was hired by the Pilgrims to take them to the New World – they were trying to get to Virginia.  Two ships were supposed to make the journey – The Mayflower and The Speedwell, but the Speedwell was so leaky they left it behind.

 The Pilgrims Video — History.com The Pilgrims Video — History.com

Inside the Mayflower  Forecastle This is where the crew's meals were cooked, and where the crew's food and supplies were stored.  Poop House The living quarters for the ship's master, Christopher Jones.  Cabin This was the general sleeping quarters for the Mayflower's twenty or thirty crewmembers. The crew slept in shifts, so not everyone was sleeping in the room at the same time.  Steerage Room This is where the ship's pilot (John Clark, primarily) steered the Mayflower.

 Gun Room This is where the powder, shot, and other supplies were stored for the ship's guns and cannons.  Gun Deck The gun deck is where the cannon were located. On the Mayflower, it is where the majority of the passengers lived. They built their own makeshift cabins within this area.  Cargo Hold This is where the Pilgrims stored their cargo of food, drink, tools, and supplies.

The Voyage  The Pilgrims left England on September 6,  The voyage took 66 days. (And after trying three times to leave.)  There were “saints” – people who were leaving for religious reasons, and “strangers”, - who left for other reasons.  Cape Cod was sighted on November 9,  The first half of the journey was non-eventful – just seasickness!  But in October, they got caught in some Atlantic Ocean storms and they pushed them towards Cape Cod. They were almost shipwrecked!  They never landed in Virginia! They landed in Cape Cod.  They chose to land in a rocky harbor called Plymouth.

The Pilgrims  The story of the Pilgrims starts in England.  They wanted to “separate” from the Church of England and were called “Separatists”.  They often faced persecution because of their beliefs. King James wanted them to leave England.  William Bradford was the leader of a group of separatists who wanted to leave England and travel to Virginia. These people became the Pilgrims.  102 Pilgrims traveled on the Mayflower to the New World.

The Pilgrims  King James threatened the Pilgrims to leave England – “to harry them out of the land or do worse”.

 The First Thanksgiving: Journey on the Mayflower The First Thanksgiving: Journey on the Mayflower

The Mayflower Compact  Before they landed at Plymouth, the Pilgrims decided they needed a plan for government.  They created the “Mayflower Compact” – which made “just and equal laws…for the general good of the colony.”  All adult males signed the compact. Women could not participate.  The Mayflower Compact was an important step to self-government in the colonies.

Primary Source: The Mayflower Compact

Part of the Mayflower Compact  “We covenant together to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.”  -covenant and compact mean agreement or contract

 Some historians think the Pilgrims missed Virginia on purpose, not wanting to settle in place where the Church of England has influence.  The strangers wanted to join an established colony to make their fortunes.  By signing the compact, both saints and strangers agreed to ruled by “just and equal laws.”

 The saints (who left England for religious reasons) and the strangers (who left to make their fortunes, find land, etc.) did not always get along well.  When the ship landed in Plymouth instead of Virginia – the strangers threatened an uprising.  To ensure cooperation of all the colonists, and to make sure the colony survived, all the passengers agreed to enact just and equal laws and obey them.

Questions  Why was the Mayflower Compact necessary?  What kind of laws did the passengers commit to obeying?

In the New Colony  They arrived during the winter.  In the first three months of the colony, half the settlers died. Life was very hard.  In the spring, an American Indian named “Samoset” walked into their colony and called out, “Welcome Englishmen!”  He had learned English from fishermen and traders.

Wampanoag People  Samoset told the colonists about another American Indian called Squanto.  Squanto had been sold into slavery in Spain.  He escaped and learned English and now lived with the Wampanoag people.  Acting as a translator – Squanto helped the Pilgrims make peace with the Wampanoag.  In the Fall, the Pilgrims gathered with the Wampanoag for the first Thanksgiving.

Plymouth Rock  Plymouth Rock video