Pilgrims (Plymouth Colony) facts for kids
The Pilgrims, also known as the Pilgrim Fathers, were English settlers who sailed to North America on the famous ship Mayflower. They founded Plymouth Colony in 1620, in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. This new home was named after their last port in England, Plymouth, Devon.
The Pilgrims were a group of Brownists, also called Separatist Puritans. They had left England because they faced religious persecution. They found a more tolerant place in 17th-century Holland (the Netherlands).
They shared many religious beliefs with other Puritans. However, unlike most Puritans, they believed their churches should be completely separate from the English state church. Because of this, they were called Separatists. The name "Pilgrims" was not used for them until much later. After living in Holland for several years, they decided to start a new settlement in the New World. They arranged for investors to help fund their journey. They established Plymouth Colony in 1620 and built Congregationalist churches there. The story of the Pilgrims is a very important part of United States history and culture.
History of the Pilgrims
The main group who became known as "Pilgrims" came together around 1605. They left the Church of England to form their own Separatist churches. This happened in Nottinghamshire, England. Their leaders were John Robinson, Richard Clyfton, and John Smyth.
Their churches followed Brownist beliefs. This meant they thought true churches were voluntary groups of people, not entire nations. This idea came from Robert Browne, John Greenwood, and Henry Barrow. As Separatists, they felt their differences with the Church of England were too big to fix. They believed their worship should be independent of the main church's rules and traditions.
Leaving England for Holland
The Separatist movement was not popular. Under the Act of Uniformity 1559, it was against the law not to attend official Church of England services. People who missed services had to pay a fine. There were also bigger fines and even prison for holding unofficial church services. The Seditious Sectaries Act of 1593 was specifically made to outlaw the Brownists.
Because of these laws, many Separatists were put in prison. Some, like Robert Browne, took their followers to live in exile in Middelburg, Zeeland. Others, like John Penry, were executed. After Penry's death, some London Separatists moved to Amsterdam to escape persecution.
Many Puritans hoped that things would get better when King James I became king. They wanted more religious freedom. However, the Hampton Court Conference in 1604 denied almost all their requests. The only major change was a new English translation of the Bible.
In the same year, Richard Bancroft became Archbishop of Canterbury. He started a campaign against Puritans and Separatists. He suspended many ministers and fired others. This led some of them to start even more Separatist churches. Robinson, Clifton, and their followers formed a Brownist church. They promised God to follow His ways, no matter the cost.
Archbishop Hutton, who had some sympathy for Puritans, died in 1606. Tobias Matthew took his place. Matthew was a strong supporter of King James. He immediately began to remove anyone who did not follow the official church. This included Puritans, Separatists, and those who wanted to return to the Catholic faith. Disobedient clergy were replaced. Important Separatists were confronted, fined, and imprisoned. He is known for causing many people to leave the country if they refused to attend Anglican services.
William Brewster was a former helper to the Netherlands ambassador. He lived in the Scrooby manor house. He was also the postmaster for the village and a bailiff for the Archbishop of York. He liked Clyfton's services and began attending private meetings at the Scrooby manor house in 1606. Clyfton was the pastor, John Robinson was the teacher, and Brewster was the elder.
Soon after, Smyth and his group moved to Amsterdam. Brewster was fined £20 for not following the church rules. This happened after he resigned from his postmaster job in September 1607. Around this time, the Scrooby congregation decided to follow Smyth's group to Amsterdam.
William Bradford, a member from Scrooby, kept a journal. It was later published as Of Plymouth Plantation. He wrote about this difficult time: "But after these things they could not long continue in any peaceable condition, but were hunted & persecuted on every side... For some were taken & clapt up in prison, others had their houses besett & watcht night and day... and the most were faine to flie & leave their howses & habitations."
Life in Leiden, Holland
The Pilgrims moved to the Netherlands around 1607-1608. They settled in Leiden, a city with 30,000 people. They lived in small houses behind the "Kloksteeg," across from the Pieterskerk church.
