Narrator the time is september in the year 1620. The good ship mayflower is carrying pilgrims across the sea to america. But who were the pilgrims . Why did they leave their homes . The answer is in the history of plymouth plantation, written by william bradford, second governor of the colony. Bradfords history begins with religious problems in england , where a new ruler, james the first, became king in 1603. As king, james was also supreme head of the church of england, the official church. But some people objected to the rules andes rituals of the church of england. They withdrew from it, and were called separatists. The story of their religious persecution in england, how they became pilgrims, and how they eventually found religious freedom, was all recorded by william bradford. Many therefore of the lords free people joined themselves into a church or state. They were of towns and villages in england. But after they continued together for about a year and kept their meetings every sabbath, exercising the worship of god among themselves, they saw they could no longer continue. So they resolved to get over to holland, which was in 1607 and 1608. Narrator the separatists would leave england to find freedom of religion in holland. To leave their native country, their lands and livings and all their friends and acquaintances was much, an adventure almost desperate. Narrator about 125 separatists from england reached holland, the netherlands. Being now coming to holland, they saw many goodly cities. Also, they heard a strange language, beheld the different manners and customs of the people, with their strange fashions, so it seemed they were coming to a new world. After they had lived there some 11 or 12 years, they began to foresee the future and think of removal to some other place, a place they had thoughts on, some of those vast countries of america. Narrator the separatists went to england to get a ship and on september 6, 1620 they started the long sea voyage. Their ship, the mayflower, carried 102 passengers, the separatists from holland and also some who joined in england and were not separatists, but were called strangers. Most of the money for the voyage and the colony was supplied by merchants in london, who would have to be repaid. Many of the crew had already made voyages to america on other ships. This time, they were headed for virginia, where the separatists had obtained permission to settle. The captain of the mayflower, christopher jones, was an experienced sailor. Concerned that the passengers might interfere with the running of the ship, he ordered his crew to make sure the passengers stayed off the deck. Conditions below deck were frightful. The passengers were cramped in gloomy surroundings without much light or air. Over 30 of them were children. They passed away endless hours, sometimes by playing quiet games like cats cradle. Once, a more serious game was played, trying to explode the ships store of gunpowder. Luckily, that was stopped in time. There was very little for children to do on the long sea voyage. Most of the time, life aboard ship was sad and dreary. For more than two months, families lived in the dark and crowded ships hold. Many became ill with scurvy. But in spite of their hardships, the pilgrims never lost faith. William bradford wrote, the dangers were great, the difficulties were many. Yet all of them, through the help of god, might be overcome. They knew they were pilgrims. After a long beating at sea, they fell on the land, which is called cape cod. Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the god of heaven that brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the miseries and perils thereof. But they had now no friends to welcome them, or homes or towns to go to. Besides, what could they see but a wilderness . Narrator and the wilderness was not virginia, where they had permission to settle, but new england, where the winter storms had driven them. Arguments broke out among the pilgrims, and among the strangers. Some felt that because this land would not be under the laws of virginia, they could leave the colony, go where they pleased. To keep the pilgrims and strangers together under some kind of government, the leaders of the pilgrims wrote a document that came known as the mayflower compact. The signers promised to obey the laws that they would make. They elected john carver their first governor. In part, the mayflower compact reads, we, having undertaken a voyage to found a colony, do solemnly in the presence of god combineanother ourselves as to enact such just and equal laws as shall be thought most convenient for the general good of the colony. Narrator , with the mayflower compact, the pilgrims took an important first step in government. The idea people could make their own laws and elect their only years was the beginning of the growth of american democracy. Now, using a small boat that had been carried on board the mayflower, a scouting party set out to explore the land and find a suitable place for their settlement. [water splashing] they had no idea what dangers face in this new land, wild animals, indians, friendly or unfriendly. So most of the men were armed. They found running streams of freshwater and good soil where indians had grown crops. Then, they found a place where indians had buried seed corn. This area was the site of an abandoned village of the pawtucket indians. The