The History of the First Pilgrims to America

A number of pilgrims sailed on the Mayflower from England to America and the New World. The foundations that the American republic was built on can be traced back to these people, and the sacrifices they made, when they came ashore just over 400 years ago on November 11, 1620. Noel Maldonado explains.

Embarkation of the Pilgrims, 1857. By Robert Walter Weir.

Why Did the Pilgrims Come to America?

The origins of the Mayflower Voyage date back to the early 1600s, when a group of Christians — labeled “Separatists” (the term Pilgrim wasn’t used until much later) — decided to leave the Church of England to form their own congregation in Scrooby, England. As a result, the group was constantly watched by the King’s guard, since it was illegal to hold their own services. They were fined, imprisoned, harassed, and scorned. This persecution continued until the group decided to flee to Holland. After two escape attempts, they finally succeeded, reuniting in Holland where they could worship freely.

What Was the Mayflower Voyage? 

However, after staying in Holland for 12 years, the Pilgrims weighed the cost of remaining there. The hard factory work they were required to do to sustain their families was taking a toll on their health and the health of their children. They were proud Englishmen, so watching their children become Dutch in language and marriage was not ideal. War with Spain was imminent, and, while the country allowed them to worship freely, the Pilgrims believed they were called to share the Gospel with the natives of the New World. It was at this point that the group made the decision to leave and forged their plans to cross the vast ocean to start over in the northernmost parts of Virginia.

By this time, the group had become a congregation of 300 people, led by John Robinson, a pastor, and professor in one of Leiden’s universities. In the end, only 102 people would take on the journey. There were children as young as one year of age and elderly as old as 64. About half the people on board were from the Scooby congregation that had moved to Holland, and the other half were from England. The Mayflower was a simple wine ship that was hired specifically for this journey. 

While there were supposed to be two ships making this voyage, the second ship, the Speedwell, began to leak, so all passengers had to travel in the tight cargo compartment of the Mayflower. Unfortunately, because the Speedwell had delayed the group twice, they set sail in September, which was a stormy season on the Atlantic Ocean. A trip that should have only taken 33 days took about 66 days because they encountered bad weather. 

Waiting for a Chance to Land

After the group had endured miserable conditions at sea, the Mayflower finally approached land on November 9, 1620, which was confirmed to be the Cape Cod area. They were further north than what their patent allowed, but after attempting to sail further south, they anchored the ship in Provincetown Harbor. The ship had almost wrecked in the dangerous waters of Pollack’s Rip, so they had turned back towards the harbor. There was talk of separation between the Scrooby congregation and the others on board, so the groups compromised with an agreement called the Mayflower Compact. This document established the first civil body politic in America, and would become the basis of the American Declaration of Independence and the American Constitution.

Unfortunately, the group was greeted by the arrival of winter. This meant that there wouldn’t be any crops to harvest until the following year, and they only had the food aboard the Mayflower to last through the winter. 

That first winter, the group fell very sick; roughly half of them did not live through the cold winter. When the worst of the winter came during January and February, around two to three people would die every day, so they had to bury their dead in unmarked graves at night. Today, you can find a sarcophagus in Plymouth that protects the bones of those who died during the first winter.

Encounters With Native Americans

As time passed, the Pilgrims were able to nurture a mutually beneficial and friendly relationship with the natives. Through Squanto, the Pilgrims were introduced to the chief, or Great Sachem, of the Wampanoag, Massasoit.

This agreement would work to the benefit of both parties. While the natives shared resources and methods of farming, the Pilgrims provided protection to the tribe, resulting in both communities thriving. Because a plague had devastated the Wampanoag tribe, they were eager to form an alliance with the Pilgrims to protect them in times of war. Both groups agreed to defend one another in case of an attack. The treaty lasted an astounding 50 years.

Settling the Massachusetts Bay Area

The 51 surviving Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest with the Wampanoag during the fall of 1621. This is the event that we now commemorate as the first Thanksgiving. As the colony grew, other ships came. As their numbers grew, the Englishmen purchased land from the natives, and in 1630, Boston was founded by Puritan Governor John Winthrop.

The Puritans would eventually settle the Massachusetts Bay area. This era was known as the “great migration” because thousands of Puritan settlers made their way from England to the New World.

Uncovering the Legacy of This Important Event 

The real history of the Pilgrims is certainly one to be remembered. The Pilgrims are just one group of people in history who provide us with important lessons such as steadfastness, good character, caring for and valuing others, and treating each other with kindness and respect. The Pilgrims were able to stay true to their beliefs despite persecution, starvation, trials, and death. They were great examples of ordinary men and women that God used for His plans and purposes. As such, this group we call Pilgrims should be remembered as Christians who acted with godliness and genuine concern for those around them.

Conclusion

The true story of the Pilgrims is one of sacrifice and honor which paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today in America. To ensure that they were free to serve and praise God in complete freedom without persecution, they made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we could do the same today.