Life in Leiden was a mix of good and bad. Leiden was a busy industrial city. Many Pilgrims found work at Leiden University or in textile, printing, and brewing jobs. However, some found it hard to earn enough money. This was because they came from rural areas and struggled with the language. For those who struggled, Robinson and three partners bought an estate where they could live.
Bradford described their years in Leiden: "For these & other reasons they removed to Leyden, a fair & bewtifull citie... But wanting that traffike by sea which Amerstdam injoyes, it was not so beneficiall for their outward means of living & estats. But being now hear pitchet they fell to such trads & imployments as they best could; valewing peace & their spirituall comforte above any other riches whatsoever. And at length they came to raise a competente & comforteable living, but with hard and continuall labor."
William Brewster taught English at the university. Robinson enrolled in 1615 to get his doctorate. He took part in debates, especially about Calvinism versus Arminianism. Brewster bought typesetting equipment around 1616. He started publishing the debates through a local press, with money from Thomas Brewer.
However, the Netherlands was a foreign land. Its culture and language were difficult for the English congregation to understand or learn. They found the Dutch political situation unstable. Their children were also becoming more Dutch as the years passed. The congregation began to believe they would eventually disappear if they stayed there.
Deciding to Leave Holland
By 1617, the congregation was stable, but problems remained. Bradford noted that many members were getting old. This made it harder for them to support themselves. Some had used up their savings and returned to England. The leaders worried that more would leave, and the congregation would not survive.
It was also hard to attract new members to Leiden because of the job issues. Younger members started leaving to find work and adventure elsewhere. Another reason was the chance to do missionary work in a faraway land. This was a rare opportunity in a Protestant country like Holland.
Bradford listed several reasons for leaving. These included the difficulties in the Netherlands. They hoped to find "a better, and easier place of living." They also worried about their children being "drawn away by evil examples into extravagance and dangerous courses." They had "great hope, for the propagating and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world."
Edward Winslow listed similar reasons. Besides money worries and missionary chances, he stressed keeping their English identity, culture, and language. They also felt the English Church in Leiden could not help the wider community much.
Moving to America had many risks. Stories of failed colonies had reached them. They feared violent native people, lack of food or water, unknown diseases, and dangerous sea travel. On top of this, the local political situation in Holland was becoming unstable. The truce in the Eighty Years' War was ending. They worried about how Spain might treat them.
Possible destinations included Guiana in South America, where the Dutch had a colony. Another option was near the Virginia settlements. Virginia seemed good because an older colony might offer safety and trade. However, they did not want to settle too close. They feared it might bring back the same political problems they faced in England.
The London Company controlled a large area in Virginia. The Pilgrims first planned to settle near the mouth of the Hudson River. This area later became the Dutch colony of New Netherland. This plan would avoid social, political, and religious conflicts. It also promised military and economic benefits by being near an established colony.
Robert Cushman and John Carver were sent to England to get a land patent. Their talks were delayed by problems within the London Company. But they finally got a patent in John Wincob's name on June 9 (Old Style)/June 19 (New Style), 1619. The king agreed to the charter, but only if the Leiden group's religion did not get official recognition.
Preparations then stopped because of the London Company's issues. Dutch companies offered the congregation a chance to settle in the Hudson River area. However, negotiations with the Dutch stopped. This was encouraged by English merchant Thomas Weston. He promised to fix the London Company delays. The London Company wanted to claim the area explored by Hudson before the Dutch settled there. The first Dutch settlers did not arrive until 1624.
Weston brought a big change. He told the Leiden group that people in England had gotten a land grant north of Virginia. It would be called New England. This was only partly true. The new grant did happen, but not until late 1620. This was when the Plymouth Council for New England received its charter. They expected this area to be good for fishing. It was also not under the control of the Virginia government.
A second change was kept secret from the larger group. New investors had joined the plan. They wanted the terms changed. At the end of the seven-year contract, half of the settled land and property would go to the investors. Also, the original agreement allowed each settler two days a week to work on personal business. This was removed from the final agreement without the Pilgrims knowing.
