The Mayflower

Compact and the

Pilgrims
 Who were the Pilgrims?

The pilgrims were a group of people called,

Separatists, who wanted a separate church, but
it was illegal to be in a church other than the
Church of England. These Separatists were
often harassed, fined, or jailed for not being a
part of the Church of England.

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 What did they do?

The separatists, or pilgrims, fled to the

Netherlands because of the religious
discrimination they were experiencing in
England. After living in the Netherland
for a little while, many of the separatists
feared that a war was going to break out
between the Netherlands and Spain.

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 Where could they go?

The separatists, or pilgrims, decided

together that they would create a farming
community in the Virginia Colony,
where they would live under English
government, but be able to worship their
own church. In 1620, a ship named, the
Mayflower, was rented by investors for
the pilgrims.

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 The Voyage to the New World

On September 6, 1620, the Mayflower

left England with 102 passengers. This
voyage was very rough and many were
ill. On November 11, 1620, the
Mayflower landed in Cape Cod Bay due
to the unsafe winds. This is where they
signed their document of governance.

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 Mayflower Compact

This document made a structure for the

community’s government. Most of the
men signed the document, and they
appointed John Carver as the governor
of the colony.

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 Cape Cod Bay to Plymouth Harbor

Once it was less windy, the colonists

were able to make it to Plymouth Harbor
on December 16, 1620, and the colonists
began building their village.

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 Basis of Government

The pilgrims made their government based off of their

religious beliefs, tying religion into their government,
which is much different than our national government
today.

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 How did Plymouth Colony change?

The colony remained under the same principles of the

Mayflower Compact, until they were eventually merged
into the Massachusetts Bay Colony. There were many
years for the colony to self-governance.

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 Resources to Learn More

https://plimoth.org/for-student https://www.history.com/topics/
s/homework-help/who-were-th colonial-america/mayflower
e-pilgrims

https://www.history.com/news/
https://plimoth.org/for-student mayflower-compact-colonial-am
s/homework-help/mayflower-a erica-plymouth
nd-mayflower-compact

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 Resources to Learn More Continued

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/mayflower-docks-at-ply
mouth-harbor
https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/plymouth/

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Videos

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 Games

Thanksgiving Interactive

The First Thanksgiving Webquest

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