View source for Mayflower

{{Short description|17th-century ship of American colonists}}
{{for multi|other ships|List of ships named Mayflower|other uses}}

{{Pp-move-indef}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin
| display title = ital
}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = Copyrighted and Published by A S Burbank, The Mayflower at Sea (NBY 21340).jpg
| Ship caption = ''Mayflower'' at sea (from a postcard of 1910-20)
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Ship country = [[Kingdom of England|England]]
| Ship flag = [[File:Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg|60px]] <!-- Please do not change this without discussion. The Union Flag is correct and predated the establishment of Great Britain. -->
| Ship name = ''Mayflower''
| Ship owner = [[Christopher Jones (Mayflower Captain)|Christopher Jones]] ({{frac|1|4}} of the ship)
| Ship maiden voyage = Before 1609
| Ship out of service = 1622–1624
| Ship fate = Most likely taken apart by [[Rotherhithe]] shipbreaker {{c.}} 1624
| Ship master = Christopher Jones
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Ship class = Probably English-built merchant ship
| Ship tonnage = 180+ tons
| Ship length = ~{{cvt|80|-|90|ft}} on deck, {{cvt|100|-|110|ft}} overall
| Ship decks = Around 4
| Ship capacity = Unknown, but carried approximately 135 people to [[Plymouth Colony]]
| Ship width = ~{{cvt|25|ft}}
}}
|}

'''''Mayflower''''' was an English [[sailing ship]] that transported a group of English families, known today as the [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrims]], from England to the [[New World]] in 1620. After 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, reached what is today the United States, dropping anchor near the tip of [[Cape Cod, Massachusetts]], on {{Old Style Date|November 21|3=November 11}}, 1620.

Differing from their contemporary [[Puritans]] (who sought to reform and purify the [[Church of England]]), the Pilgrims chose to separate themselves from the Church of England, which forced them to pray in private. They believed that its resistance to reform and [[Roman Catholic]] past left it beyond redemption. Starting in 1608, a group of English families left England for the Netherlands, where they could worship freely. By 1620, the community determined to cross the Atlantic for America, which they considered a "new [[Promised Land]]", where they would establish [[Plymouth Colony]].<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|44}}

The Pilgrims had originally hoped to reach America by early October using two ships, but delays and complications meant they could use only one, ''Mayflower''. Arriving in November, they had to survive unprepared through a harsh winter. As a result, only half of the original Pilgrims survived the first winter at Plymouth. If not for the help of [[Native Americans in the United States|local indigenous peoples]] to teach them food gathering and other survival skills, all of the colonists might have perished. The following year, those 53 who survived<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pilgrimhall.org/pdf/TG_What_Happened_in_1621.pdf|title=Primary Sources for 'The First Thanksgiving' at Plymouth|publisher=Pilgrim Hall Museum|access-date =November 26, 2009|quote=The 53 Pilgrims at the First Thanksgiving}}</ref> celebrated the colony's first fall harvest along with 90 [[Wampanoag]] Native American people,<ref>{{citation |last=Winslow |first=Edward |title=Mourt's Relation|url=http://factreal.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/heritagepilgrimsmourtsrelationjournalbywinslow.pdf|access-date=November 20, 2013|year=1622|page=133|quote=many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted}}</ref> an occasion declared in centuries later the first American [[Thanksgiving]].<ref name=Weinstein>Weinstein, Allen, and Rubel, David. ''The Story of America'', Agincourt Press Production, (2002) {{isbn|0-7894-8903-1}} pp. 60–61</ref> Before disembarking from ''Mayflower'', the Pilgrims wrote and signed the [[Mayflower Compact]], an agreement that established a rudimentary government, in which each member would contribute to the safety and welfare of the planned settlement. As one of the earliest colonial vessels, the ship has become a [[cultural icon]] in the [[history of the United States]].<ref name=Sky>Bevan, Richard.  [https://www.history.co.uk/article/The-Mayflower-And-the-birth-of-america "The Mayflower and the Birth of America"], ''Sky History''.  AETN UK. Accessed on 23 November 2023.</ref>

== Motivations for the voyage ==
{{see also|Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)#History}}
A congregation of approximately 400 English [[Protestants]] living in exile in [[Leiden]], Holland, were dissatisfied with the failure of the [[Church of England]] to reform what they felt were many excesses and abuses. But rather than work for change in England (as other Puritans did), they chose to live as [[English Dissenters|Separatists]] in religiously tolerant Holland in 1608. As separatists, they were considered illegal radicals by their home country of England.<ref name=Philbrick>Philbrick, Nathaniel. ''Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War'', Penguin Publishing (2006) ebook {{ISBN|978-1-101-21883-9}}</ref>

The government of Leiden was recognized for offering financial aid to reformed churches, whether English, French or German, which made it a sought-after destination for Protestant intellectuals.<ref name="Fraser">[[Rebecca Fraser|Fraser, Rebecca]]. ''The Mayflower'', St. Martin's Press, N.Y. (2017) {{isbn|978-1-250-10856-2}}</ref>{{rp|17}} Many of the separatists were illegal members of a church in [[Nottinghamshire]], England, secretly practicing their Puritan form of Protestantism. When they learned that the authorities were aware of their congregation, church members fled in the night with little more than the clothes they were wearing, and clandestinely made it to Holland.<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|18}}

[[File:Isaac Claesz. Van Swanenburg Washing the Skins and Grading the Wool.jpg|thumb|Painting by Isaac Claesz Van Swanenburg of workers in Leiden's wool industry]]

Life in Holland became increasingly difficult for the congregation. They were forced into menial and backbreaking jobs, such as cleaning wool, which led to a variety of health afflictions. In addition, a number of the country's leading [[theologian]]s began engaging in [[History of the Calvinist–Arminian debate#The Remonstrants and Calvinist reaction|open debates which led to civil unrest]], instilling the fear that Spain might again place Holland's population under siege, as it had done years earlier.<ref name=Philbrick/> England's [[James VI and I|James I]] subsequently formed an alliance with Holland against Spain, with a condition outlawing independent English church congregations in Holland.<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|26}} In aggregate, these became the separatists' motivating factors to sail for the [[New World]], which would have the added benefit of being beyond the reach of King James and his bishops.<ref name=Philbrick/>

Their desire to travel to America was considered audacious and risky, as previous attempts to settle in North America had failed. [[Jamestown, Virginia|Jamestown]], founded in 1607, saw most of its settlers die within the first year. 440 of the 500 new arrivals died of starvation during the first six months of winter.<ref name=Philbrick/> The Puritan separatists also learned of the constant threat of attacks by indigenous peoples.<ref name=Philbrick/> But despite all the arguments against traveling to this new land, their conviction that God wanted them to go held sway: "We verily believe and trust the Lord is with us," they wrote, "and that he will graciously prosper our indeavours, according to the simplicity of our hearts therein."<ref name=Philbrick/><ref>{{cite book |last=Arber |first=Edward |title=The Story of the Pilgrim Fathers, 1606–1623 |url=https://archive.org/details/storyofthepilgri000478mbp/page/n297/mode/2up |publisher=Ward and Downey |location=London |date=1897 |page=286 |access-date=19 January 2021}}</ref>

==Voyage==
{{see also|Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)#Voyage}}

=== Leaving Holland ===
{{see also|Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)#Decision to leave Holland}}
After deciding to leave Holland, they planned to cross the Atlantic using two purchased ships. A small ship with the name ''[[Speedwell (1577 ship)|Speedwell]]'' would first carry them from Leiden to England. The larger ''Mayflower'' would then be used to transport most of the passengers and supplies the rest of the way.<ref name=Jackson/>

[[File:Embarkation of the Pilgrims.jpg|thumb|Pilgrims [[John Carver (Plymouth Colony governor)|John Carver]], [[William Bradford (governor)|William Bradford]] and [[Myles Standish]] at prayer during their voyage to North America. 1844 painting by [[Robert Walter Weir]].]]

