Overview
The Pilgrims were a group of English colonists who emigrated to New England and established Plymouth Plantation — or Plymouth Colony — in 1620. Many of the Pilgrims were Puritan Separatists seeking religious freedom. They were accompanied on their journey by other colonists who sought the opportunity for a new life in America.
Their story is well-known and legendary — they sailed to America on the Mayflower, survived with the help of local Native American Indians, and celebrated the First Thanksgiving.
However, the Pilgrims — or the Pilgrim Fathers — as they have come to be called, are far more critical to American History than a famous voyage and a cherished American holiday.
What might be the most extraordinary aspect of the Pilgrims is the simple fact they survived — and by doing so, they set in motion a chain of events that ultimately changed the course of history.
Essential Facts
- The Pilgrims were a group of English colonists who emigrated from England to present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.
- They sailed to the New World on a ship called the Mayflower.
- When the ship left Plymouth, England, there were 102 passengers. Forty-nine of them were from the Puritan Separatist congregation in Leiden, Netherlands, and sought religious freedom in America. The other 53 were men, women, and children who wanted to start a new life. The ship’s crew consisted of 20-30 men, including Captain Christopher Jones.
- The Separatists were responsible for setting up the voyage and received funding from a group called “Merchant Adventurers.” The Adventurers decided to add more colonists to the trip to increase the chances of profiting from the new colony.
- The Separatists referred to themselves as “Saints,” and they called the other passengers and crewmembers as “Strangers.”
- The Mayflower left Plymouth on September 6, 1620, and arrived off the coast of Cape Cod on November 9, 1620. The trip took 65 days.
- Before leaving the ship, the leaders of the Saints and Strangers agreed to a government outlined in the Mayflower Compact. The document set up the first democratic government in American History without a monarch.
- Three expeditions were sent to the mainland to find a suitable place to build a settlement.
- On December 20, 1620, they selected Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts, as the site for their settlement.
- They started construction on their first building on December 25, 1620.
- New Plymouth was the first of the New England Colonies and merged with Massachusetts in 1691.
Significance
The success of the Pilgrims had a significant impact on the course of American and world history. Plymouth Colony helped shape the course of New England, led to the Great Puritan Migration, and ultimately created the United States of America. Today, more than 30 million people can trace their ancestry to the Pilgrims, and there are various historic sites dedicated to them in the Netherlands, England, and the United States.
History
AHC Note — The dates used in this timeline are “Old Style” dates. The “New Style” date is the O.S. date, plus 10. So the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact on November 11 by their calendar, which is November 21 by today’s calendar.
The Church of England, Puritans, and Separatists
1534 — King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England. People in England were required to attend and participate in services for the Church of England. The Puritan movement started in the late 16th century and led to the establishment of the Separatists.
1606 — A Separatist church was established in Scrooby, England, by William Brewster. Services were held in his home at Scrooby Manor. The pastor of the congregation was John Robinson.
The Separatists Move to the Netherlands
1607–1608 — After intense persecution and harassment from English officials, the Scrooby Separatists decided they had to leave England. At the time, it was illegal to leave the country without the permission of the King, so they had to escape. Over two years, they made their way to Amsterdam.
1609 — In May, Robinson and his congregation decided to move to Leiden, southwest of Amsterdam.
1617 — The Separatists decided to leave the Netherlands and move to Virginia. John Carver and Robert Cushman were sent to England to acquire permission to settle in Virginia and find financial support for the expedition.
Preparations to Move to Virginia
June 9, 1619 — The Virginia Company of London granted the Separatists a charter, permitting them to settle at the mouth of the Hudson River, at the site of present-day New York City.
February 1620 — The Separatists joined a joint-stock company to raise money to help pay for transportation and provisions. They work with a group of investors who called themselves the “Merchant Adventurers,” including Thomas Weston. To raise enough money, the Adventurers sent another group of their settlers — also known as planters — on the voyage with the Separatists.
July 22, 1620 — 125 Separatists from Robinson’s congregation set sail from Delfshaven, Holland, on a ship called the Speedwell. The Speedwell sailed to England and joined the Mayflower at Southampton. Robinson stayed in Leiden because of his age, along with the majority of the congregation.
