The Mayflower, the iconic ship that carried the Pilgrims to the New World, set sail from Plymouth, England carrying 102 passengers and approximately 30 crewmembers in September 1620. Wine and dry goods were the ship’s usual cargo; however, her journey this time was to bring her passengers to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life. With many of those aboard being Protestant Separatists, or “Saints” as they called themselves, they hoped to begin a new church.
Only 53 passengers and half the crew survived the first winter by living onboard the Mayflower. In April 1621, she sailed back to England while the colonists moved ashore. Without the help of the native people, none of the colonists would have endured the harsh weather. More than half of them died from malnutrition, disease, and exposure.
With the help of Samoset, an English-speaking Pawtuxet, the Pilgrims shaped an alliance with the local Wampanoag. They were taught to hunt, gather, and grow food. When the next summer ended, they celebrated their first successful harvest with a thanksgiving festival that went on for three days. Today we still honor this feast every year.
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