Not all of the Separatists were able to depart, as many did not have enough time to settle their affairs and their budgets were too meager to buy the necessary travel supplies. The congregation therefore decided that the younger and stronger members should go first, with others possibly following in the future. Although the congregation had been led by [[John Robinson (pastor)|John Robinson]], who first proposed the idea of emigrating to America, he chose to remain in Leiden to care for those who could not make the voyage.<ref name=Jackson/>

In explaining to his congregation why they should emigrate, Robinson used the analogy of the [[Return to Zion|ancient Israelites leaving Babylon]] to escape bondage by returning to Jerusalem, where they would build [[Second Temple|their temple]].<ref name=Marshall>Marshall, Peter. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=x44NTf66SEAC&pg=PA20 The Light and the Glory]'', Baker Publishing Group (1977) p. 20 {{isbn|0-8007-3271-5}}</ref> "The Pilgrims and Puritans actually referred to themselves as God's New Israel", writes Peter Marshall.<ref name=Marshall/> It was therefore considered the destiny of the Pilgrims and Puritans to similarly build a "spiritual Jerusalem" in America.<ref name=Marshall/><ref name=Meacham/>{{rp|39}}

When it was time to leave, the ship's senior leader, [[Edward Winslow]], described the scene of families being separated at the departure: "A flood of tears was poured out. Those not sailing accompanied us to the ship, but were not able to speak to one another for the abundance of sorrow before parting."<ref name=Hilton>Hilton, Christopher. ''Mayflower: The Voyage that Changed the World'', History Press ebook (2005) {{isbn|978-0-7524-9530-9}}</ref> [[William Bradford (governor)|William Bradford]], another leader who would be the second governor of the Plymouth Colony, similarly described the departure:

{{quote|Truly doleful was the sight of that sad and mournful parting. To see what sighs and sobs and prayers did sound among them; what tears did gush from every eye, and pithy speeches pierced each heart...their Reverend Pastor, falling down on his knees, and they all with him...<ref name=Philbrick-2>Philbrick, Nathaniel. ''Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War'', Viking (2006) {{ISBN|978-0-670-03760-5}}</ref>{{rp|23}}}}

The trip to the south coast of England took three days, where the ship took anchor at [[Southampton]] on {{Old Style Date|August 5|3=July 26}}, 1620. From there, the Pilgrims first laid eyes on their larger ship, ''Mayflower'', as it was being loaded with provisions.<ref name=Jackson/>

===''Speedwell'' and ''Mayflower''===
[[File:Mayflower replica.jpg|thumb|''[[Mayflower II]]'', a replica of the original ''Mayflower'', docked at [[Plymouth, Massachusetts]]]]

Carrying about 65 passengers, ''Mayflower'' left [[London]] in mid-July 1620.<ref>Charles Edward Banks p.17</ref> The ship then proceeded down [[the Thames]] to the south coast of England, where it anchored at Southampton, Hampshire. There she waited for the planned rendezvous on July 22 with the ''Speedwell'', coming from Holland with members of the Leiden congregation.<ref name=Jackson>Jackson, Kevin. ''Mayflower: The Voyage from Hell'', Amazon ebook, 2013 {{isbn|978-1-9161908-7-0}}</ref> Although both ships planned to depart for America by the end of July, a leak was discovered on ''Speedwell'', which had to be repaired.<ref name=Whittock>Whittock, Martyn. ''Mayflower Lives: Pilgrims in a New World and the Early American Experience'', ''Pegasus Books'' (2019) ebook {{ISBN|1-64313-132-X}}</ref>

The ships set sail for America around August 5, but ''Speedwell'' sprang another leak shortly after, which necessitated the ships' return to [[Dartmouth, Devon|Dartmouth]] for repairs. They made a new start after the repairs, but more than 200 miles (320&nbsp;km) beyond [[Land's End]] at the southwestern tip of England, ''Speedwell'' sprang a third leak. It was now early September, and they had no choice but to abandon ''Speedwell'' and make a determination on her passengers. This was a dire event, as vital funds had been wasted on the ship, which were considered very important to the future success of their settlement in America. Both ships returned to [[Plymouth]], England, where 20 ''Speedwell'' passengers joined the now overcrowded ''Mayflower'', while the others returned to Holland.<ref name="Bishop">Bishop, E. W., Rev. "The Pilgrim Forefathers", ''Lansing State Journal'' (Michigan), October 2, 1920 p. 4</ref>

They waited for seven more days until the wind picked up. William Bradford was especially worried: "We lie here waiting for as fair a wind as can blow... Our victuals will be half eaten up, I think, before we go from the coast of England; and, if our voyage last long, we shall not have a month's victuals when we come in the country."<ref name=Arber>Arber, Edward. ''The Story of the Pilgrim Fathers, 1606–1623'', Ward and Downey, Limited (1897) {{ISBN|978-0-7222-6640-3}}</ref>{{rp|343}} According to Bradford, ''Speedwell'' was refitted and seaworthy, having "made many voyages... to the great profit of her owners." He suggested that ''Speedwell''{{'}}s master may have used "cunning and deceit" to abort the voyage by causing the leaks, fearing starvation and death in America.<ref name=Philbrick2>Philbrick, Nathaniel. ''Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War'', (Penguin Books 2006)</ref>{{rp|28}}

===''Mayflower'' sets sail===
{{details|topic=acquisition of the ship and the planning of the voyage|Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)}}
{{quote box| align = right| width = 25em| quote = At last the over-full and hitherto baffled ''Mayflower'' was ready for the third trial. This final voyage would be successful. On September 26, 1620, the gallant little craft slipped out to sea. In proportion to her cubic feet of space, no heavier cargo had ever been shipped across the Atlantic. The entirety of a new church, a new commonwealth, a new nation, all of which were to bless the world, were confined within the limits of ''Mayflower's'' hold. The course of empire was moving westward indeed.| source = Rev. E. W. Bishop<ref name=Bishop/>}}
In early September, western gales turned the North Atlantic into a dangerous place to sail. ''Mayflower''{{'}}s provisions were already quite low when departing Southampton, and they became lower still by delays of more than a month. The passengers had been on board the ship this entire time, feeling worn out and in no condition for a very taxing, lengthy Atlantic journey cooped up in the cramped spaces of a small ship.<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|29}}