The Mayflower Journey Begins
August 15, 1620 — The Speedwell and Mayflower sailed out of Southampton on their way to the New World. The Separatists were on the Speedwell. Unfortunately, the Speedwell leaked and needed repairs. The ships stopped in Dartmouth, England, and repairs were made to the Speedwell.
August 17, 1620 — The repairs to the Speedwell were completed, but stormy weather kept the ships from leaving. When the weather cleared, the ships set sail again. However, the Speedwell continued to leak and the ships were forced to stop at Plymouth, England. At Plymouth, they decided that Speedwell would not be able to make the voyage, and everyone would need to go on the Mayflower. Around 20 of the Separatists, including Robert Cushman, decided to stay in England.
September 6, 1620 — The Mayflower departed from Plymouth with 102 passengers. 49 of the passengers are Separatists, but only two of them — William Brewster and William Bradford — are from the original church at Scrooby. It is estimated there are 20-30 crewmen on the ship. The Separatists were joined by 35 colonists recruited by the Merchant Adventurers. There were also 18 servants on the ship. Two babies were born before they settled in America.
The Pilgrims Arrive in America
November 9, 1620 — After 65 days, the Mayflower arrived off the East Coast at Cape Cod. The ship was much further north than expected after being forced to change course due to violent storms. Captain Jones tried to sail south, but the rough seas forced the Mayflower to turn back. That night, the ship was drifting in the waters off of Cape Code, near present-day Chatham, Massachusetts.
The Pilgrims Write the Mayflower Compact
November 10 — There was dissension between the Separatists and the other passengers over concerns that they did not have permission to settle anywhere but at the mouth of the Hudson River. However, they could not travel south due to the weather. According to William Bradford’s account, “several strangers made discontented and mutinous speeches.” A decision needed to be made before anyone left the ship. The leaders of both sides worked together on an agreement that held the groups together and formed a government for the new settlement — the “Mayflower Compact.” Separatist John Carver was chosen as the first Governor of what would become Plymouth Colony.
November 11, 1620 — The Pilgrim’s First Landing. Early in the morning, most of the men on board — 41 total — either signed their names or made their mark on the Mayflower Compact. After 66 days at sea, the Mayflower anchored in present-day Provincetown Harbor. Sixteen men left the ship on a small boat and sailed to the mainland. According to William Bradford, when they first set foot on land, they “fell upon their knees…and blessed the God of Heaven…” Then, they explored and gathered wood, which they burned that night on the Mayflower. The First Landing in New England is commemorated with a memorial at Pilgrim’s First Landing Park in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.
November 13, 1620 — The First Washing Day. The passengers went ashore for the first time. They washed their clothes properly for the first time since they left England.
The Pilgrims Explore Cape Cod and Encounter Native American Indians
November 15, 1620 — The First Expedition. Miles Standish led a group of 16 men on an expedition to the mainland. The group included William Bradford, Stephen Hopkins, and Edward Tilley. They were armed and wearing light armor. They encountered a small group of Indians on the beach. The Indians ran away down the shore. The Pilgrims chased after them but could not catch up. The Pilgrims spent the night on the beach.
November 16, 1620 — First Water at Pilgrim Spring. Standish and his men continued the search for the Indians and followed tracks into the forest. They came across a spring, now called Pilgrim Spring, where they took their first drink of fresh New England water. The site is marked by Pilgrim Spring Memorial Plaque. They spent the night on the mainland.
November 17, 1620 — The Pilgrims Find Corn Hill. Standish and his men came across an old cornfield and Indian graves. They found some baskets of shelled and whole corn at a place called Corn Hill. They decided to take some corn with them because they were desperate for food. Afterward, they returned to the harbor.
November 20, 1620 — Susanna White gave birth to a boy, Peregrine White, on board the Mayflower. Susanna and her husband, William, are believed to have been “Strangers,” not Separatists. However, the name “Peregrine” is derived from the Latin word “peregrinus,” which means “pilgrim.”
November 27, 1620 — The Second Expedition. Captain Jones led an expedition of 34 men — 24 passengers and 10 crewmen — to find a place for a settlement to be built. Their boat was blown to the east side of Provincetown Harbor, and the strong wind would not allow them to return to the Mayflower. They camped for the night near what is called Pilgrim Lake. There was a heavy snowfall that night.
