Enduring Freedom - America's History
The Mayflower
Choppy waters and stormy weather could not stop
the the tiny, wooden-structure Mayflower. As it sailed across
the huge, lonely Atlantic Ocean, the Pilgrims were tossed and
thrown about. Traveling from England the ship arrived in Plymouth
Harbor Sixty-six days later. This voyage changed history forever.
Seeking religious freedom during the reign of King
James I, the Pilgrims were a group of people who came to America
to escape the oppression of England. These people made two attempts
to leave England and move to Holland. Finally, a group of men
and woman were able to relocate to Amsterdam where they stayed
for about one year. From there the group moved to the town of
Leiden, Holland, where they lived for about ten years. Here they
were able to worship as they wished under the more liberal Dutch
laws.
A group from the Leiden churches made plans to settle
in Northern Virginia. Many feared that their children were losing
their religious beliefs and English heritage. In August 1620 the
group sailed for Southampton, England, where they met with other
English colonists who hoped to start a new life in America.
Two ships originally planned to make the trip, the
historic Mayflower, and the lesser-known Speedwell. Problems with
the Speedwell forced the group to return to England where they
reorganized for a second attempt. In September 1620, that historic
attempt to cross the Atlantic was made successfully. The group
made the tough trip in the Mayflower with great anticipation of
the New World bursting with religious freedom and opportunity.
They arrived as winter was settling-in and endured many hardships
as they struggled to establish a proud colony at Plymouth.
As time passed, their colony flourished and established
the religious freedoms that were greatly lacking in their homeland
of England. These brave individuals created the foundations of
the democracy Americans enjoy today. The Pilgrim's celebration
of the first Thanksgiving has grown to become a treasured national
holiday.
Passengers and Crew of the Mayflower
John Alden: Ship's
cooper in Southampton, England. He chose to stay in Plymouth Colony,
and married Mayflower passenger Priscilla Mullins. Isaac Allerton: First assistant governor
for The Plymouth Colony Mary Allerton: Wife of Isaac; died
the first winter. Bartholomew Allerton: Son of Isaac
and Mary Remember Allerton: Daughter of Isaac
and Mary Mary Allerton: Daughter of Isaac
and Mary John Allerton: Died the first winter. John Billington: Critic of Governor
Bradford. Elinor Billington: Wife of John John Billington: Son of John and
Elinor Francis Billington: Son of John and
Elinor William Bradford: Governor of Plymouth
Colony. Dorothy Bradford: Died by drowning
the first winter. William Brewster: Elder of Leiden
Separatist congregation. Mary Brewster: Wife of William. Love Brewster: Son of William and
Mary. Wrestling Brewster: Son of William
and Mary. Richard Britteridge: Died the first
winter. Peter Browne: Married fellow passenger
Martha Ford after her husband died. William Button: The only passenger
to die during the voyage. Robert Carter: Died the first winter. John Carver: The colony's first governor.
He died in 1621. Catherine Carver: Wife of John. Died
weeks after her husband. James Chilton: Died the first winter.
Susanna Chilton: Died the first winter. Mary Chilton: Married fellow passenger
John Winslow. Richard Clarke: Died the first winter. Francis Cooke: His wife and other
children came to America in 1623. John Cooke: Son of Francis Humility Cooper: She later returned
to England. John Crackstone: Died the first winter.
John Crackstone: Son of John Edward Doty: A servant of Stephen
Hopkins. Francis Eaton: After his first wife
died, he married John Carver's maidservant and after she died,
he married fellow passenger Christian Penn. Sarah Eaton: Wife of Francis. She
died the first winter. Samuel Eaton: Son of Francis and
Sarah Mr. Ely: He was a seaman hired to
stay one year in the colony. (First name not known) Thomas English: Died the first winter. Moses Fletcher: Died the first winter. Edward Fuller: Died the first winter.
