Mayflower

The Mayflower was a big, old sailing ship that looked like a floating house with tall masts and big white sails. It was like a giant bathtub, but much, much bigger! In 1620, this ship carried about 102 passengers, who we call Pilgrims, and a crew of about 30 sailors.

They were all going on a very important journey from England to a new land far across the ocean. It was a long trip, taking about 10 weeks!

These Pilgrims wanted to live in a place where they could practice their own way of praying without being told what to do. They left their homes in England and first went to a country called the Netherlands. But after a while, they decided to sail even further to a place they called the 'New World,' which is now the United States. They hoped to start a brand new town there called Plymouth Colony.

After sailing for a very long time, the Mayflower finally saw land! It was near a place called Cape Cod in Massachusetts. But they arrived in November, when it was getting cold and snowy. The first winter was super tough, and sadly, only about half of the people survived. Luckily, the Native American people who already lived there helped them learn how to find food and stay warm.

Before even stepping off the ship, the Pilgrims wrote down a special agreement called the Mayflower Compact. It was like a promise to work together and help each other build their new town. The next year, the people who survived celebrated their first harvest with the Wampanoag Native American people.

This big feast is what we now call the first Thanksgiving! The Mayflower ship became a famous symbol of this big adventure.