The Mayflower
The journey lasted 66 days, and instead of reaching their intended destination near the Hudson River in modern-day New York, they landed farther north at Cape Cod. On November 11, 1620, they anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor, Massachusetts. After realizing the location was not within the territory where they had legal permission to settle, the passengers needed to create a framework for governance.
Legacy of the Mayflower
The Mayflower and its passengers became symbols of perseverance, religious freedom, and the pursuit of a new life in America. The Pilgrims' story is often romanticized as the beginning of the European settlement in the United States, although earlier colonies had been established (such as Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607). However, the Mayflower Compact, the hardships faced by the Pilgrims, and the cooperation with Native Americans have made this event a defining moment in the national narrative of the United States.
Over time, the legacy of the Pilgrims and the Mayflower has grown, with many Americans proudly tracing their ancestry to Mayflower descendants. In 1897, the General Society of Mayflower Descendants was founded to commemorate the passengers and preserve their history.