When ''Mayflower'' sailed from Plymouth alone on {{Old Style Date|September 16|3=September 6}}, 1620, with what Bradford called "a prosperous wind",<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|29}} she carried 102 passengers plus a crew of 25 to 30 officers and men, bringing the total aboard to approximately 130.<ref>Charles Edward Banks, ''The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers Who Came to Plymouth on the "Mayflower" in 1620, the "Fortune" in 1621, and the "Anne" and "Little James" in 1623'', orig. pub 1929, reprint 2006 by Genealogical Publishing Co., {{isbn|0-8063-0708-0}} p. 17–19</ref> At about 180 tons, she was considered a smaller cargo ship, having traveled mainly between England and [[Bordeaux]] with clothing and wine, not an ocean ship.{{efn|A good, strong ship was at least 300 tons, which made ''Mayflower'' relatively small.<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|39}}}} Nor was she in good shape, as she was sold for scrap four years after her Atlantic voyage.<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|39}} She was a high-built craft forward and aft, measuring approximately {{Convert|100|ft}} in length and about {{Convert|25|ft}} at her widest point.<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|24}}<ref name=Bunker>Bunker, Nick. ''Making Haste from Babylon: ''Mayflower'' Pilgrims and their New World a History'', Knopf, New York (2011) {{isbn|0-307-38626-0}}</ref>{{rp|37}}

=== The trip across the Atlantic ===
[[File:The Mayflower at sea.jpg|thumb|''Mayflower'' at sea, drawing from a book, {{c.}} 1893]]
The living quarters for the 102 passengers were cramped, with the living area about {{convert|20|by|80|ft|0}} or {{convert|1600|ft2}} and the ceiling about {{convert|5|ft|m|spell=in}} high.<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|43}} With couples and children packed closely together for a trip lasting two months, a great deal of trust and confidence was required among everyone aboard.<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|45}}

[[John Carver (Plymouth Colony governor)|John Carver]], one of the leaders on the ship, often inspired the Pilgrims with a "sense of earthly grandeur and divine purpose". He was later called the "[[Moses]] of the Pilgrims", notes historian [[Jon Meacham]].<ref name=Meacham>Meacham, Jon, ''American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation'', Random House, 2006, p. 40</ref><ref>{{citation | last = Talbot | first = Archie Lee | title = A New Plymouth Colony at Kennebeck | place = Brunswick | year = 1930 | url = http://catalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&BBID=7810528&v3=1 | publisher = Library of Congress}}.</ref> The Pilgrims "believed they had a covenant like the Jewish people of old", writes author [[Rebecca Fraser]]. "America was the new Promised Land."<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|44}} In a similar vein, early American writer [[James Russell Lowell]] stated, "Next to the fugitives whom [[The Exodus|Moses led out of Egypt]], the little shipload of outcasts who landed at Plymouth are destined to influence the future of the world."<ref name=Lowell>{{citation | last = Lowell | first = James Russell | title = The Round Table | publisher = Gorham Press | place = Boston | year = 1913 | pages = 217–18 | quote = Next to the fugitives whom Moses led out of Egypt, the little shipload of outcasts who landed at Plymouth are destined to influence the future of the world. The spiritual thirst of mankind has for ages been quenched at Hebrew fountains; but the embodiment in human institutions of truths uttered by the [[Son of man|Son of Man]] eighteen centuries ago was to be mainly the work of Puritan thought and Puritan self-devotion. ...If their municipal regulations smack somewhat of [[Judaism]], yet there can be no nobler aim or more practical wisdom than theirs; for it was to make the law of man a living counterpart of the law of God, in their highest conception of it.}}</ref><ref>Ames, Azel; Bradford, William. [https://books.google.com/books?id=uItODwAAQBAJ&q=mayflower%20voyage%20destiny%20lowell ''History of the Mayflower Voyage and the Destiny of Its Passenger''], Madison & Adams Press (2018), public domain (CC BY-SA 3.0) {{isbn|978-80-268-8269-5}}</ref>

The first half of the voyage proceeded over calm seas and under pleasant skies. Then the weather changed, with continuous northeasterly storms hurling themselves against the ship, and huge waves constantly crashing against the topside deck.<ref name=Hodgson/>{{page number needed|date=November 2023}}<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|4}} In the midst of one storm, [[William Butten]], the young, indentured servant of physician [[Samuel Fuller (Pilgrim)|Samuel Fuller]], died—the sole fatality of the voyage<ref name=Arber/>{{rp|350}}—and was buried at sea.<ref name=Bishop/> A baby was also born, christened [[Oceanus Hopkins]].<ref name=Bishop/> During another storm, so fierce that the sails could not be used, the ship was forced to drift without hoisting its sails for days, or else risk losing her masts.<ref name=Bunker/>{{rp|59}} The storm washed passenger [[John Howland]] overboard. He sank about {{convert|12|ft|0}}, but a crew member threw a rope, which Howland managed to grab, and he was safely pulled back on board.<ref name=Arber/>{{rp|349}}

[[File:Mayflower II galley.jpg|thumb|''Mayflower II'' cabin interior]]
The passengers were forced to crouch in semi-darkness below deck. With waves tossing the boat in different directions, men held onto their wives, who themselves held onto their children. Water was soaking everyone and everything above and below deck.<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|50}}

In mid-ocean, the ship came close to being totally disabled and might have had to return to England or risk sinking. A storm had so badly damaged its main beam that even the sailors despaired. By a stroke of luck, one of the colonists had a metal [[jackscrew]] that he had purchased in Holland to help in the construction of the new settler homes.<ref name=Arber/>{{rp|349}} They used it to secure the beam, which kept it from cracking further, thus maintaining the seaworthiness of the vessel.<ref name=Bishop/>

The ship's cargo included many essential stores the Pilgrims would need for their journey and future lives. It is assumed that they carried tools, food and weapons, as well as some live animals, including dogs, sheep, goats, and poultry. The ship also held two small {{convert|21|ft|0|adj=on}} boats powered by oars or sails. There were also artillery pieces aboard, which they might need to defend themselves against enemy European forces or indigenous tribes.<ref name=Hodgson>Hodgson, Godfrey. ''A Great and Godly Adventure''. Public Affairs: New York, 2006 {{isbn|1-58648-373-0}}</ref>{{page number needed|date=November 2023}}

