The mayflower

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________ Page 1 The Mayflower Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor by William Halsall (1882) Read this account of the Pilgrim’s journey to the New World. Then answer the questions on page 2. You may have heard of the Mayflower as the were many dangers. Ships could be attacked by ship the Pilgrims took to reach the New World. pirates, and ship construction wasn’t as safe as it But what else do you know about the Mayflower’s is now—shipwrecks were not unusual. In fact, the famous voyage to the New World? Mayflower was damaged in a storm on the way to North America. Luckily, the people on board were In fact, two ships—the Mayflower and the able to repair the damage. Speedwell—set sail for the New World in July of 1620. The ships had to return to shore twice After two months at sea, the Mayflower because the Speedwell kept leaking. After arrived at what is now Cape Cod, Massachusetts. deciding that the Speedwell could not make the However, the passengers couldn’t get off just yet. journey, the settlers all boarded the Mayflower and They needed to find a place to live. While a small embarked on their voyage. The third time was the team of Pilgrims looked for an area of land that charm. The Mayflower arrived in North America a had good weather and soil fertile enough to grow few months later. food, the rest of the settlers lived on the ship for several more weeks. Once the team identified a Taking a journey by sea in 1620 wasn’t like it is good place to settle, the ship sailed up the coast today. Most ships were designed for transporting to Plymouth, where the Pilgrims began building a cargo, not people. So, ships were generally town. Most of the group continued to live on the cramped and uncomfortable for people to live in ship until around March of 1621, when there were during a sea journey. It could take weeks, or even enough houses built for everyone to get settled months, to arrive at a final destination. Plus, there in Plymouth.

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________ Page 2 The Mayflower Answer each question. 1. Why was it necessary for the Mayflower to turn back two times before its full journey began? a. English officials kept ordering the ship to come back so they could arrest several Pilgrims on board. b. The first time, the ship had a faulty rudder that needed repairs. The second time, the Pilgrims realized they did not have enough food for the journey and came back for additional supplies. c. The boat sailing alongside the Mayflower was leaking. After two attempts to fix it, they decided to sail without a second boat. d. The Mayflower was too small, so they went back twice to find a larger ship and eventually set sail on the Speedwell instead. 2. List three typical characteristics of sea travel in the 1600s. 1. 2. 3. 3. How long was the Mayflower’s voyage at sea? 4. Where did the Mayflower finally land? a. Off the coast of Newfoundland b. Near present-day London, England c. Near present-day Cape Cod, Massachusetts d. Off the coast of Europe 5. Why was it necessary for some passengers to live on the docked ship for several weeks when the Mayflower first arrived?