What do you think of the first American pilgrims? Let us know below.

Sources

https://www.dayspringchristian.com/blog/americas-sacred-story-the-true-story-of-the-pilgrims/

https://www.ushistory.org/us/3c.asp

Was the First Thanksgiving Truly a Miracle? Or Merely an Accident?

The story of the first Thanksgiving is well known, but were the events surrounding it accident or design? Here, Victor Gamma considers some of the miraculous – or coincidental - events related to the first Thanksgiving in America.

You can also read Victor’s first article for the site on how the source of the River Nile was found here.

The First Thanksgiving, 1621. A 1910s painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris

William Bradford reflected the unwavering heart of a Separatist when he said; "... I am not only willing to part with everything that is dear to me in this world for this Cause but I am thankful that God hath given me heart so to do; and will accept me so to suffer for Him."

For those Separatists we have come to know as "Pilgrims" such determination was combined with an unusual commitment to be fair and honest with the Native inhabitants of the new country they had settled in. In the first treaty agreement between the Plymouth Pilgrims and the Wampanoags (which lasted over 50 years), the Pilgrims agreed that if anything had been taken, it must be returned. Additionally, the Pilgrims would help the Wampanoags defend themselves if they were attacked, and the Wampanoags would likewise help the Pilgrims. Later, William Bradford, who by this time had become governor of the colony, sent word to his friend, Chief Massasoit (the leader of the Wampanoags), to; "search out those, from whom we took their corn, that we may restore the same to them in full measure."

Is it any wonder that the Pilgrims, although a relatively small group with little impact on the subsequent history of this country, have continually held a special place in the heart of Americans? Is it also any wonder that a people who dedicated themselves so seriously to their vision of God might be worthy, if anyone ever was, to receive special aid and comfort from their God? Here we come to the "Miracle of the First Thanksgiving:" that series of improbable events that can leave the reader scratching his head in wonder, for indeed, the Pilgrim sometimes sounds more like something out of fiction than reality.

It would be well to begin by asking what a verifiable miracle is. In technical verbiage a miracle is an event attributed to divine intervention. Sometimes it involves a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. An event or series of events for which the best explanation is attribute them to a supernatural being, and cite this as evidence for the existence of a god or gods. Does the Pilgrim saga fit the bill? Or was it merely a succession of fortunate accidents? It is up to the individual, of course, as to which offers the best explanation. 

A Series of "Miraculous" Events

Many of the Separatists’ problems were simply due to poor planning. They had very little of the kinds of skills they would need to survive in the wilderness. Yet, time and again, when the odds were against them, they somehow managed to pull through. The pre-Atlantic crossing period of Pilgrim history is itself not lacking in amazing coincidences. During their voyage across the North Sea to Holland a violent storm rocked their ship, they cried out to God “Yet Lord, Thou canst save!” and the storm calmed down. But it is with journey to the New World that the record becomes crowded with marvels. Halfway through their trans-Atlantic crossing, the mainmast cracked. Someone remembered that there was a giant screw which the Pilgrims had brought with them. This was probably a part of a printing press. In any case, they were able to use it to repair the mainmast. If they had not been able to repair it, a return to England or an even worse peril in the storm-ridden Atlantic awaited them. Coincidence?The only other person who died on the voyage, was a crewmember who kept threatening to molest and murder many of the Separatists. When the man died, the Pilgrims interpreted his death as God's providential hand of deliverance. Even the sea-salted crew of the ship was amazed by the antagonist's death. Whether because of superstition, or true piety, the crew believed that God had repaid the man for his wickedness. In addition to making the trip miserable, the storm also accomplished another unforeseen but momentous incident. They were blown off course to Massachusetts. Because of this, and the threat of mutiny among some of the ‘strangers’, they would have to govern themselves. They decided to draw up an instrument of government called the Mayflower Compact, a critical document in the development of American democracy. If they had not been blown off course, they would have been under the authority of others, and there would have been no Mayflower Compact.  

Another happy result of the storms was the location of their arrival. They arrived at Cape Cod, whose protected inlet provided some relief from the Atlantic storms. Once on the wooded shore, they began exploring the wilderness. On two separate expeditions, corn was found buried in mounds. Some of it was gathered and stored away to be used in the spring. The pilgrims considered finding the seed to be God's providence because winter was coming quickly and the Pilgrims had no seeds to plant the following spring. It is important to remember that they left the other ship behind with much needed provisions. As one of their chroniclers put it, "And thus we came ... weary ... and delivered in our corn into the store, to be kept for seed, for we knew not how to come by any, and therefore were very glad, purposing, so soon as we could meet with any inhabitants of that place, to make them large satisfaction [due repayment and more]. This was our first discovery ... And sure it was God's good providence that we found this corn, for else we know not how we should have done, ..." 

