1. Introduction
Pilgrim families arrived in Holland in the spring of 1608 and in Plymouth in December 1620. In May 1607, 105 men arrived in Jamestown to establish the first permanent English settlement in North America. While the individuals in both settlements were English, the they were different in many important ways. To fully appreciate our Pilgrim heritage, it is important to understand the differences between Plymouth and Jamestown. This essay identifies major differences and explains how these differences affected the settlements during the first few decades of their arrival.

The Algonquin Nation inhabited New England and the mid-Atlantic states. The Wampanoag federation at its peak contained 20,000 to 30,000 individuals in two dozen tribes who occupied southeastern Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island. The Wampanoag was ruled by a Sachem, Massasoit, and a council of young men who had proven themselves in battle and older men chosen for their wisdom. Europeans explored, and in some cases planted settlements along the coast of New England since at least 1498.

Setting people straight about Thanksgiving myths has become as much a part of the annual holiday as turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. But should historians bother? Jane Kamensky, a professor of history at Brandeis, thinks not. She asks on the website "Common-Place" (in 2001) whether it's worth while "to plumb the bottom of it all - to determine, for example, [...] whether Plymouth's 'Pilgrims' were indeed the grave-robbing hypocrites that UAINE describes [i.e. United American Indians of New England]. [...] Was the 'first Thanksgiving' merely a pretext for bloodshed, enslavement, and displacement that would follow in later decades? Combing period documents and archaeological evidence, we might peel away some of the myths [...]

The history of Pilgrims and Puritans in 17th century New England reflects events in the reformation of English politics and religion. Summarizing the time-line of the English Reformation is the easiest way to show how these groups evolved in both England and America.

It is reported that currently there are over 10 million living descendants of the 52 Mayflower Pilgrims who had children. Are you one of them? Click on "Join Us" above to join. Click on any of the highlighted names below for more information about the descendant. Note: Pages will open in a new browser window. External sites are not endorsed by the SMDPA.

What do these two well-known individuals have in common with Pilgrim Isaac Allerton (1585-1659)? Answer: General Zachary Taylor is a direct descendant of Isaac Allerton⁽¹⁾, and Robert E. Lee is collaterally related to Hancock Lee, husband of Sarah Allerton (1670-1731), granddaughter of Isaac⁽¹⁾. Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States, and Robert E. Lee was the famous general of the Confederate Army in the Civil War.

That New England's Calvinist Puritans created theocratic governments is a stereotype that owes much to the nineteenth-century myth that Calvin established theocratic government in Geneva. In his Institutes, Calvin distinguishes between the jurisdiction of civil and ecclesiastical governments, stating that the magistrate in a Christian society has general authority over the entire society, including the obligation to protect and enforce religion and morality. Clergy have authority within the congregation only, including excommunication. While laws should conform with biblical precept, Calvin believes that many Old Testament regulations were abrogated by the New Testament.

Over the years, the historic ship Mayflower that brought the Pilgrims to New England in 1620 has been honored by various namesakes, Of course there was another 17th century ship of that name that brought Separatists to settle in Salem, Plymouth Colony in 1629, but she was probably just one of many of that name back then for we are told that “Mayflower” was a common ship name.

More recently there have been other ships and an endless number of namesakes including an America’s cup Defender/Winner, a US presidential yacht, a large houseboat in Sausalito, California, lighter than air craft (blimps), locomotives, a car, farm equipment, a naval communications system, hotels, theatres, songs, and probably many more objects. Some may not have been actual namesakes. Don’t forget that the 1620 Mayflower was herself a namesake of the flower known as Trailing Arbutus.

The earliest that we have found is the Plymouth, MA, whaler Mayflower launched in 1821. We have found no image of it to date. The most recent one is the Chinese six-legged ship Mayflower Resolution built to act as a platform from which off shore windmill farms can be constructed. Obviously this is a work in progress and we ask that anyone who knows of others examples to please advise the Webmaster so that we may add them to this site.