Welcome to SMDPA

The Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (SMDPA) was organized in 1896 by two Philadelphians, Francis Olcott Allen and Edward Clinton Lee, who were members of the New York Society. The charter was issued on 14 October 1896.

Although its governing Board of Assistants has been based historically in the Greater Philadelphia area, the Society has two Colonies. The Susquehanna Colony is located in Central Pennsylvania in the greater Harrisburg area and the Western Colony is located in Western Pennsylvania in the greater Pittsburgh area. Members are invited to participate in the State and Colony levels or merely through our award-winning quarterly newsletter, The Pennsylvania Mayflower.

From the Governor's Desk - 03/16/2026

Greetings, fellow SMDPA members!

The First Spring: From 1620 Roots to a Living Legacy

As the modern world shakes off the chill of winter, we, the descendants of the Mayflower, stand in a unique position of gratitude. For our ancestors, spring was not merely a change in the calendar; it was the "first morning" of a new world. When the Mayflower dropped anchor in Plymouth Harbor in December 1620, it marked the end of a grueling 66-day journey across the Atlantic. But for the 102 passengers aboard, the true test of their resilience—and the roots of our lineage—was only beginning.

The Winter of the Soul

To understand the power of spring renewal, we must first remember the "Winter of 1620-1621." It was a season of profound "hardship and loss". While the Mayflower provided a cramped, cold shelter, the settlers struggled to build homes in the frozen earth of Plymouth. By the time the first thaw arrived, the colony had been decimated. Of the original 102 who landed, 50 had perished from scurvy, exposure, and disease.

As William Bradford, the long-serving Governor of Plymouth Colony, later reflected in “Of Plimoth Plantation,” they were "ready to perish in this wilderness". Yet, even in this "terrible darkness," the seeds of a new civilization were being kept alive by a stubborn, prayerful hope. They were "ordinary folks" who achieved extraordinary things through a "courageous, steadfast spirit" that we now honor as members of The Mayflower Society in Pennsylvania.

March 1621: The Turning Tide

The renewal of the colony began with a series of remarkable "first encounters" that occurred just as the earth began to soften. In March 1621, a man named Samoset walked into the settlement and famously greeted them in English. He soon returned with Tisquantum (Squanto), whose life story is a testament to the theme of renewal.

Squanto, a survivor of the Patuxet tribe whose village had previously stood on the very site of Plymouth, became an "essential guide and protector". As the spring of 1621 bloomed, he taught the surviving Pilgrims the "vital survival skills" they needed to thrive:

·       Healing the Soil: He showed them how to plant native corn in mounds, enriching the earth with alewife fish caught in Town Brook.

·       The Three Sisters: Under his guidance, they learned to plant beans and squash around the cornstalks—a sustainable "symphony of growth" that ensured their future.

·       The Diplomacy of Peace: March 1621 also saw the signing of a peace treaty with Massasoit, the sachem of the Wampanoag Confederacy, an alliance that provided the fragile colony with "precious stability".

Roots of Self-Government

Renewal for the Mayflower passengers was also intellectual and spiritual. Before even stepping onto Plymouth Rock, they had drafted the Mayflower Compact, a "civil Body Politick" based on "just and equal laws". This document was the first sprout of democracy in the New World, a "simple agreement" that laid the groundwork for centuries of political tradition.

This spring, when we look at our genealogical charts, we are looking at the survivors of that first brutal year. We are the living proof that "the deep roots never doubt spring will come." From those 26 families who left descendants, more than 35 million people worldwide now trace their ancestry back to that tiny, struggling settlement.

Our Spring Mission: Honoring the Garden

As members of this lineage society, our "spring work" is to ensure these stories continue to bloom. Just as the Pilgrims had to "dig through the soil" to plant their first crops, we must continue to dig through the records to find the "truth and light" that Pastor John Robinson promised would yet "break forth".

I encourage you this season to:

·       Cultivate Gratitude: Reflect on the "spirit of constant thankfulness" held by the survivors, even when graves outnumbered homes.

·       Restore the Narrative: Use the spring to revisit your research. New genealogical discoveries are still being made in old English records, adding fresh leaves to our family trees.

·       Bridge the Worlds: Remember that the first spring was a collaborative effort. Honor the "miracle of Squanto’s path" and the complex, shared history of the land we inhabit.

A Final Thought

May this spring remind you that you are part of a resilient lineage. Like the Mayflower itself, which finally returned to England in April 1621, leaving the settlers to face their new world with "pure potential," may you find the strength to shed the winters of your own life.

As author John Bunyan wrote in the spirit of the era, "Come, pluck up, heart; Let's neither faint nor fear". We are the "blossoms" of 1620, and our story is still being written.

Happy Spring to all the descendants of Plymouth,

Mike Saunders, SMDPA Governor, [email protected]