Are you a Mayflower descendant? If you're like me, you probably grew up hearing the story every Thanksgiving in school, never knowing - or even guessing that you could be related to those Pilgrims in the funny hats. However, sources say there are an estimated 11 million Mayflower descendants, so if you had Colonial era ancestors in America, there's a fair chance you are one of them too.
Who were the Pilgrims? In a nutshell, they were devout Christians opposed to the doctrines of the Anglican Church, resulting in fear, fines, penalties and persecution so great that it drove thousands of people from England and Europe in the 1620s and 1630s. It was the 108 (estimated) passengers on the Mayflower who paved the way, establishing the permanent English settlement in America. (Learn more about their perilous and miraculous journey in my previous article, here). These brave emigrants literally and figuratively planted the seeds for the blessed nation that America has been for the past 400 years, from 1620 to 2020. Realizing it was the quatercentenary (400th anniversary), I immediately began planning a trip to Plymouth!
I'm pleased to announce that my family's vacation destination for 2020 is Plymouth, Massachusetts!! Note: After booking the hotel at Hotels.com I got an offer to refer a friend and they will save $50 off their first booking of $200 or more, so if you're interested in a weekend trip or any other genealogy related vacation, give it a try! Book your hotel stay using this link to accept the offer and save! As a bonus for referring you, I'll earn hotel credits to help fund more genealogy related family vacations, too! (Restrictions apply).
One place every Mayflower descendant should visit in Plymouth is "Plimoth Plantation". Here's a sneak peak courtesy of Google Maps:
Plymouth is bustling with events commemorating the anniversary this year. You can view the full schedule of events and exhibits at the official website of the Plymouth 400 Commemoration.
Below are two other events you may be interested in. If you know of other events, comment below!
