I got to thinking the other day about the brave English souls who made the courageous decision to get outa town and away from the corruption that was rampant in the Church of England way back 406 years ago in 1607. Imagine this for a moment. They were so pissed off at their lack of freedom that they got on a wooden cargo ship in September 1620 to cross the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean during the sea’s storm season. From all accounts, the voyage from Plymouth, a port town in the south of England to Plymouth, Massachusetts, (New England) was a miserable trip that took 60 days with all 102 getting seasick at one time or another. Â
The Mayflower Pilgrim Ship of 1620. Click on ship for complete history.
The sea voyage was the easy part of their adventure.
The ship only lost one passenger during the crossing, a young man was swept overboard during a major storm. The remainder, 101 brave new colonists, landed near what is now called Cape Cod, Massachusets – just north of where they were supposed to. Not bad for a troop without GPS I say.
These new “Colonists” are now referred to as the “Pilgrims“. 40 or so were religious types known as Protestant Separatists or “Saints” as they apparently like to call themselves. The rest were simply brave Strangers looking for freedom and adventure.
Their first winter was killer.
Only 53 passengers and half the crew survived the first brutal winter in New England. Those who perished died of malnutrition, disease and literally froze to death. They all lived in cramped quarters on the ship that first winter as there was too much snow and temperatures were too cold to build on-land shelter. These people were tough. Real tough.
Native People of New England. Gotta give credit where credit is due.
As the story goes, it is unlikely that any of the Colonists would have survived their first winter had it not been for the help of the local Natives —the local Wampanoag Indian Tribe. The Natives were friendly and taught them how to hunt, fish and grow corn, beans and squash. At the end of their first summer on land, the Pilgrims celebrated their harvest with a 3-day festival of Thanksgiving…an amazing story and a big holiday we Americans still celebrate today.
The Pilgrim Fathers Memorial…
There’s a small granite obelisk mounted on a granite block located in Lincolnshire, England that commemorates one of the first known attempts by a group of people looking for religious freedom.(1607). It was this group that were the precursors of the Pilgrims who crossed the Atlantic Ocean to New England in 1620. Click here for more information about this memorial.
Pilgrim Fathers Memorial. Located at Boston-Lincolnshire, England
The inscription on the front of the memorial reads:
- “Near this place in September 1607 those later known as “The Pilgrim Fathers” made their first attempt to find religious freedom across the seas. Erected 1957.”
The Pilgrim Fathers were the original seekers of freedom of religion and freedom in general. You’ve got to admire their bravery and independent spirit that’s for sure. Click here for more information on the Pilgrim Fathers.
Give Thanks Everyday Folks.
Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year. What else feels better than being able to officially give thanks no matter how little or how much you have. It’s a time for family bonding. A time of appreciation. A time for reflection about just how fortunate we are to be living in a free country able to live life, seek liberty and to pursue happiness.Â
And, a special thanks to our brave warriors, the keepers of our freedom. Thank you very much to all our military personnel.
Big Thanks To All Our Military Personnel.
Ride Safe Out There. Thank you for reading my blog.
Motorcycle Marc
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.
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