"A Spetial instrument sent of God"

With an unforgiving winter approaching, the Pilgrims still had not tackled the challenge of locating an agreeable spot to settle. With the vast majority of voyagers still aboard the Mayflower, the shallop was repaired and a small crew set out aboard her to find a good landing site. A storm whipped up in Cape Cod. They were just about to crash into a reef when a sailor shouted a warning. The wind and waves drove the shallop past the rocks to a broad, round harbor. The land was already cleared and cultivated for farming! It, in fact, was a deserted Native village which had belonged to the Patuxet tribe. The Patuxet's were a very hostile tribe that had lived in the area for generations but had been wiped out by disease recently. This was part of a devastating plague that visited the tribes of southeast New England in the decade before the arrival of the Pilgrims. The area the emigrants ultimately landed at was particularly hard hit. This is an amazing fact considering that the Patuxets were known for being violent, and were legendary for their bloody fierceness in battle. If the Patuxets had been there when the Pilgrims arrived, it is likely that there would have been an all out war, and the Pilgrims probably would not have survived. But now the fierce Patuxets were largely gone, with the notable exception of Squanto, who came into the Pilgrims’ lives soon after. 

The Pilgrims began building homes in the new settlement they named Plymouth. Winter set in upon them and there was little chance to build appropriate shelter. The storms were severe and with only rudimentary shelter, there was little protection from the elements. Many were already sick and not a few had already passed to their heavenly reward. The weather would be dangerous, for the Pilgrims were in a weakened state of malnutrition. The food supplies that were sparse to begin with ran out. Not only did the Pilgrims have to endure a harsh climate but also the prospect of starvation. At this point another "coincidence" took place. As they were just about to starve, a native walked into their village wanting to help them! As everyone watched in amazement, the man astonished the stupefied pilgrims by calling out "Welcome" in perfect English. His name was Samoset, a member of the Abenaki tribe. He later brought another native named ‘Squanto’ who also spoke fluent English. Samoset proceeded to teach the Pilgrims essential survival skills. Plymouth Governor William Bradford was moved to declare him a "spetiall instrument sent of God for [their] good." We could even say that the Pilgrims probably would not have survived without Squanto's help. 

                  From the time he was introduced to them, Squanto devoted his life to helping the newcomers survive. He taught them with great skill and patience. I think most of us are familiar with the story of how Squanto taught the pilgrims how to get maple syrup; which plants were poisonous, and which ones could be used for medicine. He instructed them how to plant corn using several seeds buried with a fish, and so forth. If Squanto had not helped, the harvest that came in that fall would have been unsuccessful and the Pilgrims would not have had enough food to store for the winter.With Squanto we come to another element of the Pilgrim saga that reads like a story out of fiction. He was kidnapped at the age of 12 from his Patuxet village by the Spanish in 1608 and one year later he was taken to Spain, where his friends were sold into slavery. Nearby Monks purchased his freedom and taught him Christianity. He convinced the friars to allow him to attempt to return home. He was then given to an Englishman and taken to London. Here he worked as a stable boy for a family called Slaney, and he was with them for five years until a trading ship going back to the coast of North America could be found. He returned home in 1619, about 6 months ahead of the Pilgrims, only to find his village wiped out by disease. Not long after, Squanto comes to the aid of starving English newcomers, who were living at the site of his former village. And it just so happened that he grew up on the spot where they had settled. This was his home that had been abandoned, and now he had, in a sense, come home. The newcomers from England basically adopted him. This made perfect sense since the forlorn Squanto had lost not his family but his entire tribe. The long list of 'ifs' grows longer. IfSquanto had not been kidnapped, he would have died along with his tribe and would not have been there to help the Pilgrims.Squanto also acted as an intermediary between the Pilgrims and the Massasoit, the Grand Sachem of the Wampanoag. In this way he helped to maintain the treaty of friendship the two signed.  Massasoit honored the treaty until his death in 1661.

In Conclusion

One further event occurred in the summer of 1623. Then, a seven-week drought threatened to kill the Pilgrims’ crops. The Pilgrims paused from work to pray for deliverance. The rain began to fall by suppertime. The current spirit of skepticism scoffs at the idea that a Divine Being had a hand in the survival of the Pilgrims, but contemporaries were matter-of-fact about attributing the Pilgrim success to divine intervention. The title page of Winslow’s book Good News from New Englanddescribes the experience of the early settlement as “shewing the wondrous providence and goodness of god, in their preservation and continuance, being delivered from many apparent deaths and dangers.” 

What do you think of the first Thanksgiving? Let us know below.

REFERENCES

Bradford, William, and Samuel E. Morison. Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647. New York: Knopf, 1952. Print

Bradford, William, and Edward Winslow. Mourt's Relation; Or, Journal of the Plantation at Plymouth, 1622. New York: Garrett Press, 1969. Print.

Winslow, Edward, Good Newes from New England. 1624. Bedford, MA: Applewood Books, 1969/