During these talks, William Brewster got involved in religious problems in Scotland. In 1618, King James issued the Five Articles of Perth. Scots saw this as an attack on their Presbyterian traditions. Brewster published pamphlets criticizing this law. They were smuggled into Scotland by April 1619. These pamphlets were traced back to Leiden. English authorities tried to arrest Brewster but failed. The English ambassador, Dudley Carleton, learned about the situation. He pressured the Dutch government to send Brewster back to England. The Dutch responded by arresting Thomas Brewer, the financier, in September. Brewster's location is unknown between then and the colonists' departure. However, the Dutch authorities did seize his printing equipment. Meanwhile, Brewer was sent to England for questioning. He refused to cooperate with officials until well into 1620. He was eventually convicted in England for his religious publications. In 1626, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Voyage Preparations
Not everyone from the congregation could go on the first trip. Many could not finish their affairs in time. Also, the budget for travel and supplies was limited. The group decided that younger and stronger members should go first. The rest agreed to follow later if they could. Robinson stayed in Leiden with most of the congregation. Brewster was chosen to lead the American congregation. The church in America would be independent. However, it was agreed that members moving between continents would automatically be part of either church.
With plans made, the Pilgrims bought supplies and a small ship. The Speedwell was to bring some passengers from the Netherlands to England. Then it would go to America. It would be kept there for fishing. A crew was hired to help for the first year. The larger ship, Mayflower, was rented for transport and exploration.
The Voyage to America
The Speedwell was originally named Swiftsure. It was built in 1577 and weighed 60 tons. It was part of the English fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada. It left Delfshaven in July 1620 with the Leiden colonists. They had traveled by canal from Leyden for about seven hours. It reached Southampton, Hampshire, and met the Mayflower. The Mayflower carried more colonists hired by the investors. After final preparations, the two ships set sail on August 5 (Old Style)/August 15 (New Style).
Soon after, the Speedwell crew reported their ship was leaking. Both ships turned back to Dartmouth, Devon. The crew checked Speedwell for leaks and sealed them. But their second attempt to leave only got them to Plymouth, Devon. The crew decided the Speedwell was not safe. Its owners sold it. The ship's captain and some crew moved to the Mayflower for the trip. William Bradford thought the Speedwell seemed "overmasted," which put a strain on the hull. He also believed some crew members caused the leaks on purpose. This would let them avoid their year-long commitment. Passenger Robert Cushman wrote that a loose board caused the leaking.
Crossing the Atlantic
Out of 120 combined passengers, 102 were chosen to travel on the Mayflower. All the supplies were put on board. About half of these passengers came from Leiden. Around 28 of the adults were members of the congregation. The smaller group finally sailed successfully on September 6 (Old Style)/September 16 (New Style), 1620.
At first, the trip went smoothly. But then they met strong winds and storms. One storm caused a main beam to crack. They thought about turning back, even though they were more than halfway there. However, they fixed the ship enough to continue. They used a "great iron screw" that the colonists brought (probably a jack for building or a cider press). Passenger John Howland was washed overboard in the storm. But he grabbed a rope trailing in the water and was pulled back onto the ship.
One crew member and one passenger died before they reached land. A child was born at sea and named Oceanus.
Arrival in America
The Mayflower passengers saw land on November 9, 1620. They had endured terrible conditions for about 65 days. William Brewster led them in reading Psalm 100 as a prayer of thanks. They confirmed the area was Cape Cod in the New England territory. This was the area Weston had suggested. They tried to sail the ship around the cape towards the Hudson River. This was also in the New England grant area. But they ran into sandbars and strong currents around Cape Malabar (now Monomoy Island). They decided to turn around. The ship anchored in Provincetown Harbor by November 11/21.
The Mayflower Compact
The charter for the Plymouth Council for New England was not complete when the colonists left England. It was granted on November 3/13 while they were sailing. They arrived without a valid patent. The older Wincob patent was from their abandoned dealings with the London Company. Some passengers knew this. They suggested they were free to do as they pleased upon landing, without a patent. They thought they could ignore the contract with the investors.
