Posted by 
Find out the harrowing 1620 Mayflower voyage that shaped American history. I have always been fascinated by the Mayflower story. Not just because it is a cornerstone of American history, but because there is something deeply human about a group of people willing to risk everything for a fresh start.
The year was 1620. I cannot imagine what it must have felt like to board a relatively small wooden ship just 100 feet long knowing you might never see your homeland again. But that is exactly what 102 passengers did when they set sail from Plymouth, England on September 16th of that year. The Mayflower was not actually meant to carry passengers at all. It was a cargo vessel, normally used to transport wine and dry goods.
Unexpected Delays and Harsh Atlantic Conditions
The journey was supposed to take place during summer, when Atlantic waters are calmer. But delays meant they departed in September, facing the full fury of autumn storms. I have experienced seasickness on a modern cruise ship, so I can only imagine how horrible the constant rolling and pitching of the Mayflower must have felt during those 66 days at sea.
Many passengers could not leave the lower deck for weeks. The ship’s low ceilings meant most adults could not even stand upright. The stench must have been overwhelming unwashed bodies, seasickness, chamber pots that could not always be emptied during storms. Did these people ever question their decision? I suspect they did, though their faith seemingly kept them going.
Food consisted mainly of hardtack biscuits, salted beef, dried fish, cheese, and beer (which was safer to drink than water). The monotony of these provisions, many already starting to spoil, could only have added to their misery.
Surviving the First Winter in Plymouth
When the Mayflower finally reached Cape Cod in November 1620, the passengers had already endured more than most modern humans will experience in a lifetime. But their hardships were far from over. They arrived in winter not the ideal season to establish a colony in a strange land.
Before even setting foot on land, the passengers created the Mayflower Compact, a remarkable document that established self-governance for the colony. I find it amazing that in the midst of such hardship, they had the foresight to create what would become one of the foundational documents of American democracy.
How the first winter In Plymouth was brutal
The first winter in Plymouth was brutal. The settlers remained on the ship while scouting parties searched for a suitable settlement location. Disease spread rapidly. By spring, nearly half of the original passengers had died. I wonder sometimes how those who survived managed to maintain hope in the face of such devastating losses.
Yet somehow, they persevered. And when spring finally arrived, the colony began to take shape. An encounter with Squanto, a Native American who spoke English (having been kidnapped and taken to Europe years earlier), proved providential. He taught the settlers how to plant corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish, and avoid poisonous plants. Without this indigenous knowledge, it is doubtful the colony would have survived.
The Legacy That Shaped a Nation
The story of the Mayflower and its passengers is often simplified into a neat Thanksgiving narrative. But the reality was far messier, more harrowing, and ultimately more inspirational. These were not superhumans. They were ordinary people farmers, craftsmen, servants, and their families who accomplished extraordinary things through sheer determination.
I often think about William Bradford, who lost his wife shortly after arrival, yet went on to serve as governor of the colony for many years. Or Mary Chilton, who according to legend was the first woman to step ashore. Or John Howland, who fell overboard during a storm but managed to grab a trailing rope and was pulled back onto the ship an event that, had it ended differently, would have meant thousands of his descendants would never have existed.
Reference
Bradford, W. (2002). Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647 (S. E. Morison, Ed.). Modern Library.
Bunker, N. (2010). Making haste from Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and their world. Alfred A. Knopf.
Philbrick, N. (2006). Mayflower: A story of courage, community, and war. Viking Press.
Bangs, J. D. (2009). Strangers and pilgrims, travellers and sojourners: Leiden and the foundations of Plymouth Plantation. General Society of Mayflower Descendants.