Mayflower II at Plymouth, MA

Plymouth, MA was our destination to see the Mayflower II, which is an exact replica of the original ship. It was built in Devon, England and sailed to the US in 1957. It landed in New York, and was lauded with a ticker tape parade in Manhattan. Now it’s a floating museum, where you can walk the deck, crouch in the holds and only imagine what the Mayflower Pilgrims endured for a crossing. There were three pregnant women on board, two of whom gave birth at sea. The baby boy was named Oceanus, and the baby girl, Peregrine.

: The Mayflower II

: My ancestor, John Alden, later married Priscilla Mullen, a young woman on board. He was a cooper, maker of barrels.

: The bell was rung every half hour to mark the time of the watch. Also, if needed, to raise an “alarum” in case of emergency.

: Lower decks of the Mayflower were used for brick ballast and food storage. The Mayflower was a drafty cargo ship, prone to frequent sloshes of sea water.

: With 102 passengers and 30 crew, this space was crowded, damp and cold. To keep warm, they huddled under sailcloth “blankets’, coated with oil.

: There were precious few moments of sunshine and calm weather. The average speed across the Atlantic was 1.8 knots per hour.

: Example rations for the Mayflower Pilgrims 66 days at sea.: rice, beans, dried fish and beef, dried fruit, cheese and hard biscuits.

: Rudimentary navigation was done by cross staff, which measured the distance between the horizon and different stars.

: Can you imagine the joy of seeing the first seagull alight on the ship after a 66 day Atlantic crossing?

: Thanks to my mom for doing the proper genealogy. I’m very grateful that John Alden and Priscilla Mullen made it, and made babies!

: Massaoit, leader of the Wampanoag tribe, was instrumental in helping the settlers, and responsible for the first peace treaty.

: The first winter in Plymouth was so harsh that over half of the colony died.

: In order to hide the number of deaths from the Native Americans, Pilgrims buried them at night on the hill where this monument stands.

: Plymouth Rock may be a victim of outsized expectations. It’s only about 3 feet long! No historical evidence mentions this icon of Americana.

: The National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth honors the ideals of the Mayflower Pilgrims: Morality, Law, Education and Liberty. It’s the world’s largest solid granite monument.