==Arrival in America==
[[File:Landing of the Pilgrims, by Charles Lucy, Painting (NYPL b12647398-74529).tiff|thumb|''Landing of the Pilgrims'', painting by Charles Lucy ({{circa|1898}})]]
On {{Old Style Date|November 19, 1620|3=November 9, 1620}}, they sighted present-day [[Cape Cod]].<ref name=":0"/>{{rp|66}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Barnhill|first=John H.|title=Colonial America from Settlement to the Revolution|date=2006|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-827-9|editor-last=Rodney P.|editor-first=Carlisle|chapter=Massachusetts|editor-last2=Golson|editor-first2=J. Geoffrey|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zpSa8cRSrT0C&pg=PA1}}</ref>{{rp|1}} They spent several days trying to sail south to their planned destination of the [[Colony of Virginia]], where they had obtained permission to settle from the [[Company of Merchant Adventurers of London]]. But the strong winter seas forced them to return to the harbor at Cape Cod hook, known today as [[Provincetown Harbor]], and they set anchor on {{Old Style Date|November 21|3=November 11}}.<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|53}}<ref name=":0">{{cite book|last=Hills|first=Leon Clark|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7R9FrcTCswMC&pg=PA66|title=History and Genealogy of the Mayflower Planters and First Comers to Ye Olde Colonie|date=2009|publisher=Genealogical Publishing Com|isbn=978-0-8063-0775-6|page=66}}</ref>{{rp|66}}

It was before setting anchor that the male Pilgrims and non-Pilgrim passengers (whom members of the congregation referred to as "Strangers") drew up and signed the [[Mayflower Compact]].<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|54}} Among the resolutions in the Compact were those establishing legal order and meant to quell increasing strife within the ranks.<ref name="Eugene Aubrey Stratton 1691, p. 413">Eugene Aubrey Stratton. ''Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620–1691'', (Ancestry Publishing, Salt Lake City, UT, 1986) p. 413</ref><ref name="Bjoern">Bjoern Moritz, ''The Pilgrim-Fathers' Voyage with the Mayflower'' (ShipsOnStamps 2003) [http://www.shipsonstamps.org/Topics/html/pilgrim.htm]</ref><ref name=Bradford>Bradford, William. ''History of Plymouth Plantation''  Ward and Downey, Ltd, Boston. 1896 p. 448 {{isbn|978-0-7222-6641-0}}</ref><ref>George Ernest Bowman, ''The Mayflower Compact and its signers'', (Boston: Massachusetts Society of ''Mayflower'' Descendants, 1920). Photocopies of the 1622, 1646 and 1669 versions of the document pp. 7–19.</ref> [[Myles Standish]] was selected to make sure the rules were obeyed, as there was a consensus that discipline would need to be enforced to ensure the survival of the planned colony.<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|54}} Once they agreed to settle and build a self-governing community, they came ashore.<ref name="Rich1883">{{cite book| title=Truro-Cape Cod or Land Marks and Sea Marks| url=https://archive.org/details/trurocapecodorl00richgoog |last=Rich |first=Shebnah |year=1883| page=[https://archive.org/details/trurocapecodorl00richgoog/page/n61 53] |publisher=[[D. Lothrop & Co.]] |location=Boston}}</ref>

The moment the Pilgrims stepped ashore was described by William Bradford, the second Governor of the Plymouth Colony:

{{quote|Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element.<ref name=Bradford/>}}

===First winter===
{{quote box| align = right| width = 25em| quote = Plymouth Colony was the first experiment in consensual government in Western history between individuals with one another, and not with a monarch. The colony was a mutual enterprise, not an imperial expedition organized by the Spanish or English governments. In order to survive, it depended on the consent of the colonists themselves. Necessary in order to bind the community together, it was revolutionary by chance.| source = Author [[Rebecca Fraser]]<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|55}}}}
On Monday, {{Old Style Date|December 7|3=November 27}}, an exploring expedition was launched under the direction of Capt. Christopher Jones to search for a suitable settlement site. There were 34 persons in the open small boat: 24 passengers and 10 sailors. They were ill-prepared for the bitter winter weather which they encountered on their reconnoiter, as the Pilgrims were not accustomed to winter weather which was much colder than back home. They were forced to spend the night ashore because of the bad weather they encountered, ill-clad in below-freezing temperatures with wet shoes and stockings that froze overnight. Bradford wrote, "Some of our people that are dead took the original of their death here" on the expedition.<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|65–66}}<ref name=":0"/>{{rp|67}}

Plymouth faced many difficulties during its first winter, the most notable being the risk of starvation and the lack of suitable shelter. The Pilgrims had no way of knowing that the ground would be frozen by the middle of November, making it impossible to do any planting. Nor were they prepared for the snow storms that would make the countryside impassable without snowshoes. And in their haste to leave, they did not think to bring any fishing rods.<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|47}}

From the beginning, the assistance they received from the local Native Americans was vital. One colonist's journal reported, "We dug and found some more corn, two or three baskets full, and a bag of beans. ... In all we had about ten bushels, which will be enough for seed. It is with God's help that we found this corn, for how else could we have done it, without meeting some Indians who might trouble us."<ref name=Bradford-2/> Governor Bradford held out hope:

{{quote|Friends, if ever we make a plantation, God works a miracle! Especially considering how scant we shall be of victuals; and, most of all, ununited amongst ourselves, and devoid of good tutors and leaders. Violence will break all. Where is the meek and humble spirit of [[Moses]] and of [[Nehemiah]], who re-edified the walls of Jerusalem, and the State of Israel? ... I see not, in reason, how we shall escape, even the gasping of hunger-starved persons: but God can do much; and his will be done!"<ref name=Bradford-2>Bradford, William. ''Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620–1647'', Knopf (1952)</ref>{{rp|56}}}}

During the winter, the passengers remained on board ''Mayflower'', suffering an outbreak of a contagious disease described as a mixture of [[scurvy]], [[pneumonia]], and [[tuberculosis]]. After it was over, only 53 passengers remained—just over half; half of the crew died as well. In the spring, they built huts ashore, and the passengers disembarked from ''Mayflower'' on {{Old Style Date|March 31, 1621|3=March 21, 1621}}.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Azel Ames|author2=William Bradford|author3=Bureau of Military and Civic Achievement|title=The Mayflower Voyage: Premium Edition – 4 Book Collection: 4 Books in One Edition Detailing The History of the Journey, the Ship's Log & the Lives of its Pilgrim Passengers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a6qSDwAAQBAJ|year=2018|publisher=e-artnow|isbn=978-80-272-4506-2|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=a6qSDwAAQBAJ&dq=mayflower+scurvy+pneumonia+tuberculosis&pg=PT591 591]}}</ref>

Historian [[Benson John Lossing]] described that first settlement:

{{quote|After many hardships ... the Pilgrim Fathers first set foot December, 1620 upon a bare rock on the bleak coast of Massachusetts Bay, while all around the earth was covered with deep snow ... Dreary, indeed, was the prospect before them. Exposure and privations had prostrated one half of the men before the first blow of the ax had been struck to build a habitation. ... One by one perished. The governor and his wife died in April 1621; and on the first of that month, forty-six of the one hundred emigrants were in their graves, nineteen of whom were signers of the Mayflower Compact.<ref>Lossing, Benson John. ''A Pictorial History of the United States'', Mason Bros. (1860) p. 63</ref>}}

