Show notes
The remarkable story of the courage and suffering of the passengers aboard the Mayflower and the establishment of the Plymouth Colony. Artist's rendition of Samoset entering Plymouth Colony
On March 16, the inevitable occurred, although the incident did not unfold as the settlers previously feared. As described in a pamphlet entitled, “Mourt’s Relation,” a description of the first year of Plymouth Colony, co-written by William Bradford and another settler named Edward Winslow, with work suspended for a regularly scheduled meeting about specific plans for the defense of the settlement, the meeting participants became aware of a native looking down at their group from a nearby hill. This had happened previously, but whenever an inhabitant gestured or even attempted to make contact with these previous visitors, the natives fled. This time, however, the lone native began to purposefully walk directly towards the settlement. Without hesitation, he walked past the crude lane of houses and seemed headed directly towards the shelter that protected the colony’s women and children during such an emergency. Without overt hostility, some of the armed settlers got in his way and made it clear he could not enter the shelter. Instead of bristling or running away, this remarkably tall, long haired individual dressed only in an animal skin loin cloth stood to his full height, saluted and probably understanding the effect he would elicit cheerfully spoke the words, “Hello, English!” Fanciful artist's rendition of Pilgrim's landing
Sunday was of course another leisurely day, but on Monday, they began to reconnoiter the harbor in earnest. It was certainly deep enough for a ship the size of the Mayflower, and eventually, upon landing on shore they found large areas suitable for agriculture, fresh water in several streams and no obvious signs of any kind of recent habitation by natives. Additionally, although at least one sizable boulder was certainly situated in the area, there was no mention by Bradford in either of his two personal accounts of this excursion of a landing assisted by a large rock. This seems to have been an invention of subsequent residents, much to the delight of future chambers of commerce. Today, an elaborate, arched, templelike edifice encloses a rather unimpressive large rock embossed with the date of 1620, the alleged landing spot of America’s Pilgrims. Mayflower II, a reconstruction of the original ship
With the onset of Spring and milder weather, the establishment of at least an initial footprint of a settlement and the astonishing new relationship with a powerful local ally, Captain Christopher Jones decided that this was the appropriate time to sail back to England. After all of its cargo was removed and brought ashore, rocks were added for ballast and, on April 5, the Mayflower slowly made its way out of the harbor, an introspective moment for all of those left on shore. Because of the seasonably calm weather and westerly prevailing winds that propelled the ship instead of impeding the craft, It took only a month for the Mayflower to reach its home port and Jones’ residence on the outskirts of London at Rotherhithe. For a brief period he and his ship continued to participate in transporting goods like sugar between England and neighboring countries across the English Channel. But Jones’ health, permanently impaired by his Atlantic crossing with the Plymouth settlers, was undermined to the extent that he died on March 5,...
On March 16, the inevitable occurred, although the incident did not unfold as the settlers previously feared. As described in a pamphlet entitled, “Mourt’s Relation,” a description of the first year of Plymouth Colony, co-written by William Bradford and another settler named Edward Winslow, with work suspended for a regularly scheduled meeting about specific plans for the defense of the settlement, the meeting participants became aware of a native looking down at their group from a nearby hill. This had happened previously, but whenever an inhabitant gestured or even attempted to make contact with these previous visitors, the natives fled. This time, however, the lone native began to purposefully walk directly towards the settlement. Without hesitation, he walked past the crude lane of houses and seemed headed directly towards the shelter that protected the colony’s women and children during such an emergency. Without overt hostility, some of the armed settlers got in his way and made it clear he could not enter the shelter. Instead of bristling or running away, this remarkably tall, long haired individual dressed only in an animal skin loin cloth stood to his full height, saluted and probably understanding the effect he would elicit cheerfully spoke the words, “Hello, English!” Fanciful artist's rendition of Pilgrim's landing
Sunday was of course another leisurely day, but on Monday, they began to reconnoiter the harbor in earnest. It was certainly deep enough for a ship the size of the Mayflower, and eventually, upon landing on shore they found large areas suitable for agriculture, fresh water in several streams and no obvious signs of any kind of recent habitation by natives. Additionally, although at least one sizable boulder was certainly situated in the area, there was no mention by Bradford in either of his two personal accounts of this excursion of a landing assisted by a large rock. This seems to have been an invention of subsequent residents, much to the delight of future chambers of commerce. Today, an elaborate, arched, templelike edifice encloses a rather unimpressive large rock embossed with the date of 1620, the alleged landing spot of America’s Pilgrims. Mayflower II, a reconstruction of the original ship
With the onset of Spring and milder weather, the establishment of at least an initial footprint of a settlement and the astonishing new relationship with a powerful local ally, Captain Christopher Jones decided that this was the appropriate time to sail back to England. After all of its cargo was removed and brought ashore, rocks were added for ballast and, on April 5, the Mayflower slowly made its way out of the harbor, an introspective moment for all of those left on shore. Because of the seasonably calm weather and westerly prevailing winds that propelled the ship instead of impeding the craft, It took only a month for the Mayflower to reach its home port and Jones’ residence on the outskirts of London at Rotherhithe. For a brief period he and his ship continued to participate in transporting goods like sugar between England and neighboring countries across the English Channel. But Jones’ health, permanently impaired by his Atlantic crossing with the Plymouth settlers, was undermined to the extent that he died on March 5,...