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The Mayflower reaches Cape Cod and explores the coast

Mayflower was an English square-rigged merchant sailing ship, active from before 1609 until 1622. Her tonnage was 180+, and she was 110 feet long and 25 feet in the beam, with several decks.

Mayflower was an English square-rigged merchant sailing ship, active from before 1609 until 1622. Her tonnage was 180+, and she was 110 feet long and 25 feet in the beam, with several decks. She was notable in that she transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620.

After 10 weeks at sea, Mayflower, with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, reached what is today the United States, dropping anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts on November 21 [O.S. November 11], 1620. The Pilgrims, often conflated with the Puritans (who sought to reform and purify the Church of England from within), sought separation from the church and prayed privately.

Historical Significance

Mayflower was an English square-rigged merchant sailing ship, active from before 1609 until 1622.

Events Before

  1. House of Burgesses in Virginia forms, first elected American governing body

    The House of Burgesses () was the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly from 1619 to 1776.

  2. Slavery begins in mainland British colonies of North America when the first known African captives (approximately 20) la

    Slavery begins in mainland British colonies of North America when the first known African captives (approximately 20) land at Point Comfort, Virginia, before being sold or traded into servitude [1]

  3. René Descartes has a dream that inspires his "Meditations on First Philosophy"

    René Descartes has a dream that inspires his "Meditations on First Philosophy"

  4. Thirty-eight colonists from Berkeley Parish, England, disembark in Virginia and give thanks to God, considered by many t

    Thirty-eight colonists from Berkeley Parish, England, disembark in Virginia and give thanks to God, considered by many the first Thanksgiving in the Americas

  5. Trial against Johan van Oldenbarnevelt begins in The Hague for alleged crimes against the federal government

    Trial against Johan van Oldenbarnevelt begins in The Hague for alleged crimes against the federal government

Events After

  1. Dutch West India Company receives charter for the West Indies (the Americas, Caribbean and West Africa)

    The Dutch colonial empire (Dutch: Nederlandse Koloniale Rijk) comprised overseas territories and trading posts under some form of Dutch control from the early 17th to late 20th centuries, including...

  2. King James I of England gives Scottish courtier and poet William Alexander a royal charter to colonize Nova Scotia

    King James I of England gives Scottish courtier and poet William Alexander a royal charter to colonize Nova Scotia

  3. John Wheelwright, English-American Puritan clergyman, marries Mary Storre in Lincolnshire

    John Wheelwright, English-American Puritan clergyman, marries Mary Storre in Lincolnshire

  4. Jan Pieterszoon Coen's fleet sails from Jakarta for the Moluccas

    The Dutch conquest of the Banda Islands, also referred to as the Banda genocide, was a process of military conquest from 1609 to 1621 by the Dutch East India Company of the Banda Islands.

  5. Ceremony held to name the Dutch base of Batavia in the East Indies (modern Jakarta)

    Batavia was an imperial Dutch port city that eventually, after two centuries of Dutch occupation, became the capital of the Dutch East Indies. The area corresponds to present-day Jakarta, Indonesia.

More from the 1620s

Papal Chancery adopts January 1 as the beginning of the year (previously March 25)

Papal Chancery adopts January 1 as the beginning of the year (previously March 25)

First American Indian (Powhatan) massacre of Europeans around Jamestown, Virginia, 347 killed

First American Indian (Powhatan) massacre of Europeans around Jamestown, Virginia, 347 killed

Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland ascends the English throne

Charles I, King of England, Scotland and Ireland ascends the English throne

Viceroy Frederick Henry marries Amalia countess von Solms-Braunfels

Viceroy Frederick Henry marries Amalia countess von Solms-Braunfels

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 19, 1620?
Mayflower was an English square-rigged merchant sailing ship, active from before 1609 until 1622. Her tonnage was 180+, and she was 110 feet long and 25 feet in the beam, with several decks. She was notable in that she transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620.
Why is The Mayflower reaches Cape Cod and explores the coast significant?
Mayflower was an English square-rigged merchant sailing ship, active from before 1609 until 1622.

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November 19 in HistoryYear 1620