Mrs. Fuller: Wife of Edward. Died
the first winter. (First name not known) Samuel Fuller: Son of Edward and
Mrs. Fuller Samuel Fuller: Served as the colony's
surgeon and a deacon of Plymouth Colony's church. He died in 1633. Richard Gardener: Later died in England
or at sea. John Goodman: Died the first winter. William Holbeck: Servant of William
White. Died the first winter. John Hooke: A servant of Isaac Allerton.
He died the first winter. Stephen Hopkins: Was possibly shipwrecked
in Bermuda aboard the Sea Venture in 1609. Elizabeth Hopkins: Wife of Stephen. Constance Hopkins: Daughter of Stephen
and Elizabeth. Married Nicholas Snow, a late arrival in 1623. Gyles Hopkins: Son of Stephen and
Elizabeth. Damaris Hopkins: Daughter of Stephen
and Elizabeth. Oceanus Hopkins: Son of Stephen and
Elizabeth. He was born during the voyage across the Atlantic and
died young. John Howland: Servant of John Carver
and married Mayflower passenger Elizabeth Tilley. John Langmore: A servant of Christopher
Martin. Died the first winter. William Latham: A servant of John
Carver. Died on Eleuthera in the Bahamas a few years later. Edward Lester: A servant of Stephen
Hopkins. Died in Virginia. Edmund Margesson: Died the first
winter. Christopher Martin: Governor of the
Mayflower. Died the first winter. Marie Christopher: Died the first
winter.
Solomon Prower: Marie Christopher's
son. He died the first winter. Ellen Moore: Child assigned to Edward
Winslow. Died the first winter. Jasper Moore: Child assigned to John
Carver. Died the first winter. Mary Moore: Child assigned to William
Brewster. Died the first winter. Richard Moore: Child assigned to
William Brewster. He eventually moved to Salem becoming a sea
captain. William Mullins: Died the first winter.
Alice Mullins: Wife of Williams.
Died the first winter. Priscilla Mullins: Daughter of William
and Alice. Married ship's cooper John Alden. Joseph Mullins: Son of William and
Alice. He died the first winter. Digory Priest: Died the first winter.
His wife arrived in america with his two daughters as the wife
of Godbert Godbertson in 1623. John Rigsdale: Died the first winter.
Alice Rigsdale: Wife of John. Died
the first winter. Thomas Rogers: Died the first winter.
Joseph Rogers: Son of Thomas. Henry Sampson: Cousin of Edward and
Ann Tilley and Humilty Cooper. George Soule: Servant of Edward Winslow.
Married Mary Buckett, who arrived in 1623. Myles Standish: Miltary leader of
the colony. Rose Standish: Died the first winter. Elias Story: Servant of Edward Winslow.
Died the first winter. Edward Thompson: A servant of William
White. Died the first winter. Edward Tilley: Died the first winter.
Agnes Tilley: Wife of Edward. Died
the first winter. John Tilley: Died the first winter.
Joan Tilley: Wife of John. Died the
first winter. ElizabethTilley: Daughter of John
and Joan. Married Mayflower passenger John Howland. Thomas Tinker: Died the first winter
JaneTinker: Wife of Thomas. Died
the first winter. William Trevore: A seaman hired to
stay a year in the colony. Later returned to England. John Turner: Died the first winter Richard Warren: Wiife and daughters
arrived in Plymouth in 1623. William White: Died the first winter.
Susanna White: Wife of William. Remarried
Edward Winslow. This was the first marriage in the colony. Resolved White: Son of William and
Susanna. Peregrine White: Son of William and
Susanna. Born onboard Mayflower while in Cape Cod Harbor. Roger Wilder: Servant of John Carver.
Died the first winter. Thomas Williams: Died the first winter. Edward Winslow: Assistant governor
and governor of Plymouth Colony. Elizabeth Winslow: Wife of Edward.
Died the first winter. Gilbert Winslow: Brother of Edward.
