Facts about the Mayflower
- 11
Aboard the Mayflower, a young servant named William Latham was born during the voyage in 1620, making him the first English child delivered at sea on the transatlantic crossing.
- 10
Approximately 30 crew members served aboard the Mayflower during its 1620 transatlantic voyage, outnumbering the religious separatists by comparison.
- 09
Between 1621 and 1623, Plymouth colonists harvested corn, beans, and squash using agricultural techniques taught by Squanto, a Patuxet Native American who spoke English.
- 08
The Mayflower's return voyage to England in 1621 carried no passengers, as all surviving colonists chose to remain in Plymouth despite the harsh conditions.
- 07
Compact passengers aboard the Mayflower signed a governing agreement in November 1620 before disembarking, establishing self-governance principles that influenced American democracy.
- 06
Mourt's Relation, written by Plymouth colonists Edward Winslow and William Bradford, provided the earliest detailed account of the Mayflower voyage and the first winter of 1620-1621.
- 05
Most of the Mayflower's passengers were separatists from the Church of England, not the Pilgrims we commonly imagine, with only about 40 of the 102 aboard being religious dissenters.
- 04
William Bradford served as governor of Plymouth Colony for 30 of the Mayflower's settlers' first 36 years after landing in 1620.
- 03
Sixty-six days elapsed between the Mayflower's September 6, 1620 departure from Plymouth, England and its November 11 arrival at Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
- 02
At approximately 180 tons and 90 feet long, the Mayflower was a merchant vessel originally designed for cargo transport, not passenger voyages.
- 01
Only 102 passengers boarded the Mayflower in 1620, with approximately 51 dying during the first winter in Plymouth Colony.