Pilgrims Sail on the Mayflower: New World Beckons
The Mayflower departed Plymouth, England, on September 6, 1620, carrying 102 passengers across the North Atlantic. They had already tried twice with a companion ship, the Speedwell, which leaked so badly it was abandoned. The crossing took 66 days through autumn storms. One passenger died; one baby was born. The ship was aiming for the Virginia Colony near the Hudson River but was blown off course and made landfall at Cape Cod on November 21. Since they were outside any established colony's jurisdiction, 41 adult males signed the Mayflower Compact, establishing a framework of self-governance. Of the 102 passengers, only 53 survived the first winter, dying of scurvy, pneumonia, and exposure in makeshift shelters on the Massachusetts shore.
September 6, 1620
406 years ago
Key Figures & Places
England
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Old Style
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North America
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Pilgrims
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Mayflower
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Plymouth
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September 16
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New Style
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Pilgrims
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Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony)
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Plymouth
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Mayflower
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Old Style and New Style dates
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September 16
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North America
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