The Mayflower Departs England

What Happened?

In 1620, a diverse group of 102 people—religious Separatists, entrepreneurs, families, and hired workers—boarded a small merchant ship called the Mayflower. Their destination was Virginia, where they had permission to settle, but fate and storms had other plans.

The Separatists, later called 'Pilgrims,' had already fled England once, settling in the Netherlands for religious freedom. But jobs were scarce and culture felt foreign, so under William Bradford’s leadership they sought a new life across the Atlantic.

Financed by investors known as the London Adventurers, the group set out with two ships: the Speedwell and the Mayflower. When the Speedwell leaked and had to turn back, the Mayflower continued alone, carrying all passengers in dangerously cramped quarters.

The voyage was brutal. The 90-foot ship pitched endlessly in autumn storms. Families huddled below deck in a low, damp, and airless space, seasick and weak. Food was hardtack and dried meat, and even the children drank beer because water spoiled at sea.

After 66 days, instead of Virginia, they spotted Cape Cod. Navigation errors and rough seas had blown them off course, but the weary passengers were too desperate to risk sailing further. They anchored at Provincetown Harbor in November 1620.

Before going ashore, 41 men signed the Mayflower Compact, promising to form a 'civil body politic' and govern by majority rule. Though short, it was a groundbreaking agreement—an early step toward democratic self-government in America.

The settlers eventually crossed Cape Cod Bay and chose a site with fresh water and cleared fields, naming it Plymouth. There, Susanna White gave birth to Peregrine White, the first English child born in New England.

The first winter was devastating: disease and hunger claimed nearly half the settlers. Yet those who survived forged alliances with Wampanoag people, whose aid was crucial for learning to farm and endure the harsh climate.

Over time, Plymouth grew to a few thousand residents but was eventually overshadowed by the larger Massachusetts Bay Colony. Still, its story—especially the survival, alliances, and the 'First Thanksgiving'—became central to American identity.

The Mayflower’s voyage is remembered less for comfort or success than for symbolism. Its passengers endured misery for the chance to start over, and their Compact planted seeds of self-rule. But the story also reminds us: they were not arriving in an empty land—Native nations were already there, and their lives would be profoundly changed.

Why It Matters

The Mayflower’s journey represents both hope and hardship. It gave rise to one of America’s founding myths—courage, faith, and democracy—but also began a new era of colonization that reshaped the lives of Indigenous peoples. Honest remembrance means holding both truths together.