Whenever we think about Thanksgiving, our minds often wander back to 1620 and the Pilgrims’ famous landing at Plymouth Harbor; the Pilgrims are the ones who celebrated the first Thanksgiving, after all.
It would also seem natural to associate the Pilgrims with Massachusetts, because they were the first to build a settlement on the land that is now Massachusetts. So, did the Pilgrims build Massachusetts?
No, they did not. I knew that Plymouth was the site of their settlement, but I don’t think I quite realized that Plymouth was an actual, separate colony that was established before Massachusetts; maybe I just didn’t pay enough attention to all the stories about Thanksgiving when I was a kid.
Another interesting discovery that I learned a couple years ago is that, while Plymouth Harbor is the site of the Pilgrims’ first settlement, the harbor isn’t technically the site of the Pilgrims’ first landing.
An Ill-Fated Journey
When planning where to build their settlement in the New World, the Pilgrims decided to build it near the mouth of the Hudson River, which was the northernmost claim of Virginia Colony at the time. This would have placed the Pilgrims near the modern-day city of New York, which would have likely caused some dispute between the Pilgrims’ settlement and the Dutch colony of Nieuw Nederland (New Netherland) that was established several years before the Pilgrims landed in the New World.
Of course, we all know that things didn’t go according to plan. Due to several delays, including the wait for royal approval of their proposed settlement, the Pilgrims did not set sail for the New World until September of 1620.
While sailing for North America, the Pilgrims’ ship, named the Mayflower, was blown off course by fierce storms in the Atlantic Ocean, which caused them to arrive at the uncharted coast of Cap Cod, more than 220 miles northeast of their intended destination.
Mayflower master Christopher Jones attempted to sail south to the Hudson River, but the conditions along the coast of Cape Cod were anything but favorable. The Mayflower faced headwinds and encountered hazards, which William Bradford, the future governor of Plymouth Colony, described as “[the Mayflower] fell amongst dangerous shoals and roaring breakers.”
With low supplies and the risk of shipwreck, Jones turned back and docked the Mayflower in what is now Provincetown Harbor. The Pilgrims first made landfall there on November 11, 1620. This is where the Mayflower Compact was signed.
Because the Pilgrims were north of the 41st parallel, and they only had permission to settle the northernmost lands of Virginia Colony — which were below the 41st parallel — the Pilgrims were technically not authorized to build a settlement where they were. Some of the Mayflower passengers threatened to abandon the settlement, therefore, in order to respect the rule of law, 41 men of the Mayflower signed the Mayflower Compact, which outlined the governing principles of the new colony that would be known as Plymouth Colony.
Soon after, the Pilgrims set sail again, crossing Cape Cod Bay and making landfall once again in mid December. The Pilgrims then built their settlement, which they originally called New Plymouth, because it was named after the city from which they sailed: Plymouth, England.
The Establishment of Plymouth Colony
The Pilgrims’ first winter in Plymouth was brutal because winter had arrived before they had the chance to build a settlement. By spring of 1621, about half of the 102 passengers of the Mayflower had died, leaving a mere 52 people to inhabit the colony.
In late 1621, the Pilgrims experienced a successful harvest, and their celebration that autumn is what we now regard as the first Thanksgiving.
The Pilgrims spent more than 2 decades exporting pelts to England in order to pay off the debt they incurred during their voyage to the New World.
As the years wore on, Plymouth Colony grew, eventually encompassing more land, including the entirety of the peninsula upon which the Pilgrims originally landed: Cape Cod.
Plymouth Colony even had a seal with the inscription Sigillvm Societatis O Plimovth, Nov Anglia — the Early Modern English spelling of the Latin phrase Sigillum Societatis O Plimouth, Nov Anglia, which translates to the Seal of the Company of Plymouth, New England.
The Establishment of Massachusetts Bay Colony
Eight years after the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth Harbor, a new colony was founded to the north of Plymouth, which was named Massachusetts Bay. In 1630, the city of Boston was established in Massachusetts Bay Colony, whose population primarily consisted of Puritans. Massachusetts Bay also exported goods including pelts, which competed with Plymouth.
Massachusetts Bay flourished, and in the 1650s, the colony acquired the District of Maine; even New Hampshire was part of Massachusetts Bay until 1679.
The Dominion of New England
In 1686, all of the New English colonies were merged together with several other districts, forming a vast region known as the Dominion of New England, however, the dominion only lasted 3 years. The Dominion of New England comprised the following regions:
- Maine (part of Massachusetts Bay)
- New Hampshire
- Massachusetts Bay
- Plymouth
- Nantucket
- Martha’s Vineyard
- Rhode Island
- Connecticut
- New York
- East Jersey
- West Jersey
In 1689, the Dominion of New England was dissolved, allowing Plymouth Colony to exist as a separate colony for two more years.
The Province of Massachusetts Bay
In 1691, the colony of Plymouth ceased to exist, thanks to Massachusetts Bay. In that year, the Colony of Massachusetts Bay officially became the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
Massachusetts Bay’s promotion to province meant that it was now controlled more directly by the British throne, and with this, Massachusetts Bay absorbed new lands, including the Province of Maine, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Nova Scotia, and Plymouth Colony.
Nova Scotia split off from Massachusetts Bay in 1696, and Maine would break away from Massachusetts in 1820, but Plymouth would permanently remain part of Massachusetts.
If Plymouth Still Existed
Massachusetts wouldn’t be the same state that we know today without its southeastern corner, but I can’t help but feel a little sad that we lost the colony of the Pilgrims, especially since it played such a significant role in the formation of the United States. At least the city of Plymouth, which is where the Pilgrims landed, still exists in Massachusetts.
If Plymouth wasn’t merged with Massachusetts Bay, there may have been 14 colonies that declared independence from Great Britain. If this was the case, then, in 1777, the Betsy Ross flag would have likely been sewn with 14 stars and 14 stripes.
I suppose it would have been strange to have 14 colonies, especially because that would mean the United States would currently have 51 states, including Plymouth State. The state of Plymouth? No, that doesn’t sound right. I guess Plymouth will just have to live on in history.
Happy Thanksgiving!
For what are you most thankful this year?
Onward American 🇺🇸
Source: Did the Pilgrims Intend to Land at Plymouth
Source: Massachusetts Bay Colony
Onward American 