Mayflower and the birth of a nation -------------------------------------- The voyage of the Mayflower in 1620 that brought a group of religious dissidents, later known as the Pilgrim Fathers, to the New World, played a key role in the foundation of a nation that would become the United States of America -------------------------------------- 1534: King Henry VIII of England breaks from Rome and establishes Church of England 1606: Separatists – radical Puritans who believe Reformation did not go far enough, establish secret congregations around village of Scrooby William Brewster, spiritual leader of Separatists 1608-9: Suffering increasing religious persecution, Scrooby Separatists emigrate to Leiden, in more tolerant Holland 1619: Seeking religious freedom and more prosperous life, Separatists negotiate with London’s Virginia Company to finance pilgrimage to New World Jul 31, 1620: Leiden pilgrims sail for England in Speedwell to rendezvous with Mayflower Jan-Feb 1621: As settlement takes shape, more than half of colonists die from malnutrition, disease and exposure to harsh weather Mar: English-speaking Wampanoag native Tisquantum, or Squanto – who was kidnapped by earlier English colonists and sold into slavery in Spain before regaining his freedom – makes contact with colonists Aug: Separatists who stayed in England board Mayflower in London. Other travellers include new colony’s military leader, Myles Standish Aug 15: Mayflower and Speedwell depart for Virginia from Southampton Aug-Sep: Ships twice forced back to port, at Dartmouth and Plymouth, after Speedwell takes on water. She is eventually deemed unseaworthy Sep 16: Mayflower sets out alone from Plymouth with 30 crew and 102 passengers, almost half of them Separatists Nov 19: Following stormy 66-day crossing, crew sights land at Cape Cod, north of intended destination at mouth of Hudson River – now New York Nov 21: Bad weather forces ship to drop anchor in sheltered harbour of Cape Cod hook, today Provincetown, Massachusetts Nov 21: To establish legitimate claim to land outside agreed area of settlement, Pilgrim leaders draft Mayflower Compact to set up laws for new colony Signed by all 41 men on board, Compact is seen as key step in foundation of American democracy Dec 21: Pilgrims site new colony on site of deserted Native American Wampanoag village of Patuxet Mar: William Bradford becomes governor of Plymouth Colony, serving intermittently for over 30 years Bradford’s journal Of Plimoth Plantation is regarded as most authoritative account of Pilgrims and early years of colony Autumn: Pilgrims celebrate first successful harvest with feast attended by Massasoit and many other Wampanoag people. Popular tradition often attributes origin of U.S. Thanksgiving holiday in November to this first feast -------------------------------------- PLYMOUTH COLONY 1620-1691 Provincetown Plymouth Cape Cod Wampanoag territory in 1620 Mayflower route 20km 12 miles -------------------------------------- Jamestown, Virginia: First permanent English settlement, later abandoned Plymouth Rock: Traditional site of disembarkation of Mayflower Pilgrims ATLANTIC OCEAN MAYFLOWER Purchased in 1608 by Master Christopher Jones, who captained vessel on voyage to New World Weight: 180 tonnes Length: 27m Peace treaty agreed with Massasoit, leader of Wampanoag confederacy Massasoit is credited with saving new colonists from starvation – and defending them from more hostile tribes Rock and human to scale -------------------------------------- 100km 60 miles Amsterdam Leiden Southampton Dartmouth Plymouth Scrooby London Pilgrim migrations Mayflower route Speedwell route -------------------------------------- Sources: Mayflower400, plimoth.org Pictures: Newscom, Getty Images, jjron © GRAPHIC NEWS