Jones had originally planned to return to England as soon as the Pilgrims found a settlement site. But his crew members began to be ravaged by the same diseases that were felling the Pilgrims, and he realized that he had to remain in Plymouth Harbor "till he saw his men began to recover."<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|91}} ''Mayflower'' lay in New Plymouth harbor through the winter of 1620–21, then set sail for England on {{Old Style Date|April 15|3=April 5}}, 1621. As with the Pilgrims, her sailors had been decimated by disease. Jones had lost his boatswain, his gunner, three quartermasters, the cook, and more than a dozen sailors. ''Mayflower'' made excellent time on her voyage back to England. The westerly winds that had buffeted her on the initial voyage pushed her along on the return trip home. She arrived in London on {{Old Style Date|May 16|3=May 6}}, 1621,<ref>Harris, John. ''Saga of the Pilgrims'' (historical analysis), (Globe Newspaper Co., 1983), webpages (no links between): [http://www.unityinchrist.com/history/print/saga1.htm UCcom-saga1] and [http://www.unityinchrist.com/history/print/saga11.htm UCcom-saga11]</ref> less than half the time that it had taken her to sail to America.<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|100–101}}{{efn|Jones died after coming back from a voyage to France on March 5, 1622, at about age 52. For the next two years, ''Mayflower'' lay at her berth in [[Rotherhithe]], not far from Jones's grave at St. Mary's church. By 1624, she was no longer useful as a ship; her subsequent fate is unknown, but she was probably broken up about that time.<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|101}}}}

==Passengers==
{{main|topic=the passenger list|List of Mayflower passengers}}

Some families traveled together, while some men came alone, leaving families in England and Leiden. More than a third of the passengers were [[English Dissenters#Puritans|Separatists]] who sought to break away from the established Church of England and create a society that incorporated their own religious ideals. Other passengers were hired hands, servants, or farmers recruited by London merchants, all originally destined for the Colony of Virginia.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

The passengers mostly slept and lived in the low-ceilinged great cabins and on the main deck, which was {{convert|20|by|75|ft|0}} large at most. The cabins were thin-walled and extremely cramped, and the total area was {{convert|15|by|25|ft|round=0.5}} at its largest. Below decks, any person over {{convert|5|ft|cm|spell=in}} tall would be unable to stand up straight. The maximum possible space for each person would have been slightly less than the size of a modern-day [[single bed]].<ref name=Caffrey>Caffrey, Kate. ''The Mayflower''. New York: Stein and Day, 1974</ref>

Passengers passed the time by reading by candlelight or playing cards and games.<ref name=Hodgson/>{{page number needed|date=November 2023}} They consumed large amounts of alcohol such as beer with meals. This was known to be safer than water, which often came from polluted sources and caused disease. No cattle or beasts of draft or burden were brought on the journey, but there were pigs, goats, and poultry.<ref name=Hodgson/>{{page number needed|date=November 2023}}

== ''Mayflower'' ship history ==
There were 26 vessels bearing the name ''Mayflower'' in the Port Books of England during the reign of James I (1603–1625); it is not known why the name was so popular.<ref name="Banks p. 22">Banks, Charles Edward. ''The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers Who Came to Plymouth on the "Mayflower" in 1620, the "Fortune" in 1621, and the "Anne" and "Little James" in 1623'' (orig. pub: 1929 reprint: 2006 by Genealogical Publishing Co.), {{isbn|0-8063-0708-0}} p. 22</ref> The identity of Captain Jones's ''Mayflower'' is based on records from her home port, her known tonnage (est. 180–200 tons), and the master's name.<ref name="Banks p. 22"/> It is not known when and where ''Mayflower'' was built, although late records designate her as "of London". She was designated in the Port Books of 1609–11 as "of [[Harwich]]" in the county of [[Essex]], coincidentally the birthplace of ''Mayflower'' master [[Christopher Jones (Mayflower Captain)|Christopher Jones]] about 1570.<ref>Banks, Charles Edward. ''The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers Who Came to Plymouth on ''Mayflower'' in 1620, the "Fortune" in 1621, and the "Anne" and "Little James" in 1623'' (orig. pub: 1929, reprint: 2006 by Genealogical Publishing Co.), p. 19</ref>

Records dating from August 1609 note Christopher Jones as master and part owner of ''Mayflower'' when his ship was chartered for a voyage from London to [[Drontheim|Trondheim]] in Norway and back to London. The ship lost an anchor on her return in bad weather, and she made short delivery of her cargo of herring. Litigation resulted, and this was still proceeding in 1612. According to records, the ship was twice on the Thames at London in 1613, once in July and again in October and November, and in 1616 she was on the Thames carrying a cargo of wine, which suggests that the ship had recently been on a voyage to France, Spain, Portugal, the Canaries, or some other wine-producing land. Jones sailed ''Mayflower'' [[English Channel|cross-Channel]], taking English woolens to France and bringing French wine back to London. He also transported hats, hemp, Spanish salt, hops, and vinegar to Norway, and he may have taken ''Mayflower'' whaling in the North Atlantic off [[Spitsbergen]] or sailed to [[Mediterranean]] ports.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

After 1616, no further record specifically relates to Jones's ''Mayflower'' until 1624. This is unusual for a ship trading to London, as it would not usually disappear from the records for such a long time. No [[Admiralty court]] document can be found relating to the pilgrim fathers' voyage of 1620. Some of the records of the period might have been lost, or this might be due to the unusual way in which the transfer of the pilgrims was arranged from [[Leyden]] to [[New England]]{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

Jones was one of the owners of the ship by 1620, along with Christopher Nichols, Robert Child, and Thomas Short. It was from Child and Jones that [[Thomas Weston (merchant adventurer)|Thomas Weston]] chartered her in the summer of 1620 to undertake the Pilgrim voyage. Weston had a significant role in ''Mayflower'' voyage due to his membership in the [[Company of Merchant Adventurers of London]], and he eventually traveled to the [[Plymouth Colony]] himself.<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|24}}<ref>Banks, Charles Edward. ''The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers Who came to Plymouth on the "Mayflower" in 1620, the "Fortune" in 1621, and the "Anne" and "Little James" in 1623'' (orig. pub: 1929 reprint: 2006 by Genealogical Publishing Co.), {{isbn|0-8063-0708-0}} p. 17.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=27 June 2023 |title=The Mayflower |url=http://www.history.com/topics/mayflower |work=history.com}}</ref>

