The Mayflower was the ship which brought English religious dissenters called “Separatists” to the new world. These Separatists, who called themselves “Saints” were dissatisfied with the Church of England, and left Scrooby, Nottinghamshire for Leiden, Holland. After struggling in Holland, the 35 (or so) passengers sailed back to England on a ship called the Speedwell, where it would rendezvous with the Mayflower in London.
Hoping for a June departure for optimal weather, their departure was delayed due to leaks on the Speedwell. The two ships departed from England on August 5, 1620 with permission from the Virginia Company to land somewhere between Chesapeake Bay and the Hudson River. The late departure would mean cold, stormy weather and rough seas for their journey. The ships were never registered in the port book as departing, possibly significant to the nature of their voyage.
Shortly after departing, the Speedwell began taking on water, and the passengers were all moved to the Mayflower which continued on alone with 102 passengers and about 30 crew. Not all of the passengers were Saints, however. Roughly 40 Saints were accompanied by about 60 secular colonists who the Saints called “Strangers.”
The Mayflower was a square rigged sailing ship, about 100 feet long, with a beam (or width) of 25 feet, duck-beak prow and prominent stern castle. It had primarily been used as a small cargo ship between England and France, and was not meant for, or had been used as, an ocean ship. She was commanded by Captain Christopher Jones.
The ship was extremely crowded and uncomfortable after combining the passengers from the two ships. Many cramped passengers became violently seasick as the long, cold, journey was very rough, with passengers being tossed and jostled throughout.
The ship first landed at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, which was north of where they were permitted to settle. Captain Jones made several attempts to sail south to the Hudson River, but the strong winter seas of the Atlantic prevented any southern route. After several days, the Mayflower sailed across Boston Harbor and landed at Plymouth Rock on December 21, 1620. The torturous journey took a total of 66 days. Amazingly, only one death occurred during the voyage. The Mayflower was not in good condition at the time of her Atlantic crossing. Just four years later in 1624, the ship was sold as scrap.
These pilgrims, along with the colonists, arrived in an area that had been occupied by the Wampanoag tribe for 10,000 years.