{"id":26092,"date":"2019-10-27T17:21:20","date_gmt":"2019-10-27T17:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coastandcountry.co.uk\/blog\/?p=26092"},"modified":"2021-10-20T12:29:17","modified_gmt":"2021-10-20T11:29:17","slug":"dartmouth-mayflower-400","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.coastandcountry.co.uk\/blog\/dartmouth-mayflower-400","title":{"rendered":"The Mayflower 400 in Dartmouth"},"content":{"rendered":"

The year 2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower sailing from Plymouth to the New World. Dartmouth is proudly one of the 13 international locations leading the Mayflower 400 commemorations, and celebrations are already underway, with a wealth of exciting events and projects in the pipeline, <\/span>highlighting its connections to the Pilgrims\u2019 journey, and also the towns long maritime history. The whole town is behind this major celebration, which intends to not only raise Dartmouth\u2019s profile as a fantastic place to visit, but hopes to encourage visitors on a national and international scale, further boosting the local economy. <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve created a simple guide to The Mayflower 400 in Dartmouth, outlining its maiden voyage, and also Dartmouth\u2019s integral role within this. What\u2019s more, we\u2019ve also highlighted various key events not to miss during the celebrations…\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mayflower story <\/b><\/h2>\n

The Mayflower began its maiden voyage in the autumn of 1620. Setting sail from the harbour of Plymouth, United Kingdom on September 16th, she was headed for America, otherwise known (at the time) by English explorers as the New World. It took 66 long, challenging days to cross the Atlantic and the vessel encountered a number of treacherous Atlantic storms, often so bad that the sails couldn\u2019t be used. At the end of December 1620, The Mayflower landed in Plymouth Bay, Massachusetts, and the passengers immediately began establishing a colony.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Throughout the 17th Century the Church of England dictated many aspects of daily life, from clothes worn to food eaten, and naturally, there was resilience to this. During this period a community of like-minded individuals formulated to become known as the Separatists. Initially, they worshipped in secret, avoiding arrest and persecution, but as authorities tightened their grip they started to hatch much bigger plans. At first, the Separatists fled to Leiden, in Holland, to join the city of free-thinkers, but soon their time in Holland took its toll, and they soon started to plan a much bigger journey, a journey to the New World, a land with new beginnings, completely free of limitations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both the concept and the driving force of the Mayflower voyage was led by the Separatists, and as such they accounted for the majority of passengers aboard. Other passengers, not necessarily religiously motivated, were those lured by the opportunity of adventure and freedom, and the chance to build a better future for their families. Later known as the Pilgrims, these people significantly influenced the future of the United States of America, more so than they realised at the time! On board the vessel were just 102 passengers and 30 crew members, together forming a community of men, women and several children, from varying locations across England and the city of Leiden in Holland. Today, more than 30 million people can trace their ancestry to the passengers aboard the Mayflower!<\/span><\/p>\n

The Mayflower voyage, and the events that followed, marked an extremely significant period in history for both England and the United States of America, in particular, the relationships first formed between the Native American Wampanoag tribe and the colonists and the first Thanksgiving. The repressive church rule in England drove yet further people to follow Mayflower to America, welcoming another ships arrival in 1621, and two more in 1623. The Mayflower story is renowned for its notion of freedom and humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"October<\/p>\n

Dartmouth\u2019s connection to the Mayflower\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Whilst in Holland, the Separatists worked with the counterparts in England to fund and organise the journey to America, which had to be proved as being commercially viable. After some negotiating with merchants in London, they managed to secure funding, on the proviso that there would be a sound return on investment seen in the goods sent back to England.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Following this, it was agreed that a ship called Speedwell would carry those residing in Holland to America, and another ship called the Mayflower would take additional skilled passengers, not travelling for religious reasons. Initially, the plan was for the two ships to meet in Southampton, before setting sail together for America, but not long after the two ships weighed anchor, Speedwell began taking on water, and they were forced to change course for Dartmouth. It took just over a week for skilled craftsmen to make good of the damage, but despite the best efforts from all involved, just 300 miles off Land\u2019s End, Speedwell was not deemed seaworthy and the two vessels turned about for Plymouth. The crew amalgamated, and the Mayflower was the only ship that set sail for America on September 16th, 1620.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"festivals<\/h2>\n

The Mayflower 400 events in Dartmouth<\/b><\/h2>\n

Dartmouth is a hive of activity year round, with a thriving events calendar. Throughout the Mayflower commemorations you will find a wealth of dedicated events, and also the Mayflower story woven into many of the town\u2019s annual events. Spanning arts, culture, theatre and heritage, expect to spend your time enjoying concerts, exploring tall ship visits, navigating sculpture and art trails, and reading a dedicated Mayflower children\u2019s book. What\u2019s more, the Dart Music Festival, the Dart the Dart Run and the Dartmouth Royal Regatta will be in full swing throughout the year. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Due to Covid-19, several of the planned Mayflower 400 events may have been cancelled or rescheduled. To find out further detail, and keep your finger on the pulse with the Dartmouth Mayflower 400 events as they are released, visit the dedicated Dartmouth Mayflower website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n