=== Later history ===
Three of ''Mayflower''{{'}}s owners applied to the Admiralty court for an appraisal of the ship on May 4, 1624, two years after Captain Jones's death in 1622; one of these applicants was Jones's widow, Mrs. Josian (Joan) Jones. This appraisal probably was made to determine the valuation of the ship to settle the estate of its late master. The appraisal was made by four mariners and shipwrights of [[Rotherhithe]] (the home and burial place of Captain Jones), where ''Mayflower'' apparently was then lying in the [[Thames]] at London. The appraisement is extant and provides information on ship's gear on board at that time, as well as equipment such as muskets and other arms. The ship may have been laid up following Jones's death and allowed to get out of repair, as the appraisal indicates.<ref name="Banks p. 22"/><ref>R. G. Marsden, ''The Mayflower'' English Historical Review (19 October 1904), p. 677</ref> The vessel was valued at one hundred and twenty-eight [[Pound sterling|pounds]], eight [[Shilling (English coin)|shillings]], and [[Groat (coin)|fourpence]].<ref>Caffrey, Kate. ''The Mayflower'' Rowman & Littlefield Publishers; Reissue edition (October 18, 2014), p. 324</ref>

What finally became of ''Mayflower'' is an unsettled issue. Charles Edward Banks, an English historian of the Pilgrim ship, claims that the ship was finally broken up, with her timbers used in the construction of a barn at [[Jordans, Buckinghamshire|Jordans]] village in [[Buckinghamshire]]. Tradition claims that this barn still exists as the [[Mayflower Barn]], located within the grounds of Old Jordan in South Buckinghamshire. In 1624, Thomas Russell supposedly added timbers from a ship to a farmhouse. They were bought from a shipbreaker's yard in Rotherhithe and believed to be from the Pilgrim ship ''Mayflower''. The well-preserved structure became a tourist attraction, receiving visitors from all over the world, particularly from America, but it later became privately owned and closed to the public.<ref name="Banks p. 22"/>

===Second ''Mayflower''===
Another ship called ''Mayflower'' made a voyage from London to Plymouth Colony in 1629 carrying 35 passengers, many from the Pilgrim congregation in Leiden that organized the first voyage. However, this was not the ship making the original voyage with the first settlers. The 1629 voyage began in May and reached Plymouth in August; this ship also made the crossing from England to America in 1630 (as part of the [[Winthrop Fleet]]), 1633, 1634, and 1639. It attempted the trip again in 1641, departing London in October of that year under master John Cole, with 140 passengers bound for Virginia. It never arrived. On October 18, 1642, a deposition was made in England regarding the loss.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pierson |first1=Richard E. |last2=Pierson |first2=Jennifer |title=Pierson Millennium |year=1997 |publisher=Heritage Books, Inc. |location=Bowie, MD |isbn=0-7884-0742-2}}</ref>

== ''Mayflower'' design and layout ==
''Mayflower'' was [[square-rig]]ged with a [[beakhead]] bow and high, castle-like structures [[Bow (watercraft)|fore]] and [[aft]] that protected the crew and the main deck from the elements: designs that were typical of English merchant ships of the early 17th century. Her stern carried a {{convert|30|ft|m|0|adj=mid|-high}}, square aft-castle which made the ship difficult to sail close to the wind and not well suited against the North Atlantic's prevailing [[westerlies]], especially in the fall and winter of 1620; the voyage from England to America took more than two months as a result. ''Mayflower''{{'}}s return trip to London in April–May 1621 took less than half that time, with the same strong winds now blowing in the direction of the voyage.<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|24}}<ref name=Bunker/>{{rp|37}}

''Mayflower''{{'}}s exact dimensions are not known, but she probably measured about {{Convert|100|ft}} from the beak of her prow to the tip of her stern superstructure, about {{Convert|25|ft}} at her widest point, and the bottom of her keel about {{Convert|12|ft}} below the waterline. William Bradford estimated that she had a cargo capacity of 180 tons, and surviving records indicate that she could carry 180 casks holding hundreds of gallons each.<ref name=Bunker/>{{rp|37}} The general layout of the ship was as follows:
* Three masts: mizzen (aft), main (midship), and fore, and also a [[spritsail]] in the bow area<ref>{{cite web |title=Cross-Section |url=http://mayflowerhistory.com/cross-section |work=MayflowerHistory.com}}</ref>
* Three primary levels: main deck, gun deck, and cargo hold

Aft on the main deck in the stern was the cabin for Master Christopher Jones, measuring about {{convert|10|by|7|ft|spell=in|0}}. Forward of that was the steerage room, which probably housed berths for the ship's officers and contained the ship's compass and [[whipstaff]] (tiller extension) for sailing control. Forward of the steerage room was the [[Capstan (nautical)|capstan]], a vertical axle used to pull in ropes or cables. Far forward on the main deck, just aft of the bow, was the forecastle space where the ship's cook prepared meals for the crew; it may also have been where the sailors slept.{{sfn|Johnson|2006|p=30}}

The [[poop deck]] was located on the ship's highest level above the stern on the aft castle and above Master Jones's cabin. On this deck stood the poop house, which was ordinarily a chart room or a cabin for the master's mates on most merchant ships, but it might have been used by the passengers on ''Mayflower'', either for sleeping or cargo.{{sfn|Johnson|2006|p=31}}<ref name="Mayflower History.com">{{cite web|url=http://mayflowerhistory.com/|title=MayflowerHistory.com|website=MayflowerHistory.com}}</ref>

The gun deck was where the passengers resided during the voyage, in a space measuring about {{convert|50|x|25|ft|sigfig=2}} with a {{convert|5|ft|1|spell=in|adj=on}} ceiling. It was a dangerous place if there was conflict, as it had gun ports from which cannon would be run out to fire on the enemy. The gun room was in the stern area of the deck, to which passengers had no access because it was the storage space for gunpowder and ammunition. The gun room might also house a pair of [[stern chaser]]s, small cannon used to fire from the ship's stern. Forward on the gun deck in the bow area was a [[windlass]], similar in function to the steerage capstan, which was used to raise and lower the ship's main anchor. There were no stairs for the passengers on the gun deck to go up through the gratings to the main deck, which they could reach only by climbing a wooden or rope ladder.{{sfn|Johnson|2006|p=31}}<ref name="Mayflower History.com"/>

Below the gun deck was the cargo hold where the passengers kept most of their food stores and other supplies, including most of their clothing and bedding. It stored the passengers' personal weapons and military equipment, such as armor, muskets, gunpowder and shot, swords, and bandoliers. It also stored all the tools that the Pilgrims would need, as well as all the equipment and utensils needed to prepare meals in the New World. Some Pilgrims loaded trade goods on board, including [[Isaac Allerton]], [[William Mullins (Mayflower passenger)|William Mullins]], and possibly others; these also most likely were stored in the cargo hold.{{sfn|Johnson|2006|pp=30–31}} There was no privy on ''Mayflower''; passengers and crew had to fend for themselves in that regard. Gun deck passengers most likely used a bucket as a chamber pot, fixed to the deck or bulkhead to keep it from being jostled at sea.<ref name="Mayflower History.com"/>{{sfn|Johnson|2006|pp=30–31}}

