THE PILGRIMS

THE PILGRIMS, WHO CALLED THEMSELVES "SAINTS," WERE SEPARATISTS WHO WANTED TO WORSHIP AS THEY PLEASED AND WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ANGLICAN CHURCH. THE PURITANS WERE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT (THEY BELIEVED BASICALLY WHAT THE PILGRIMS DID) BUT THEY WANTED TO CREATE CHANGE INSIDE THE ANGLICAN CHURCH (CHURCH OF ENGLAND).

ON SEPTEMBER 6,1620, THE MAYFLOWER CARRYING 102 SETTLERS LEFT ENGLAND, TO SETTLE ON THE MOUTH OF THE HUDSON RIVER (TODAY NEW YORK CITY, MANHATTAN). ON NOVEMBER 9, 1620 LAND WAS SPOTTED (THEY WERE OFF CAPE COD). REALIZING THAT THEY WERE NOT WHERE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THEY ENDEAVORED TO GO SOUTH BETWEEN THE MAINLAND AND NANTUCKET AND RAN INTO LOW WATER (POLLACK RIP). THE . SHIP TURNED AROUND BECAUSE OF THE COMING OF WINTER AND LOW PROVISIONS, RETURNING TO PROVIDENCE TOWN HARBOR ON NOVEMBER 11, 1620.

. THE SETTLERS ON THE MAYFLOWER HAD NO LEGAL AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH A COLONY IN NEW ENGLAND, BECAUSE THE PATENT TO SETTLE DID NOT FALL UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE LONDON COMPANY (HAD THE RIGHTS FOR THE ORIGINAL DESTINATION), THE SETTLERS MADE THEIR OWN COMPACT CALLED THE "MAYFLOWER COMPACT. " EVEN THOUGH IT DID NOT LEGALLY GIVE THEM THE RIGHT TO SETTLE IN NEW ENGLAND, IT RELIEVED THE CONCERNS OF MANY OF THE SETTLERS ABOUT SETTLING IN NEW ENGLAND. THE DOCUMENT DID SERVE AS A MEANS OF HOW THE PILGRIMS WOULD GOVERN THEMSELVES.

THE PILGRIMS CAME TO NORTH AMERICA TO FLEE RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION AND TO WORSHIP AS THEY SAW FIT. THE LAWS THAT THE PILGRIMS FOLLOWED WERE A COMBINATION OF THEIR RELIGIOUS TEACHINGS AND THE LAWS FROM ENGLAND.

THEY BELIEVED THAT IF SOMETHING WENT WELL OR GOOD, THAT GOD HAD BLESSED THEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF SOMETHING WENT BAD, THE DEVIL HAD CAUSED IT. IN THE RECORD, THERE IS A CASE OF A MAN DYING FROM AN OVERTURNED BOATING ACCIDENT, WHICH THE PILGRIMS BLAMED ON THE DEVIL.

THE PILGRIMS FIRST SET FOOT ON THE NEW LAND ON NOVEMBER 13, 1620. ON NOVEMBER 15, 1620, CAPTAIN MYLES STANDISH LEAD A GROUP OF 16 SETTLERS ON AN EXPEDITION TRIP SOUTH (PRESENT DAY NASUET). THEY PROCEEDED TO ROB NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES AND TO ROB BURIED CACHE OF INDIAN CORN. ONE HISTORIAN THINKS IT WAS ONLY ONE GRAVE. AFTER TWO MORE EXPEDITIONS, THE MAYFLOWER MOVED THE SETTLERS TO PLYMOUTH HARBOR.

ON DECEMBER 23, 1620 A LANDING PARTY STARTED CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR COMMON AREA HOUSES ON COLE'S HILL AND A PLATFORM TO HOLD THE FIVE CANNON ON FORT HILL. OF THE 102 SETTLERS 45 DIED THE FIRST WINTER.IN NOVEMBER 1621 ONLY 4 OF THE 18 ORIGINAL WOMEN WERE STILL ALIVE. FOURTEEN (14) HAD DIED. THE PILGRIMS LEARNED FROM SAMOSET (A NATIVE AMERICAN FROM PEMAQUID POINT , MAINE) THAT THE AREA OF PLYMOUTH HAD BEEN A NATIVE AMERICAN VILLAGE NAMED PATUXET, AND THAT THE INHABITANTS PROBABLY DIED OF SMALL POX OR SOME OTHER DISEASE.

IN THE 1630'S, ENGLISH SETTLERS, IN THE AREA OF WHAT IS TODAY CONNECTICUT, WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH NATIVE AMERICANS (PEQUOTS). THE MOHEGANS, NARRAGANSETT, AND THE ENGLISH ATTACKED MYSTIC FORT IN 1637 KILLING ALMOST EVERYONE INSIDE THE FORT. ALTHOUGH THE PILGRIMS (PLYMOUTH COLONY) SUPPORTED IT, THEY HAD VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH THE PEQUOT WAR.

THE NEXT MAJOR WAR WAS THE KING PHILIP'S WAR, WHICH THE SETTLERS FROM PLYMOUTH WERE INVOLVED IN. METACOMET (KING PHILIP) , THE SON OF MASSASOIT, WAS THE SACHEM OF THE WOMPANOAGS. THE WAPANOAG CAPITAL WAS IN MOUNT HOPE (TODAY RHODE ISLAND).

THE ENGLISH SETTLERS KEPT TAKING LAND AND RESTRICTING THE AREA NATIVE AMERICANS COULD USE. THE MILITIA OF PLYMOUTH TRIED TO USE FORCE TO DRIVE THE NATIVE AMERICANS FROM THE AREA.

METACOMET AND SOME OF HIS MEN WERE ACCUSED OF KILLING HIS FRIEND JOHN SASSAMON (A PRAYING INDIAN, CHRISTIAN). A JURY OF 12 SETTLERS AND 6 PRAYING INDIANS FOUND THE NATIVE AMERICANS GUILTY OF THE CRIME.

KING PHILIP IS THEN ACCUSED OF RAIDING SETTLERS FARMS AND PILLAGING THEIR PROPERTY. THERE IS AN ACCOUNT OF THE WAMPNOAGS CAPTURING WOMEN AND CHILDREN FOR RANSOM.

THE WAR CONTINUED THROUGH 1675 AND 1676. KING PHILIP ENGAGED IN A FORM OF GUERRILLA WARFARE INSTEAD OF CONFRONTING THE ENGLISH IN MAJOR BATTLES.

KING PHILIP WAS KILLED BY A POCASSET INDIAN. THE WAR SOON CAME TO AN END. AN ESTIMATED EIGHT PERCENT (8%) OF THE ENGLISH THE MALE POPULATION DIED IN THE WAR. EIGHTY PERCENT (80%) OF MALE NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATION DIED.

IN 1620, THERE WERE 99 INHABITANTS IN THE PLYMOUTH COLONY AREA WHICH EVENTUALLY WOULD GO ALL THE WAY OUT ON CAPE COD AND TO THE EAST THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. WHEN THE PLYMOUTH COLONY WAS ABSORBED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY COLONY (BOSTON) IN 1691, THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED SEVEN THOUSAND (7,000) ENGLISH SETTLERS IN THE PLYMOUTH COLONY AREA..

THE PILGRIMS (SAINTS) WERE REALLY NOT FRIENDS OF NATIVE AMERICANS. SHOULD WE ADMIRE THEM? SHOULD WE BE CELEBRATING THANKSGIVING? WHAT DO YOU THINK?