MAP OF DOM TRAIL BOSTON MASS PLUS
MAP OF DOM TRAIL BOSTON MASS FREE

The leading religious Separatists who voyaged to America in 1620 mostly originated from an area where modern-day Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire meet. This was especially foreboding for Separatists. To dispute that rule was a dangerous path ending in prosecution.

The Church dictated all aspects of life – from what you ate to what you wore. However, others believed that you could not change the church and that the only way to form a new group was to break away entirely. Some wanted to separate it from other churches by purifying it of all Catholic practices. Many believed that Henry’s new church was still too similar to the Pope’s and wanted even more changes. In doing this, Henry was expelled by the Pope and the reformation of the English churches had started. He created his own church, with its own rules determined by him - called the Church of England. The decision by Henry VIII to break away from the Roman Catholic Church – principally so he could divorce his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had far-reaching ramifications. We begin much earlier than 1620, in the villages, towns and cities of England. There were already established colonies at the time, not least Jamestown – founded in 1607.īut the Mayflower story is renowned for its themes of freedom and humanity – including the relationships first formed between the Native American Wampanoag tribe and the colonists and the first Thanksgiving.

Importantly, the Pilgrims were not the first to land in America, nor did they discover it. The origins of these passengers can be traced across England and in the Netherlands – as illustrated by the interactive map below. But it’s likely that many ‘Saints’ were skilled tradesmen and many ‘Strangers’ had their own religious reasons for leaving 17 th century England. The passengers are often grouped into ‘Saints’ or ‘Strangers’ by historians, alluding to their motivations for the journey.

MAP OF DOM TRAIL BOSTON MASS PLUS

Then there were the crew themselves, plus the servants and unaccompanied children sent by their families to be looked after by the adults. Others were on the ship for a multitude of reasons – some anticipated the chance to build a better future for their families and the opportunity of new land, while for others the offer of freedom and adventure was too good to turn down.

MAP OF DOM TRAIL BOSTON MASS FREE

On board were men, women and children from different walks of life across England and the city of Leiden in Holland.Ī significant number were known as Separatists, a group of people who mostly wanted to live a life free from the current Church of England. More than 30 million people can trace their ancestry to the 102 passengers and approximately 30 crew aboard the Mayflower when it landed in Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts, in the harsh winter of 1620. It's about the people who already lived in America and the enormous effect the arrival of these colonists would have on Native Americans and the land they had called home for centuries. This story isn't just about the Mayflower's passengers though. They would go on to be known as the Pilgrims and influence the future of the United States of America in ways they could never have imagined. Its passengers were in search of a new life – some seeking religious freedom, others a fresh start in a different land. But its history and story start long before that. The Mayflower set sail on 16th September 1620 from Plymouth, UK, to voyage to America.

Map of dom trail boston mass