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You often hear about the celebrated landing of the Mayflower at Cape Cod. But very little is mentioned about the town from where the Mayflower departed. It may hold no surprise, that this quaint port town is called, “Plymouth, England.” The Pilgrims onboard the Mayflower later formed a colony in Massachusetts, also named, “Plymouth,” by Captain John Smith in 1614. This humble colony of pilgrims planted the seeds to what would later grow into the powerful United States of America. The Barbican area of Plymouth, where the pilgrims departed from on their famous voyage, is one of the few remaining remnants of a very charming and historic town. Unfortunately, Plymouth was one of the worst bombed cities during World War II in the ‘Blitz’ (a particularly destructive and sustained bombing campaign against this naval port). However, the port still exists, called Pilgrim’s Point, with the famous Mayflower Steps, and a variety of plaques commemorating the voyage. A horse-shaped handrail details vignettes of the important stages in the progress of the Pilgrim’s voyage and the final landing at Plymouth Rock and the final establishment of the Plymouth Colony. Originally two ships were to depart on the voyage to America. But the second ship, the Speedwell, was found to be unseaworthy. Further, there were not enough voyagers to fill two boats. On September 6, 1620, 102 passengers left for a new life. Additionally, there were approximately 30 crew members. Of this number only 41 were church members and the remaining voyagers were hired men, paid servants, or others wanting to start a new life. As the Mayflower left Plymouth, England there were 18 women onboard. Amazingly, three of the women (Elizabeth Hopkins, Susanna White and Mary Allerton) were actually in their last trimester of pregnancy. No women died on the actual journey to America but once they arrived 78% of the women died in the first winter. In the end, only five women survived the first winter. By the time of the first ‘Thanksgiving” in 1621, there were only four women left to care for the Colony’s fifty men and children (Elizabeth Hopkins being one of them). The high mortality rate of women is largely attributed to the fact they continued to live on the Mayflower for four months after it landed (unlike the men who were in the fresh air building structures). The ship housed the sick and was rampant with colds and pneumonias. The 1621 Thanksgiving is steeped in lure and legend. It is believed the Pilgrims did not celebrate Thanksgiving the year after their arrival or any year. George Washington made a one-time Thanksgiving holiday, but it was Sara Josepha Hale who lobbied for Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Eventually, Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday. It is believed the Mayflower arrived at Cape Cod on November 21, 1620. Today, however, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, as set by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1931, and approved by Congress in 1941.
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