To solve this problem, a short contract was written. It later became known as the Mayflower Compact. It promised cooperation among the settlers "for the general good of the Colony unto which we promise all due submission and obedience." It organized them into a "civill body politick." This meant issues would be decided by voting, a key part of democracy. It was approved by majority rule. Forty-one adult male Pilgrims signed it for the 102 passengers (73 males and 29 females). The group included 19 male servants, three female servants, and some hired sailors and craftsmen.
At this time, John Carver was chosen as the colony's first governor. Carver had rented the Mayflower. His signature is the first on the Mayflower Compact. He was the most respected and wealthy member of the group. The Mayflower Compact is seen as one of the first steps toward American democracy. One source has called it the world's first written constitution.
First Landings and Exploration
Full exploration of the area was delayed for more than two weeks. This was because the shallop (a smaller sailing vessel) they brought was partly taken apart to fit on the Mayflower. It was also damaged during the trip. However, small groups waded to the beach to get firewood and clean themselves.
Exploration parties went out while waiting for the shallop. They were led by Myles Standish (an English soldier they met in Leiden) and Christopher Jones. They found an old European-built house and an iron kettle. These were left by some ship's crew. They also found recently farmed fields with corn stalks.
They found a man-made mound near the sand dunes. They partly dug it up and found it was an Indian grave. Farther along, they found a similar, more recent mound. They discovered that some burial mounds also held corn. The colonists took some corn to use as seeds for planting. They reburied the rest. William Bradford later wrote in his book Of Plymouth Plantation that, after the shallop was fixed: "They also found two of the Indian's houses covered with mats, and some of their implements in them; but the people had run away and could not be seen. Without permission they took more corn, and beans of various colours. These they brought away, intending to give them full satisfaction (payment) when they should meet with any of them, – as about six months afterwards they did.
And it is to be noted as a special providence of God, and a great mercy to this poor people, that they thus got seed to plant corn the next year, or they might have starved; for they had none, nor any likelihood of getting any, till too late for the planting season."
By December, most passengers and crew were sick with bad coughs. Many also suffered from scurvy. There had already been ice and snow, making exploration difficult. Half of them died during the first winter.
First Contact with Native Americans
Explorations started again on December 6/16. The shallop party went south along the cape. It included seven colonists from Leiden, three from London, and seven crew members. They landed in the area where the Nauset people lived. This area is now around Brewster, Chatham, Eastham, Harwich, and Orleans. They saw some people on the shore who ran away when they approached. Inland, they found more mounds, one with acorns they dug up, and more graves. They decided not to dig up the graves. They stayed ashore overnight and heard cries near their camp. The next morning, Indigenous peoples attacked them with arrows. The colonists used their firearms and shot back. Then they chased the attackers into the woods but did not find them. There was no more contact with the Natives for several months.
The Native peoples already knew the English. English ships had visited the area for fishing and trade before the Mayflower arrived. In the Cape Cod area, relations were bad after a visit several years earlier by Thomas Hunt. Hunt kidnapped 20 people from Patuxet (the site of Plymouth Colony) and seven from Nausett. He tried to sell them as slaves in Europe. One of the Patuxet people taken was Squanto. He later became an important ally of the Plymouth Colony.
The Pokanokets also lived nearby. They especially disliked the English after one group captured many people and shot them on their ship. By this time, there had already been killings on both sides at Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod. But during one of the captures by the English, Squanto escaped to England. There, he became a Christian. When he returned, he found that most of his tribe had died from a plague.
Establishing Plymouth Colony
Continuing west, the shallop's mast and rudder broke in storms, and the sail was lost. They rowed for safety. They found the harbor formed by Duxbury and Plymouth barrier beaches. They stumbled onto land in the darkness. They stayed there for two days to rest and fix their equipment. They named it Clark's Island after a Mayflower mate who first stepped on it.
They continued exploring on Monday, December 11/21. The party crossed to the mainland. They surveyed the area that became the settlement. The anniversary of this survey is celebrated in Massachusetts as Forefathers' Day. It is linked to the Plymouth Rock landing tradition. This land was good for building in winter because it was already cleared. The tall hills offered a good defensive position.
