"1620: The Beginning of the American Story"
Mayflower: Birth of a New World
In the year 1620, a small English ship named the Mayflower made one of the most famous voyages in history. Onboard were 102 passengers—a mix of religious Separatists, who wanted freedom to practice their faith, and others seeking a new life across the Atlantic Ocean. Their destination was the New World, which would later become part of the United States. The journey of the Mayflower remains one of courage, faith, and survival. Mayflower set sail from England in July 1620, but it had to turn back twice because Speedwell, the ship it was traveling with, leaked. After deciding to leave the leaky Speedwell behind, Mayflower finally got underway on September 6, 1620.
Motivations for the voyage:
In the early 1600s, a congregation of around 400 English Protestants, dissatisfied with the Church of England’s refusal to reform perceived abuses, chose to live in religious exile in Leiden. Unlike other Puritans who remained in England seeking reform, these Separatists broke away entirely, making them illegal in the eyes of the English authorities. Many were originally members of a secret church in Nottinghamshire and fled to Holland after learning their activities were discovered.
Leiden was attractive for its religious tolerance and financial support for reformed churches. However, life in Holland became increasingly harsh. The Separatists faced economic hardship, being forced into exhausting labor such as wool cleaning, which caused health issues. Political unrest also grew due to theological conflicts and fears of a renewed Spanish siege. Additionally, King James I of England, forming an alliance with Holland, required the suppression of independent English congregations, making the Separatists’ presence in Holland even more precarious.
Seeking both religious freedom and physical safety, the Separatists saw the New World as their best option—despite knowing the dangers. Previous colonies, like Jamestown, had suffered massive death tolls, and there was the ever-present threat of attack by Indigenous peoples. Yet, the Separatists remained committed, believing their journey was divinely inspired. They trusted that God would bless their efforts, despite the risks and uncertainties that lay ahead.
Surviving the New World:
After more than two months (66 days) at sea, the Pilgrims finally arrived at Cape Cod on November 11, 1620. A few weeks later, they sailed up the coast to Plymouth and started to build their town where a group of Wampanoag People had lived before (a sickness had killed most of them). The Pilgrims lived on the ship for a few more months, rowing ashore to build houses during the day, and returning to the ship at night. Many people began to get sick from the cold and the wet; after all, it was December! About half the people on Mayflower died that first winter from what they described as a “general sickness” of colds, coughs and fevers. Finally, in March 1621, there were enough houses that everyone could live on land. After a long, hard voyage, and an even harder winter, Mayflower left Plymouth to return to England on April 5, 1621.
Mayflower Compact:
The Mayflower Compact, signed on November 11, 1620, was a foundational agreement created to maintain order and unity among the Pilgrims upon their arrival in New England (New England is a region in the northeastern United States). Though not originally called by this name until 1793, it served as a legal instrument binding the settlers together in a self-governing community. The Pilgrims included both Separatists—members of a Puritan sect that had broken away from the Church of England—and others who remained part of the established church. Despite their religious differences, they sought to work together.
The Pilgrims had originally received permission from the King of England to settle near the Hudson River, but due to navigational issues, they landed much farther north in present-day Massachusetts. Since this area lay outside their official charter, they needed a new form of authority. The Mayflower Compact provided that structure, allowing them to create a civil society governed by agreed-upon laws until a proper patent was secured.
The Text Of The Mayflower Compact:
In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.
Having undertaken for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together in a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini 1620.
