The Pilgrims' Journey to America

The Pilgrims' Journey to America

• Anita Kronicle, a "History Hunter," explores the history of the Pilgrims.
• The Pilgrims, a group seeking religious freedom, left England in 1620, traveling across the Atlantic.
• They wanted to escape the Church of England.
• Other people also sought religious freedom, and "Pilgrim" describes anyone on a religious journey.
• The Pilgrims faced religious persecution in England.
• Separatists were treated badly and arrested for their beliefs.
• In 1608 the Pilgrims left England for Holland.
• They desired to establish a community where they could practice their religion without limitations.
• Holland failed to provide a solution. Unable to buy land or work in certain jobs, and to raise their children English-speaking, made these Pilgrims unhappy.
• In 1620, Pilgrims were granted a license by the King to go to the new world.
• Pilgrims sailed to America with the permission of the King and financed by English merchants.

The Voyage of the Mayflower

• Two ships, the Mayflower and Speedwell, embarked from England in August 1620.
• The Speedwell suffered leaks and had to return to port twice.
• On September 6, 1620, the Mayflower set sail alone, carrying 102 passengers.
• The voyage lasted two months, facing storms and seasickness, a death of one man, and birth of a child.
• The Mayflower landed on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in November 1620, not in New England as expected.
• The Pilgrims needed to establish a form of government, after the journey.
• They created "The Mayflower Compact," a crucial agreement.
• The Pilgrims subsequently explored the land around Cape Cod.

The Mayflower Compact

• The Mayflower Compact was an agreement or contract for the Pilgrims on the Mayflower.
• It established the pilgrims needed a form of government, after leaving the ship.

Further Details of the Voyage

• Not all passengers on the Mayflower were Pilgrims.
• Some were merchants, servants, or seeking adventure.