The Pilgrim Fathers

King James and Religion

• King James wanted to be a king who brought peace to his country. He called himself ‘Rex Pacificus’, which means King of Peace.

• One way in which he hoped to do this was by taking a middle way in his approach to religion, just as Elizabeth had done.

• However, his attitude towards Catholics and toward extreme Protestants (Puritans) meant that many people were very unhappy.

Problems for Protestants (Puritans)

• Some Puritans decided that they needed to leave England to be able to worship as they wanted.

• So they left their homes and sailed across the sea to Holland.

• It was at about this time that they started to call themselves ‘Pilgrims’.

• ‘Pilgrims’ are people who travel to faraway places searching for something they love – often for a religious reason.

Where did they go?

• At first, they moved to Holland, where they were happy for about 12 years, but they did not have much money and they were very poor.

• The Pilgrims worried about their children growing up speaking Dutch. They wanted to be like their Dutch friends and not speak English at all. The children did not even want to go to church anymore.

• The Pilgrims decided that this was not what they wanted, so they packed up their belongings and set sail for America.

How did they get there?

• The Pilgrims first hired a ship called the Speedwell to take them to England, where they met up with other Pilgrims ready for the trip to America. They set off from Southampton...

• The Speedwell, however, was not a strong ship and began letting in water and the Pilgrims had to stop at Dartmouth and Plymouth in Devon for repairs. The Pilgrims decided to hire a new ship called The Mayflower.

• On 16th September 1620 the Pilgrims set sail from Plymouth, Devon, for America.

What would they do in America?

• There was already an English colony at Virginia, and 35 of the Pilgrims had been offered work there with an English company.

• They must have been very hopeful about the new future that awaited them.

The journey

• But the journey was very difficult. There were terrible storms during the crossing, and many of the Pilgrims became ill. One person died.

The Mayflower had set off in the direction of Virginia, but was blown off course during a storm at sea and they finally reached land at Cape Cod, which they named Plymouth Rock. The site they arrived at became the new Plymouth Colony, where the Pilgrims set up their own government.

The first winter

• The Pilgrims started to build their new houses on Christmas Day 1620, but these new dwellings were not really good enough to withstand the cold winter. Furthermore, the seeds they had brought with them from England did not grow well in the cold conditions and the unsuitable soil.

• Around half the people who had sailed on The Mayflower became ill and died during that first winter, common illnesses being much more deadly to people who were already starving.

Life improves

• When the spring came, the Pilgrims made friends with members of the Wampanoag tribe of native Americans who lived close by their settlement.

• The Wampanoag taught the starving Pilgrims how to cultivate corn, farm squash and beans, catch fish, and collect seafood

• Soon there was enough food for everyone.

Giving thanks

• The Pilgrims thanked God for all the food they now had.

• They had a great Thanksgiving feast and invited all who had helped to join them.

Thanksgiving Day

• This feast happened nearly 400 years ago, but ever since, Americans have remembered the Pilgrim Fathers in a special ‘Thanksgiving’ holiday.

• Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.