explorers decided it would be a good place for their settlement. They would call it plymouth, named after an earlier explorer of new england. Shallup, shell up they began to unload passengers and goods from the mayflower. December 25, christmas day, was not a holiday celebrated by pilgrims, so as bradford wrote, on the 25th day of december, they began to erect the first house for common use, to receive them and their goods. Wood]ing narrator plots of ground were measured out for each family. They could waste no time in planning and building their settlement, because it was now winter, and many of them were becoming ill. Those who were able kept working to build the houses. But the cold, damp Winter Weather and the sicknesses they had suffered on their long voyage began to strike them down. So as they died, sometimes two or three a day, of 100 on s, a scarce 50 remained. And of these, there were but six or seven sound persons who spared no pain night or day, but with an abundance of toil fetched would for the sick, fed them, made their beds, washed their clothes and did all the necessary offices for them which dainty and queasy stomachs cannot endure to hear named. Narrator but after that terrible first winter, life improved for the pilgrims. Bradfords history continues the story. The spring now approaching, it pleased god that the sick recovered. About the 16th of march, a certain indian came boldly amongst them. He spoke to them in english. His name was somerset. Narrator somerset, a local chief, had learned english from english fishermen along the coast of maine. He told the pilgrims of another indian, squanto, who also spoke english and would even sail to t end who had even sailed and who had even sailed to england and back. He promised to come again and bring squanto with him. When somerset and squanto came, they told the pilgrims a great chief, massasoit, was nearby and wanted to meet with them. The pilgrims decided to welcome him. They brought massasoit, chief of the wampanoag indians, to meet their governor. The two leaders ate and drank together. During this friendly meeting, they discussed a peace treaty by which neither the pilgrims or the indians should do harm to one another, but would assist each other whenever help might be needed. Massassoit agreed, and the treaty that was made would last for 24 years. Now that peace was made with the indians, the pilgrims felt safe. Now, they could allow the mayflower to sail back to england. As they watched, perhaps they realized they would never see their old homes again, but they had homes now in their new colony of plymouth. They realized, too, that the merchants in england who had lent money to the colony would be waiting to be repaid in trade goods from them so there was still much work to be done in this first year. It was now april. As many as were able began to plant corn. Squanto told them to set fish in the ground to help it grow. He also directed them where to catch fish. So all that summer, there was no want and every family had their portion. Narrator in the small but sturdy homes the pilgrims had built, cooking and studying and the everyday activities of the family life were going on. As the summer of their first year came to an end, pilgrim farmers harvested the corn they planted. To celebrate their harvest, they prepared a feast. There was food they had grown, wild turkeys from the forest, and lobsters and fish from the sea. For their feast, the pilgrims invited their indian friends. This was a time of celebration. The pilgrims would give thanks to god, a thanksgiving at the end of their first year. Pilgrims and indians would share the harvest, and have games of contest and skill. [laughter] this was a time for laughter and rejoicing. It was also the end of a year of enormous hardships for the brave men, women and children of Plymouth Colony. Of those who came to subtle to settle nearly a year before, less than half left. But in that one difficult year, they achieved much. They had built the first colony in new england. They had freedom to worship in their own way. They could make laws in their own system of selfgovernment. William bradford put in his ended his history with these words, those which came over first in the year 1620 were by the blessing of god the first beginners, and the source of the foundation of the plantation of all the colonies in new england. Americane watching history tv, 48 hours of programming on american history, every weekend on cspan three. Follow us on twitter at cspan history for information on our schedule and to keep up with the latest history news. Bookshelf,on history the author of the book mayflower a story of courage, describingand war, the first thanksgiving celebration in the early years of new england. 2006, thed this in year the book was published. Professor francis bremmer discusses william bradford, one of the first governors of colony. And in two hours on the civil war, the Gettysburg Institute posts an online discussion with an author, exposing frauds of free labor in civil war america. My name is peggy baker. I am the director of pilgrim hall museum. I want to welcome you all here tonight for what is a grand occasion for all of us who love pilgrims because we are in essence gathered to celebrate the first wellwritten, comprehensive narrative about Plymouth Colony in over 50 years. Three keywords one, wellwritten. As one would expect from that filbert,