What was the Mayflower?
The Mayflower was the English ship that carried the Pilgrims from England to North America in 1620. They founded Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts.
The Mayflower left Plymouth, England, on September 16, 1620, carrying 102 passengers and about 30 crew. Many passengers were English Separatists seeking religious freedom, later called Pilgrims. After a stormy 66-day voyage, they reached Cape Cod in November, far north of their planned destination in Virginia.
Before landing, 41 men signed the Mayflower Compact, an agreement to form a government and follow its laws, an early example of self-government in America. The first winter was harsh, and about half the passengers died from disease and cold.
The first Thanksgiving
The colonists survived with help from the Wampanoag people, including Squanto, who taught them to grow corn. In autumn 1621, the Pilgrims and Wampanoag shared a harvest feast, often remembered as the first Thanksgiving. The Mayflower returned to England in 1621.
Did You Know?
A replica called Mayflower II, built in England, sailed to the United States in 1957 and is displayed in Plymouth, Massachusetts.