In the fall and winter of 1620, a ship named the Mayflower carried a group of people from England across the Atlantic Ocean to North America. These people, later known as Pilgrims, established the first permanent European colony in New England at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Background

Some passengers on the Mayflower came to the New World to seek economic opportunities, while others wanted religious freedom. Those who wanted religious freedom were known as Separatists. They left England because the English king, James I, did not permit them to worship freely. At the time, everyone was expected to belong to the official state church, the Church of England. A group known as the Puritans wanted to make changes to the church, but the Separatists were a group of Puritans who wanted to separate from the Church of England altogether and form independent local churches.

Departure from England

Afraid of being arrested in England, a small group of Separatists fled to Holland (now part of The Netherlands) in 1608. There they founded a church and a religious community in the city of Leiden. The Separatists were farming people, and though they had religious freedom in Leiden, they did not feel at home in the Dutch industrial and commercial city. They decided to go to the New World, where they could practice their native language and customs.

In 1620 the group from Leiden sailed to England in a small ship, the Speedwell, which they planned to use for commercial fishing in the New World. There they met up with other Separatists as well as other travelers. They also acquired the larger ship, the Mayflower, for the journey. The group made two attempts to leave for the New World only to be forced to return to England because the Speedwell was leaking. Finally they abandoned the ship. Some of the passengers stayed behind, and the rest crowded onto the Mayflower.

Among the Mayflower's most noted voyagers were William Bradford and Captain Myles Standish. William Bradford left an important journal that gives an account of the journey. Bradford later became the governor of Plymouth for 30 years. Captain Myles Standish served as the settlers' military leader after Plymouth was established.

Journey

The ship set sail from Plymouth, England, in September of 1620. The journey to the New World was extremely difficult. The ship was overcrowded. People did not have any privacy and the sanitary conditions were terrible. Many people suffered from seasickness. In addition, they were exposed to bitter cold winds and icy waters. The main beam of the ship was damaged, and repairs were made in the middle of the voyage. After a 66-day voyage, the Mayflower landed on Cape Cod in November of 1620.

Mayflower Compact

The travelers had reached land at a point outside the authority of the Virginia Company, which had originally granted them their territory. Therefore, they decided a form of government was needed. Before landing at Plymouth they prepared an agreement called the Mayflower Compact.

The Compact was one of the earliest plans for self-government by European colonists in America. It pledged the signers to follow any laws and regulations that would be established later. The Mayflower Compact became the foundation of Plymouth's government and was signed by all of the adult males on the ship, Separatists and non-Separatists alike.

After the voyage

For a month the men from the Mayflower explored the area on a small boat to look for the best site for settlement. Finally, in December they decided upon the site of Plymouth. The Mayflower remained with the colony throughout that first winter. People stayed on the ship while their houses were being built. Once spring arrived and the houses were completed, the ship was no longer needed. It set sail for England on April 5, 1621, and reached home a month later. It is believed that the Mayflower later made a few trading runs before it was broken apart and sold for its wood.