September 6
Pilgrims Depart England Aboard the Mayflower
A band of English religious dissenters and additional passengers finally sailed alone aboard the Mayflower from Plymouth on September 6, 1620, after repeated delays with a companion vessel.
Summary
Religious dissenters known as Separatists, seeking freedom from the Church of England, had first fled to the Netherlands before deciding to establish a colony in the New World under a patent from the Virginia Company. Joined by other English passengers, they boarded the Mayflower in Plymouth, England, after delays caused by a leaking companion ship. The vessel finally set sail on September 6, 1620, carrying 102 passengers and a crew of roughly 30 on a 106-foot ship bound for Virginia. Storms battered the ship during the two-month crossing, testing the resolve of the travelers who endured cramped conditions and the death of one passenger. Their arrival off Cape Cod in November led to the founding of Plymouth Colony, one of the earliest permanent English settlements in North America.
Context
English Separatists, often called Brownists, faced increasing pressure from authorities enforcing conformity to the Church of England. A congregation centered in the village of Scrooby, Nottinghamshire, endured raids and imprisonments before crossing to the Netherlands in 1608. They first settled in Amsterdam and then Leiden, where they enjoyed freedom of worship but struggled with unfamiliar urban life, economic pressures, and the gradual assimilation of their children into Dutch society.
What Happened
By 1619 the Leiden group had secured a land patent from the Plymouth Company and financial backing from the Merchant Adventurers, a London syndicate. They purchased and outfitted two ships, the Speedwell and the larger Mayflower. Passengers gathered in Southampton, where further disputes over financing caused postponements. The vessels departed on August 5 but soon returned to Dartmouth after the Speedwell leaked badly; repairs completed, they sailed again only to turn back once more when the smaller ship proved unseaworthy. Most Speedwell passengers transferred to the overcrowded Mayflower in Plymouth harbor.
Aftermath
With 102 passengers and roughly thirty crew aboard the 106-foot vessel, the Mayflower left Plymouth on September 6. The two-month crossing brought fierce gales that damaged the main beam, widespread seasickness, and the death of one passenger. Land was sighted off Cape Cod on November 9. Unable to reach their intended destination near the Hudson River, the travelers anchored in Cape Cod Bay and, on November 11, signed the Mayflower Compact to establish orderly self-government for the settlement they would found at Plymouth.
Legacy
Plymouth Colony became the first permanent English settlement in New England and a model for later colonial ventures. The Mayflower Compact is frequently cited as an early expression of consensual government that influenced American political traditions. The story of the voyage and the colonists’ survival also entered national folklore, shaping commemorations such as Thanksgiving and reinforcing narratives of religious liberty and perseverance.
Why It Matters
The voyage laid the foundation for New England settlement and produced the Mayflower Compact, an early framework for self-governance that influenced later American democratic traditions and colonial expansion.
Related Questions
Why did the Separatists originally leave England?
They sought freedom to worship outside the established Church of England and faced fines, imprisonment, and other penalties for holding unauthorized religious meetings.
What caused the repeated delays before the final sailing?
Financing disputes with the Merchant Adventurers and repeated leaks aboard the Speedwell forced two returns to English ports before the Mayflower departed alone.
How many people sailed on the Mayflower and what happened to the Speedwell?
The Mayflower carried 102 passengers and roughly 30 crew; the Speedwell was abandoned as unseaworthy after its leaks could not be permanently repaired.
Where did the passengers intend to settle and why did they change plans?
They held a patent for land near the Hudson River but, after storms and shoals, anchored off Cape Cod and decided to remain there as winter approached.
What was the Mayflower Compact?
A short agreement signed aboard ship that created a framework for self-government by consent among the settlers until a formal charter could be obtained.
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Sources
- Plymouth Colony, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-07-03.