''Mayflower'' was heavily armed; her largest gun was a [[Minion (cannon)|minion cannon]] which was brass, weighed about {{Convert|1200|lb}}, and could shoot a {{Convert|3.5|lb|adj=on}} cannonball almost a mile (1,600 m). She also had a [[Saker (cannon)|saker cannon]] of about {{Convert|800|lb}}, and two base cannons that weighed about {{Convert|200|lb}} and shot a 3- to 5-ounce ball (85–140 g). She carried at least ten pieces of ordnance on the port and starboard sides of her gun deck: seven cannons for long-range purposes, and three smaller guns often fired from the stern at close quarters that were filled with musket balls. Ship's Master Jones unloaded four of the pieces to help fortify Plymouth Colony.<ref name=Bunker/>{{rp|37}}

== ''Mayflower'' officers, crew, and others ==
{{main|List of Mayflower passengers#Mayflower officers and crew}}
According to author Charles Banks, the officers and crew of ''Mayflower'' consisted of a captain, four mates, four quartermasters, surgeon, carpenter, cooper, cooks, boatswains, gunners, and about 36 men before the mast, making a total of about 50. The entire crew stayed with ''Mayflower'' in Plymouth through the winter of 1620–1621, and about half of them died during that time. The remaining crewmen returned to England on ''Mayflower'', which sailed for London on {{Old Style Date|April 15|3=April 5}}, 1621.<ref>Banks, Charles Edward. ''The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers: who came to Plymouth on the ''Mayflower'' in 1620, the ''Fortune'' in 1621, and the ''Anne'' and the ''Little James'' in 1623'' (Baltimore, MD.:Genealogical Publishing Co., 2006) p. 18</ref><ref>Eugene Aubrey Stratton. ''Plymouth Colony: Its History and People, 1620–1691,'' (Ancestry Publishing, Salt Lake City, UT, 1986) p. 21</ref>

== Legacy ==
[[File:Mayflower compact 1920 U.S. stamp.1.jpg|thumb|''Mayflower'' Tercentenary stamp, 1920]]
The Pilgrim ship ''Mayflower'' has a famous place in American history as a symbol of early European colonization of the future United States.<ref name=Philbrick2/>{{rp|4–5}} As described by Richard Bevan:

{{quote|Out of all the voyages to the American colonies from 1620 to 1640, the ''Mayflower''{{'}}s first crossing of Pilgrim Fathers has become the most culturally iconic and important in the history of migration from Europe to the New World during the Age of Discovery.<ref name=Sky/>}}

The [[#Bradford|main record]] for the voyage of ''Mayflower'' and the disposition of the Plymouth Colony comes from the letters and journal of William Bradford, who was a guiding force and later the [[governor]] of the [[colony]]. His detailed record of the journey is one of the primary sources used by historians, and the most complete history of Plymouth Colony that was written by a ''Mayflower'' passenger.<ref>[http://mayflowerhistory.com/bradford-william "William Bradford"], Caleb Johnson's Mayflower History</ref>

[[File:Thanksgiving-Brownscombe.jpg|thumb|left|''The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth'' (1914) By Jennie A. Brownscombe]]

The American national holiday, [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]], originated from the first Thanksgiving feast held by the Pilgrims in 1621, a prayer event and dinner to mark the first harvest of the ''Mayflower'' settlers.<ref name=Sky/>

The 300th Anniversary of ''Mayflower''{{'}}s Landing was commemorated in 1920 and early 1921 by celebrations throughout the United States and by countries in Europe. Delegations from England, Holland and Canada met in New York. The mayor of New York, [[John Francis Hylan]], in his speech, said that the principles of the Pilgrim's Mayflower Compact were precursors to the [[United States Declaration of Independence]].<ref>"Mayor Extends City's Freedom to the Pilgrims", ''New York Tribune'', September 28, 1920</ref> While American historian [[George Bancroft]] called it "the birth of constitutional liberty."<ref name=Fraser/>{{rp|55}} Governor [[Calvin Coolidge]] similarly credited the forming of the Compact as an event of the greatest importance in American history:

{{quote|It was the foundation of liberty based on law and order, and that tradition has been steadily upheld. They drew up a form of government which has been designated as the first real [[constitution]] of modern times. It was democratic, an acknowledgment of liberty under law and order and the giving to each person the right to participate in the government, while they promised to be obedient to the laws....[A]ny form of government is better than anarchy, and any attempt to tear down government is an attempt to wreck civilization.<ref>''New York Herald'', Nov. 23, 1920 p. 6</ref>}}

[[File:Pilgrim tercentenary half dollar commemorative reverse.jpg|thumb|''Mayflower'', reverse of the [[Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar]], 1920–21]]

With twenty ''Mayflower'' historical societies throughout the country, the celebration was expected to last during much of 1920. As a result of World War I ending a few years earlier, the original plan to hold a world's fair in its honor was canceled.<ref>"How a Great Historic Event Is to be Celebrated Throughout the Year", ''The San Francisco Chronicle'', Feb. 1, 1920 p. 2</ref>

The government issued a [[Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar]], which portrays the ship on its reverse and passenger William Bradford on its obverse.

According to the [[General Society of Mayflower Descendants]], there are "35 million Mayflower descendants in the world".<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-08-06 |title=Mayflower 400 years: How many people are related to the Mayflower pilgrims? |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57698818 |access-date=2023-07-13}}</ref>

=== 400th anniversary, 2020 ===
The 400th anniversary of ''Mayflower''{{'}}s landing took place in 2020. Organizations in the UK and US planned celebrations to mark the voyage.<ref name="NatGeog">{{Cite web |last=Newcott |first=Bill |date=November 11, 2020 |title=The Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620. Centuries later, the true story is being told. |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/400-years-on-pilgrims-get-reality-check |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=National Geographic}}</ref> Festivities celebrating the anniversary took place in various places in New England. Other celebrations were planned in England and the Netherlands, where the Pilgrims were living in exile until their voyage,<ref>"The 400th anniversary to remember", ''The Boston Globe'', April 18, 2019 p. B2</ref> but the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] forced some plans to be put on hold.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/articles/how-coronavirus-killed-the-mayflower/ "The Mayflower's 400th anniversary celebrations scuppered by coronavirus"], ''The Telegraph'', May 22, 2020</ref>

Among some of the events to mark the anniversary was a crossing of the Atlantic by the ''Mayflower'' Autonomous Ship, without any persons aboard, which used an [[AI]] captain designed by [[IBM]] to self-navigate across the ocean.<ref>[https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/sleek-new-ai-mayflower-to-cross-atlantic-on-400th-anniversary-of-pilgrims-voyage-11488 "Sleek new AI 'Mayflower' to cross Atlantic on 400th anniversary of Pilgrims' voyage"], ''The First News'', March 25, 2020</ref> The [[Harwich Mayflower Heritage Centre|Harwich ''Mayflower'' Heritage Centre]] hoped to build a replica of the ship at Harwich, England.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://harwichmayflower.com/about-us-2/|publisher=Harwich Mayflower Heritage Centre|access-date=14 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414234643/http://harwichmayflower.com/about-us-2/|archive-date=14 April 2018}}</ref> Descendants of the Pilgrims looked for a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience to commemorate their ancestors.<ref>[https://www.themayflowersociety.org/2020 "2020 Commemoration by the Mayflower Society"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205221749/https://www.themayflowersociety.org/2020 |date=2020-12-05 }}, Mayflower Society</ref>