The cleared village was called Patuxet by the Wampanoag people. It had been abandoned about three years earlier after a plague killed all its residents. This "Indian fever" caused bleeding. It is thought to have been a severe form of smallpox. The outbreak was so bad that the colonists found unburied skeletons in the homes.
The exploration party returned to the Mayflower. It was anchored about 25 miles away. The ship was brought to the harbor on December 16/26. Only nearby sites were checked. A hill in Plymouth (named on earlier maps) was chosen on December 19/29.
Building started right away. The first common house was almost done by January 9/19. It was 20 feet square and built for general use. At this point, single men were told to join one of the 19 families. This was to avoid building more houses than needed. Each extended family was given a plot of land. It was one-half rod wide and three rods long for each person in the household. Then, each family built its own home. Supplies were brought ashore. The settlement was mostly complete by early February.
When the first house was finished, it became a hospital for the sick Pilgrims. Thirty-one people had died by the end of February, and deaths were still rising. Coles Hill became the first cemetery. It was on a high point above the beach. The graves were allowed to be covered with grass. This was so the Native Americans would not find out how weak the settlement had become.
Between the landing and March, only 47 colonists had survived the diseases they caught on the ship. During the worst of the sickness, only six or seven people were well enough to feed and care for the rest. In this time, half of the Mayflower crew also died.
William Bradford became governor in 1621 after John Carver died. On March 22, 1621, the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony signed a peace treaty with Massasoit of the Wampanoags. Bradford gave the patent of Plymouth Colony to the freemen in 1640, keeping only three small areas of land. Bradford served as governor for 11 years in a row. He was elected to other terms until his death in 1657.
The colony included what are now Bristol County, Plymouth County, and Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was reorganized. It received a new charter as the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691. At that time, Plymouth stopped being a separate colony.
The Name "Pilgrims"
Bradford's Writings
The first time the word pilgrims was used for the Mayflower passengers was in William Bradford's book, Of Plymouth Plantation, published in 1898. As he finished telling about his group leaving Leiden in July 1620, he used words from Hebrews 11:13–16. This Bible passage talks about Old Testament "strangers and pilgrims" who could have returned home but instead longed for a better, heavenly country. "So they lefte [that] goodly & pleasante citie, which had been ther resting place, nere 12 years; but they knew they were pilgrimes, & looked not much on these things; but lift up their eyes to ye heavens, their dearest cuntrie, and quieted their spirits."
There is no record of the term Pilgrims being used to describe Plymouth's founders for 150 years after Bradford wrote this. The only times it appeared were when people quoted him. Historians Nathaniel Morton (in 1669) and Cotton Mather (in 1702) retold the Mayflower story. Both of them used Bradford's word pilgrims when talking about his passage. At Plymouth's Forefathers' Day celebration in 1793, Rev. Chandler Robbins read this passage aloud.
Popular Use of the Term
The name Pilgrims probably did not become widely used until around 1798. Plymouth celebrated Forefathers' Day several times between 1769 and 1798. They used different terms to honor Plymouth's founders. But the term Pilgrims was not mentioned, except when Robbins read it in 1793.
The first time the term was used, not just as a quote from Bradford, was on December 22, 1798. This was at a Forefathers' Day celebration in Boston. A song written for the event used the word Pilgrims. The people there also drank a toast to "The Pilgrims of Leyden." The term was used a lot during Plymouth's next Forefather's Day celebration in 1800. It has been used in Forefathers' Day events ever since.
By the 1820s, the term Pilgrims became more common. Daniel Webster often referred to "the Pilgrims" in his speech on December 22, 1820. This was for Plymouth's 200th anniversary and was widely read. Harriet Vaughan Cheney used it in her 1824 novel A Peep at the Pilgrims in Sixteen Thirty-Six. The term also became popular with the 1825 publication of Felicia Hemans's famous poem "The Landing of the Pilgrim Fathers."
See also
In Spanish: Padres peregrinos para niños
