Mayflower Pilgrims facts

While investigating facts about Mayflower Pilgrims, I found out little known, but curios details like:

Some of the Mayflower Pilgrims were not escaping from religious persecution in England, but rather the tolerant Dutch Republic that they feared was influencing their children.

The Mayflower Pub in London is the only Pub licensed to sell US stamps due to it's historical connection to the original Mayflower ship that carried the Pilgrim Fathers.

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 19 of the best facts about Mayflower Pilgrims I managed to collect.

1. The Mayflower voyage ended in Plymouth instead of its intended Virginia Colony destination because the Pilgrims ran out of beer

2. Passengers on the Mayflower were allotted a gallon of beer each per day. Given that beer at the time was 5-6% alcohol, one could presume the Pilgrims were inebriated more often than not.

3. Around 35 million Americans share DNA with the original Mayflower Pilgrims of 1620

4. Before becoming famous for carrying the pilgrims to America; the Mayflower was a merchant ship that transported wine, cognac and vinegar between France and Spain

5. When the pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower, the Wampanoag Indians taught them how to cultivate the land. These Indians were invited to the first Thanksgiving in 1621.

6. After arriving at Plymouth Rock aboard the Mayflower the settlers had to wait for two weeks to do much exploring of the area. The boat that they were to use to sail from the Mayflower to shore had been damaged on the voyage and it took this long to repair it for regular use. Small groups would wade to shore in order to bathe and make small explorations of the area.

7. There is a 252 foot high monument in Provincetown meant to commemorate the Mayflower Pilgrim's first landing in the United States (although it was not yet the United States at the time they landed).

8. Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620, at Plymouth, Massachusetts, by Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower, a ship carrying settlers. The Massachusetts Bay Colony wasn"t settled for another 10 years.

9. Provincetown Harbor, located along the shores of Cape Cod Bay, was the first anchoring place of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower on their way to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.

10. The Mayflower Pilgrims encountered an English-speaking Native American, named Squanto, when they first landed. Squanto was responsible for the peace deal between the Pilgrims and the local Native tribe.

What is true about mayflower pilgrims?

You can easily fact check it by examining the linked well-known sources.

Even though the KJV was printed in 1611 and the Mayflower Pilgrims departed in 1620, they brought the Geneva Bible with them and appeared to have used it exclusively

In 1620, the Pilgrims originally set sail for the New World on two boats -- the Mayflower and the Speedwell -- but the Speedwell had to turn back to England for repairs. - source

Plymouth Colony was founded in 1621 by pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower in 1620. Plymouth was later de-established and absorbed by the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Over half of the people travelling on "The Mayflower" were not Pilgrims.

Originally two ships were used for the voyage to America, the Mayflower and the Speedwell. Shortly after leaving England the Speedwell started to leak. Both ships returned to England and some of the passengers on the Speedwell boarded the Mayflower for the trip.

There is a barn in Buckinghamshire, England, that may be made from pieces of the original Mayflower that sailed the Pilgrims to the New World.

All of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower Could Have Fit on the Wing of a World War II B-29 Superfortress Bomber