November 28, 1620 — The following day, they sailed south, but it was too cold. Jones decided to stop and make camp again. Some of the men were sick.
November 29, 1620 — Jones and his men returned to Corn Hill, where they found and took more corn. The corn and sick men were loaded onto the boat and sent to the Mayflower. Jones returned to the Mayflower and left Standish in charge of the remaining men.
November 30, 1620 — Standish led a search for the Indians. They came across a grave that was covered with boards. The grave contained the skull of a man — with yellow hair and skin still present — and a bag with the bones of a child. The boards appeared to be from a ship. Later that day, they found abandoned Indian wigwams. The boat arrived, and they returned to the Mayflower.
December 6, 1620 — The Third Expedition. An expedition sailed the small boat down the Cape Code Bay coast. Near present-day Wellfleet, they saw a group of Indians on the beach, butchering a dead, beached whale. When the Indians saw the Pilgrims, they ran off. The Pilgrims camped on the shore that night.
December 7, 1620 — The group split up to find a place to build the settlement. Neither group found anything suitable. They spent the night near Herring River, on Wellfleet Harbor.
December 8, 1620 — The First Encounter. Early in the morning, the Pilgrims were ambushed by Indians, who hid in the woods and fired arrows at the camp. The Pilgrims fired a few shots into the darkness and then took defensive positions in their camp. It is estimated there were about 30 Indians on the attack. When the Pilgrims identified the leader of the attacking party, they fired on him, and the Indians withdrew. The location of this brief fight is called First Encounter Point Beach. It is in present-day Eastham, Massachusetts.
The Pilgrims Start Plymouth Colony
December 8, 1620 — Arrival at Clark’s Island. The expedition sailed all the way around the south end of the Cape Cod Harbor and up the western shore to a place earlier explorers called “Thievish Harbor.” The wind was harsh, and the water was rough. The boat suffered damage, and they were forced to row with oars. They spent the night on what is now Clark’s Island in Duxbury Bay. It was named for the pilot, John Clark, who was the first to set foot on it.
December 11, 1620 — The Pilgrims explored the area of what is now Plymouth Bay. They found old fields but no Indian settlements. They believed they had finally found the place to build their settlement.
December 12, 1620 — The expedition returned to the Mayflower.
December 15, 1620 — The Mayflower left Provincetown Harbor. Strong winds kept it from reaching Plymouth Harbor that day. The ship anchored at present-day Goose Point, near Duxbury, just north of Plymouth.
December 16, 1620 — The Mayflower Arrives at Plymouth Bay. Over the next three days, the Pilgrims explored the area further and discussed the exact location to build their settlement. An old map drawn by Samuel de Champlain showed an Indian village on the banks of the harbor. However, by the time the Pilgrims arrived, nothing was left — except for the bones of the dead. Most of them likely died when an epidemic wiped out a significant portion of the Indians in New England from 1616 to 1619 in what is known as the “Great Dying.”
December 20, 1620 — Cole’s Hill is Chosen for Settlement. They decided to start building on a hill, which is known today as Cole’s Hill. A small group stayed on the mainland that night. They planned to start work the next day, but bad weather delayed them.
December 23, 1620 — Workers sailed from the Mayflower to the mainland and started cutting down trees.
December 25, 1620 — The First Christmas in New England. The Pilgrims did not celebrate most holidays, so they spent Christmas Day working. They built the frame for the first building in Plymouth Colony.
December 31, 1620 — The Pilgrims named their new home New Plymouth after the town they left in England.
Key Dates After the Founding of Plymouth
March 16, 1621 — Samoset walked into Plymouth and, according to legend, asked for bread and beer — in English. The Pilgrim leaders met Massosiot and Squanto a few days later.
April 1, 1621 — Plymouth and the Wampanoag agreed to the Pilgrim-Wampanoag Treaty.
Mid-Apil, 1621 — John Carver dies, and William Bradford was elected Governor.
October 1621 — The First Thanksgiving.
November 1621 — A ship called the Fortune arrived, carrying 35 new settlers.
November 1622 — Squanto died from an illness.
