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What challenges did the Pilgrims face?
The weather was much colder than what the Pilgrims had prepared for and the first winter was devastating. The Pilgrims struggled to build homes, and many families crowded into the few homes that were built. Food was scarce, and many Pilgrims starved to death that first winter.
What problems did the Pilgrims encounter when they first arrived in the New World?
Once underway, the Mayflower encountered rough seas and storms and began to leak; a main beam was also damaged. The anxiety and fear must have been very difficult for the crew and passengers.
What happened on the Mayflower journey?
The Mayflower took 66 days to cross the Atlantic – a horrible crossing afflicted by winter storms and long bouts of seasickness – so bad that most could barely stand up during the voyage. By October, they began encountering a number of Atlantic storms that made the voyage treacherous.
What was the reason for the first Thanksgiving celebration?
The English colonists we call Pilgrims celebrated days of thanksgiving as part of their religion. But these were days of prayer, not days of feasting. Our national holiday really stems from the feast held in the autumn of 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag to celebrate the colony’s first successful harvest.
What was the name of the harbor that the Pilgrims ultimately landed in?
The Pilgrims sent an exploratory party ashore, and on December 18 docked at Plymouth Rock, on the western side of Cape Cod Bay. The explorer John Smith had named the area Plymouth after leaving Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the New World.
Where did the Pilgrims go on their journey to America?
Pilgrims boarding the Mayflower for their voyage to America. The Pilgrim’s arduous journey to the New World technically began on July 22, 1620, when a large group of colonists boarded a ship called the Speedwell in the Dutch port city of Delfshaven.
Where did the pilgrims spend the day on the Speedwell?
The Speedwell and Mayflower were anchored just off West Quay, and the Pilgrims spent all day shopping for supplies, before sleeping on the ships at night.
What happened the night before the Pilgrims set off?
The night before the Pilgrims departed was spent praying in front of the church, now known as the Pilgrim Fathers Church. Today there is a stained glass window depicting the historic moment the Pilgrims set off, and a bronze plaque of the Boston Congregational Club from 1906 praising the hospitality offered by the church to the pioneers.
What ship did the pilgrims use to meet the Mayflower?
They hired a ship called the Speedwell to take them from Delfshaven, the Netherlands, to Southampton, England, to meet up with the Mayflower . The two ships planned to sail together to Northern Virginia. The Speedwell departed Delfthaven on July 22, and arrived at Southampton, where they found the Mayflower waiting for them.