Pilgrims set sail for Virginia from Plymouth, England in the Mayflower.

The Pilgrims on the Mayflower were a group of English Separatists and other settlers who set sail in 1620 seeking religious freedom and new opportunities in the New World. The Separatists, often called “Pilgrims,” had broken away from the Church of England and faced persecution in their homeland. After living for a time in the Netherlands, they decided to establish a new colony across the Atlantic, where they could freely practice their faith while building a self-sustaining community. Alongside them were non-Separatist passengers, recruited by the investors funding the journey, who hoped for land and better prospects.

The Mayflower itself was not a passenger ship but a cargo vessel, hastily repurposed for the voyage. The journey was grueling, lasting about 66 days across the Atlantic. The ship carried around 102 passengers, plus crew, who endured cramped, unsanitary conditions, constant seasickness, and the threat of storms. Food supplies were limited, and fresh water was scarce, making the journey both uncomfortable and dangerous. Despite these hardships, the Pilgrims pressed on, motivated by their hopes for freedom and the chance to establish a new society.

When they finally arrived, the Pilgrims landed not in Virginia as planned, but in present-day Massachusetts, at a place they named Plymouth. Before disembarking, the male passengers signed the Mayflower Compact, a groundbreaking agreement to form a self-governing community bound by majority rule. This document became an important foundation for democratic governance in America. Though the first winter brought devastating losses, with nearly half of the settlers dying from disease and starvation, those who survived laid the groundwork for one of the earliest enduring English colonies in North America.