A full-scale replica of the ship was burnt in [[Great Torrington]] in Devon on 28 August 2021, a year later than originally planned.<ref>{{cite news |title=Torrington: Life-size Mayflower replica set alight for charity |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-58368163 |publisher=BBC News |date=29 August 2021 |access-date=5 August 2022}}</ref>

=== Use of "Mayflower" ===
{{See also|Ruslan (ship)}}
The [[Ruslan (ship)|SS ''Ruslan'']], a ship of the Third Aliyah from Odessa that docked in Jaffa in 1919 and has been described as the "Israeli ''Mayflower''" for its cultural importance in the development of Israeli culture since on board of the ''Ruslan'' were several pioneers of Israeli culture.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-16 |title=New Israel Museum Exhibition Reveals the Secrets of the Israeli "Mayflower" |url=https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/new-israel-museum-exhibition-reveals-the-secrets-of-the-israeli-mayflower/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=eJewish Philanthropy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tal |first=Ronen |date=August 27, 2023 |title=One Voyage That Changed the Face of Jewish Culture in Israel |url=https://www.haaretz.com/life/2023-08-27/ty-article-magazine/.highlight/how-the-zionist-mayflower-helped-create-modern-israel/0000018a-2765-da97-a7cb-67f7b90c0000 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-16 |work=Haaretz |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Rosenbaum |first=Alan |date=2019-12-09 |title=New exhibition reveals the secrets of the Israeli 'Mayflower' |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/new-exhibition-reveals-the-secrets-of-the-israeli-mayflower-610371 |access-date=2023-12-16 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Biography}}
* [[Billericay]], where the Pilgrim Fathers met before the voyage
* ''[[Mayflower II]]'', a replica of ''Mayflower'' in Plymouth, Massachusetts
* [[Mayflower Steps]] in Plymouth, site of the ship's final departure from England
* ''[[Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure]]'' (1979)
* [[Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)]]
* ''[[Plymouth Adventure]]'' (directed by Clarence Brown, 1952)
* [[Puritan migration to New England (1620–1640)]]
* ''[[Seaflower (ship)|Seaflower]]'', sister ship to ''Mayflower''
* [[Speedwell (1577 ship)|''Speedwell'' (1577 ship)]]

== Explanatory notes==
{{notes}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Ames, Azel; Bradford, William. [https://books.google.com/books?id=uItODwAAQBAJ&q=Ames,%20Azel;%20Bradford,%20William.%20History%20of%20the%20Mayflower%20Voyage%20and%20the%20Destiny%20of%20Its%20Passenger ''History of the Mayflower Voyage and the Destiny of Its Passenger''], Madison & Adams Press (2018), public domain (CC BY-SA 3.0) {{isbn|978-80-268-8269-5}}
* {{cite book|title=Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation, 1606–1646|last=Bradford|first=William|editor1-last=Davis|editor1-first=William T.|location=New York|publisher=Scribners|year=1908|url=https://archive.org/details/bradfordshistor03bradgoog|ref=Bradford|author-link=William Bradford (governor)}} (the only written account of the voyage)
* {{cite book|first=Caleb H.|last=Johnson|title=The Mayflower and Her Passengers|publisher=Xlibris|year=2006|location=Indiana}}{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=January 2018}}
* {{cite book|last=Marble|first=Annie Russel|title=The Women who Came in the Mayflower|publisher=Pilgrim Press|year=1920|location=Boston|author-link=Annie Russell Marble}}
* {{cite journal|last=Marson|first=R. G.|date=1904|title=The 'Mayflower'|journal=[[The English Historical Review]]|volume=19|issue=76|pages=669–680|jstor=548611}}
* {{cite book|title=Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War|last=Philbrick|first=Nathaniel|publisher=Viking|year=2006|isbn=0-670-03760-5|ref=Philbrick|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/mayflowerstoryof00phil}}
* {{cite book|title=The Pilgrims and Their History|last=Usher|first=Roland G|publisher=Corner House Publishers|location=Williamstown, Massachusetts|year=1984|isbn=0-87928-082-4|ref=Usher}} (originally published in 1918)
* Vandrei, Martha. "The Pilgrim's Progress", ''History Today'' (May 2020) 70#5 pp 28–41. Covers the historiography 1629 to 2020; online

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Mayflower}}
* [http://mayflowerhistory.com/pilgrim-history/ ''Mayflower'' and Plymouth History]
* [http://www.mayflower400uk.com/ Mayflower 400] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112061233/http://www.mayflower400uk.com/ |date=2017-11-12 }}
* [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2005.05.0026%3Achapter%3D2 Women of The ''Mayflower'' and Plymouth Colony] by Mary Soule Googins, read before the Medford Historical Society, December 19, 1921
* [http://www.pilgrimhall.org/ Pilgrim Hall Museum] of Plymouth, Massachusetts
* [http://www.themayflowersociety.com/ General Society of ''Mayflower'' Descendants]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040218090302/http://www.gutenberg.net/browse/BIBREC/BR4107.HTM The ''Mayflower'' And Her Log]; [[Azel Ames]], [[Project Gutenberg]] edition.
* [https://archive.org/details/mayflowerherlogj00ames The ''Mayflower'' And Her Log]; [[Azel Ames]], [[Internet Archive]] edition.
* [https://archive.today/20130102083007/http://bloosee.com/r/im8FVs Exact arrival site of the ''Mayflower'' on Satellite Map and NOAA Chart] on BlooSee
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070726115455/http://www.plimoth.org/features/mayflower-2/ The ''Mayflower II'']
* [http://www.mayflowersteps.co.uk/ Contemporary photos of Plymouth's Barbican and the Mayflower Steps]
* [https://archive.today/20121223104248/http://www.highton-ridley.co.uk/blog/2009/07/pilgrims-point-rare-one-in-colour.html Pilgrims Point, Plymouth (UK)] A photo of the modern-day Mayflower Steps Arch and Pilgrims Point
* {{cite Americana|wstitle=Mayflower, The |short=x}}

{{Mayflower passengers and related topics|state=expanded}}
{{Thanksgiving}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mayflower| ]]
[[Category:Age of Sail individual ships]]
[[Category:English emigration]]
[[Category:Exploration ships of England]]
[[Category:Migrant ships to the United States]]
[[Category:History of Plymouth County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:History of the Thirteen Colonies]]
[[Category:Plymouth Colony]]
[[Category:Plymouth, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Pre-statehood history of Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Ships of England]]