The Mayflower

"Vivid and remarkably fresh...Philbrick has recast the Pilgrims for the ages."--The New York Times Book Review Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History New York Times Book Review Top Ten books of the Year With a new preface marking the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower. How did America begin? That simple question launches the acclaimed author of In the Hurricane's Eye and Valiant Ambition on an extraordinary journey to understand the truth behind our most sacred national myth: the voyage of the Mayflower and the settlement of Plymouth Colony. As Philbrick reveals in this electrifying history of the Pilgrims, the story of Plymouth Colony was a fifty-five year epic that began in peril and ended in war. New England erupted into a bloody conflict that nearly wiped out the English colonists and natives alike. These events shaped the existing communites and the country that would grow from them.

From acclaimed historian and biographer Rebecca Fraser comes a vivid narrative history of the Mayflower and of the Winslow family, who traveled to America in search of a new world. “There is nothing sleep-inducing about the chronicle crafted by Ms. Fraser . . . There is more to the Pilgrims’ story—more to American identity and character—than our Thanksgiving rituals and reveries.” —Wall Street Journal The voyage of the Mayflower and the founding of Plymouth Colony is one of the seminal events in world history. But the poorly-equipped group of English Puritans who ventured across the Atlantic in the early autumn of 1620 had no sense they would pass into legend. They had eighty casks of butter and two dogs but no cattle for milk, meat, or ploughing. They were ill-prepared for the brutal journey and the new land that few of them could comprehend. But the Mayflower story did not end with these Pilgrims’ arrival on the coast of New England or their first uncertain years as settlers. Rebecca Fraser traces two generations of one ordinary family and their extraordinary response to the challenges of life in America. Edward Winslow, an apprentice printer, fled England and then Holland for a life of religious freedom and opportunity. Despite the intense physical trials of settlement, he found America exotic, enticing, and endlessly interesting. He built a home and a family, and his remarkable friendship with King Massassoit, Chief of the Wampanoags, is part of the legend of Thanksgiving. Yet, fifty years later, Edward’s son Josiah was commanding the New England militias against Massassoit’s son in King Philip’s War. The Mayflower is an intensely human portrait of the Winslow family written with the pace of an epic. Rebecca Fraser details domestic life in the seventeenth century, the histories of brave and vocal Puritan women and the contradictions between generations as fathers and sons made the painful decisions which determined their future in America.

Discover the real history behind the Mayflower in this illustrated nonfiction storybook for kids ages 7 to 9, timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims' famous voyage to the Americas. Step on board the Mayflower and meet the amazing crew and passengers, from burly sailors to pilgrims, servants, orphaned children, and animals. Discover who the pilgrims were and why they chose to risk their lives to make the treacherous journey across the Atlantic, relive the ferocious storms as the Mayflower crested gigantic waves, find out what life was really like on board for the 102 passengers, and discover the secret history of the second ship, the Speedwell. Learn the real story of the Pilgrims' fateful landing on the shores of what is now Massachusetts. What happened when they met the tribes native to the area and how much truth is there in the Thanksgiving legend? Discover the hardships faced by the Pilgrims on their quest for a new life, and appreciate the sad reality of what happened in the devastating winter that followed their long and dangerous voyage. Beautifully illustrated with incredible cutaway diagrams of the ship, comprehensive maps, storylike narrative, and detailed timelines, this ebook brings the history of the Mayflower to life for a whole new generation. This stunning ebook makes the perfect gift to commemorate one of the most famous adventures in history in what will be an important year of remembrance.

The black experience in America--starting from its origins in western Africa up to 1961--is examined in this seminal study from a prominent African American figure. The entire historical timeline of African Americans is addressed, from the Colonial period through the civil rights upheavals of the late 1950s to 1961, the time of publication. "Before the Mayflower" grew out of a series of articles Bennett published in Ebony magazine regarding "the trials and triumphs of a group of Americans whose roots in the American soil are deeper than the roots of the Puritans who arrived on the celebrated Mayflower a year after a 'Dutch man of war' deposited twenty Negroes at Jamestown." Bennett's history is infused with a desire to set the record straight about black contributions to the Americas and about the powerful Africans of antiquity. While not a fresh history, it provides a solid synthesis of current historical research and a lively writing style that makes it accessible and engaging reading. After discussing the contributions of Africans to the ancient world, "Before the Mayflower" tells the history of "the other Americans," how they came to America, and what happened to them when they got here. The book is comprehensive and detailed, providing little-known and often overlooked facts about the lives of black folks through slavery, Reconstruction, America's wars, the Great Depression, and the civil rights movement. This is a classic in examining the history of African Americans from their African past through the Revolutionary and Civil Wars to contemporary problems and accomplishments.

Join the Pilgrims on their perilous journey across the ocean, as they start a new life in North America. This stunning book marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's voyage, with edge-to-edge illustrated scenes, interspersed with detailed maps, inventories and cutaways, along with engaging, narrative text to make this a history book to treasure and pour over time and again. Learn about the perilous journey, the crew and passengers, the cargo on board and what happened when they finally dropped anchor in Cape Cod. Meet the Wampanoag people and learn about how the Pilgrims' arrival changed their way of life. Atmospheric artwork and detailed scenes will spark your imagination as you discover the amazing true story behind the birth of a nation. Find out as if you were there: Who were the Pilgrims? Why did they want to leave England? Why was the journey so perilous? What was the Mayflower Compact? Who are the Wampanoag? How did the Pilgrims interact with the Wampanoag? What happened at the first Thanksgiving? What became of the Mayflower? This fact-packed children’s book includes a comprehensive timeline of events, an author's note, plus a glossary and ideas for further learning.

The tracing of the descendants of the Mayflower passengers.

The Mayflower was an English ship that famously transported the first English Puritans, known today as the Pilgrims, from Plymouth, England to the New World in 1620. There were 102 passengers, and the crew is estimated to have been about 30, but the exact number is unknown. This voyage has become a cultural icon in the history of the United States, with its story of death and survival in the harsh New England winter environment. The culmination of the voyage was the signing of the Mayflower Compact, an event which established a rudimentary form of democracy, with each member contributing to the welfare of the community. Contents: The Mayflower Ship's Log History of Plymouth Plantation Mayflower Descendants and Their Marriages for Two Generations After the Landing History of the Mayflower

Mayflower has become a cultural icon in the history of the United States, with its story of death and survival in the harsh New England winter environment. This book brings the story of 102 passengers, commonly known as Pilgrims, who crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower. The story starts with the year 1608, when Pilgrims settled in the Dutch Republic on the European mainland and it covers events such as crossing the Atlantic, settling off Plymouth Colony and the first Thanksgiving in 1621. Contents: The Mayflower Ship's Log Good Newes From New England History of Plymouth Plantation Mourt's Relation Mayflower Descendants and Their Marriages for Two Generations After the Landing History of the Mayflower