1623 — The shared system of living was abolished. Settlers were given one acre of land to plant their crops. If they raised more than they needed, they were allowed to trade the surplus with other settlers.
Summer 1623 — Two ships, the Anne and Little James, arrived with around 100 new settlers.
June 1630 — The Winthrop Fleet arrived in Massachusetts Bay. The Great Puritan Migration accelerated.
May 1657 — William Bradford died.
June 1660 — Massasoit died. He was succeeded by his son, Wamsutta, who the English called Alexander.
1662 — Wamsutta died after visiting Plymouth. He was succeeded by his brother, Metacomet, who the English called Philip. Philip blamed the people of Plymouth for his brother’s death.
June 1675 — Wampanoag warriors attacked Swansea, a settlement in Plymouth Colony. King Philip’s War started.
December 1686 — Plymouth Colony became part of the Dominion of New England.
October 1691 — William and Mary issued a new charter for Massachusetts. Under the new charter, Plymouth and Maine became part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Appendix
Famous Pilgrim Fathers
William Brewster — Brewster founded the Separatist church in Scrooby, England, and moved with the group to Amsterdam, then Leiden, and then Plymouth. In Plymouth, he served as the pastor of the congregation and an advisor to the Governor. He left Plymouth in 1632 and moved to Duxbury. Brewster signed the Mayflower Compact.
John Carver — He went to London with Thomas Cushman to help organize transportation and funding for the trip. Carver signed the Mayflower Compact and was chosen as the first Governor of Plymouth Colony. He was a Separatist and had joined the congregation in Leiden. Carver died in the spring of 1621.
William Bradford — Bradford signed the Mayflower Compact and went on to serve as the Governor of Plymouth Colony for nearly 30 years between 1621 and 1657. He wrote a history of the Pilgrim journey and early years of Plymouth Colony called “Of Plymouth Plantation.” He was a Separatist and an original member of the Scrooby Congregation. He succeeded Carver as Governor in 1621.
John Alden — He was a crew member on the Mayflower. He was hired in Southampton, England, as the ship’s cooper (barrel maker) and was responsible for maintaining the ship’s barrels. He signed the Mayflower Compact and stayed in Plymouth when the Mayflower left. He married fellow passenger Priscilla Mullins. During his life, he played a prominent role in the colony’s government and was the last surviving signer of the Mayflower Compact.
Myles Standish — Standish was an English soldier living in Leiden who accompanied the Separatists on their voyage to America. He signed the Mayflower Compact and participated in the Pilgrim expeditions to the mainland in search of a place to build their settlement. Standish was the military leader of Plymouth Colony.
The Pilgrims Were English Colonists
The Pilgrims were a small group of English colonists who immigrated from England to the New World in 1620 on the ship Mayflower. Some of them were Puritan Separatists who wanted to separate from the Church of England completely. The other passengers were servants, workers, and families that were sympathetic to the Separatist cause or wanted a fresh start in the New World. The Separatists called themselves “Saints” and referred to everyone else on the Mayflower as “Strangers.”
The Separatists Sought Religious Freedom and English Identity
In 17th Century England, people were required to attend and participate in the services of the Church of England. However, the Separatists, who were part of the Puritan movement, wanted to separate from the Church of England. They first moved to the Netherlands but found they were losing their identity as Englishmen. They decided to emigrate to America, where they could have religious freedom and retain their English customs and way of life. The other passengers on the Mayflower were looking for a new life in the New World.
The Saints and Strangers are Known as the “Pilgrim Fathers”
Over time, the entire group that sailed on the first Mayflower Voyage — Saints and Strangers — has come to be known as the Pilgrims. In 1820, Daniel Webster delivered a speech at the bicentennial celebration and referred to the entire group of colonists as the “Pilgrim Fathers.”
102 People Were on the First Mayflower Voyage
There were 102 passengers in total, along with 20-30 crewmembers. There were men, women, and children — entire families. Some unaccompanied children were on the trip, and they were looked after by the adults. Within the passengers were skilled tradesmen and men with military experience. A baby boy, Oceanus Hopkins, was born during the voyage. Another boy, Peregrine White, was born after the Mayflower reached Cape Cod. They arrived at Cape Cod and established Plymouth Colony in 1620. It was the first successful English Colony in New England.
