seasick. All the passengers needed to use a chamber pot for a bathroom, and if the weather was rough, they were not allowed to go up on deck to dump it out. For 66 days, passengers endured these small, smelly spaces. Additionally, there was little food and water. Many passengers, including children, drank ale.

The troubles of the Pilgrims did not end when they reached America. Initially bound for Virginia, the Mayflower went off course and ended up landing on Cape Cod first, before finally settling in Plymouth (known then as Plimoth). The weather was much colder than what the Pilgrims had prepared for and the first winter was devastating. The Pilgrims struggled to build homes, and many families crowded into the few homes that were built. Food was scarce, and many Pilgrims starved to death that first winter.

The first hardship that the Mayflower experienced was that her sister ship, the Speedwell, developed serious mechanical problems and had to turn back to England.  The Speedwell was the passenger ship, so the Mayflower, designed to carry freight, had to be hastily refitted for the passengers.  It was not comfortable; quarters were tight and some freight had to be left behind. Once underway, the Mayflower encountered rough seas and storms and began to leak; a main beam was also damaged. The anxiety and fear must have been very difficult for the crew and passengers.  Because the voyage had been delayed, the weather was quite cold, and ultimately, the ship had to land in Massachusetts where there was no established colony or homes, instead of their intended destination, Virginia.

The first winter was brutal. They had to use what they had at hand to build crude shelter.  There was constant fear of Indian attacks.  Food was scarce and disease and exposure claimed about half the colony.  In the spring, the arrival of Samoset, Massasoit, and Squanto brought peaceful negotiation and help in adapting to the climate.  The survivors learned, with the help of Squanto, how to plant, hunt, fish, and utilize what the surroundings offered.

The Pilgrims faced many hardships on their voyage across the Atlantic and upon arriving in New England.  The trip across the Atlantic was very rough.  The trip took longer than expected.  They had to endure severe storms crossing the ocean.  They also had issues with their ship.  One of the main beams cracked which led some to wonder if the voyage could proceed.  Because of these difficulties which slowed the passage, there were shortages of food.  People also became sick, and one passenger died.  Because of the storms, they arrived much later than planned and in a different location.  Arriving in November presented additional issues for the pilgrims. Food was a big concern that first winter. Disease also was an issue as many of the pilgrims died of a plague which moved quickly through the colony. In addition, there was the threat of conflict with unfriendly Native American tribes. Fortunately, the pilgrims received help from Squanto, a Native American, who taught them how to survive and how to negotiate a peace treaty with the Native Americans. The pilgrims faced many obstacles on the voyage to the Americas. They also faced many obstacles once they arrived.

In chapter 9, Bradford describes some of the extreme trials the pilgrims faced in their journey at sea. As many passengers suffered with seasickness, one of the seamen cursed them for their illness, screaming profanities that he hoped to "cast half of them overboard" before the journey was over. The ship was shaken by violent storms, and the upper works were made quite leaky by storm damage. One man was blown overboard during a particularly bad storm; fortunately, he was able to grab a topsail halyard and cling to it underwater until he could be pulled up again.

After landing and setting up a crude establishment, the pilgrims faced a particularly challenging winter. In January and February, nearly half of the settlers died due to inadequate housing, exposure to the elements, and infection. On the worst days during this winter, only about six or seven people were capable of providing for the needs of the group and gathered wood, made fires, cooked, and washed linens for all those who were sick.

During this time, the Native people watched the group, being careful to keep at a distance and to flee when the settlers came too close. Eventually, an English-speaking Native approached the group and began sharing his own knowledge of the East Coast. Massasoit and Squanto made a friendly visit; gifts were exchanged to make peace, and terms were established for a peaceful coexistence. Squanto in particular aided the group in navigating the land. He told them where they should fish, how they should plant corn, and how they could obtain needed supplies.

My goodness!  What didn't the Pilgrims face?  From the very first instance of their accepting their religion in Europe, they faced opposition.  That's why they first fled to Holland, and then sought passage to the New World.  Aboard ship, conditions were horrific!  There were no comfortable accomodations below decks where they stayed, the ship leaked, the food spoiled, there were rats, and storms tossed the ship around, often for days at a time.  They arrived late in the year in a strange land.  Over half of them did not survive that first winter due to starvation and exposure to the elements.  Most of the unfortunate victims were men, the women seeming to have a stronger constitution than the men. 

The Wampanoug Indians were, for the most part, friendly and helpful.  Everyone has heard of Chief Massasoit and Squanto, and how they brought food to the settlers and showed them how to plant their crops, build their homes, and survive.

In his history of the Plymouth Colony, William Bradford writes quite dramatically, and often movingly, of the voyage on the Mayflowerand the settlers' first winter in the new land. The voyage over "fast and furious seas" was dangerous and miserable. Many of the Pilgrims suffered from seasickness, and they also endured the hateful taunting and verbal abuse of some of the rough sailors who made up the crew. One of the Pilgrims, a young man named John Howland, was swept overboard but was saved and brought back onboard the ship.

A terrible situation developed about halfway through the voyage when one of the main beams cracked, making it very uncertain that the ship could complete the voyage. Temporary repairs were made, and the ship sailed on, sometimes meeting with violent storms that forced them to drop the sails and drift helplessly in the ocean.

When they finally landed, their misery continued. The winter was fierce. The people stayed aboard the ship, trying to survive on the rations that were left. They had not taken food to prepare for being stranded during the winter. In the section of his history called "The Starving Time," Bradford writes that in two or three months, at least half of the Pilgrims had died, sometimes two or three a day--of starvation, scurvy, and other illnesses. Out of more than 100 Pilgrims, barely 50 lived. Those that lived also were terribly sick. At one time, only six or seven were well enough to care for the others.

In March, the Indians finally made contact with the settlers. Samoset, who spoke broken English, came first. He told them of Squanto, another Indian who had actually been to England and spoke English well. Squanto stayed with the Pilgrims at Plymouth for the rest of his life, acting as their teacher and guide. He taught them how to plant corn and where to fish. He also was "their pilot to bring them to unknown places for their profit." Bradford considered Squanto "a special instrument sent of God."

During that first spring, Chief Massasoit and the Pilgrims made a peace agreement that had lasted 24 years when Bradford wrote his history. Without the assistance of these Native Americans, the Plymouth Colony most likely would have perished.

The Pilgrims, as we usually refer to them, had a very hard time on their voyage to the New World and in their first months on land.  They survived thanks in large part to help from some Native Americans.

The voyage on the Mayflower lasted 65 days.  The weather was very bad, with the ship encountering a severe storm midway across the Atlantic. Throughout the voyage, the Pilgrims had to spend most of their time cooped up below decks.  The close quarters would, of course, have smelled very bad and been very uncomfortable.

Although they meant to go to Virginia, they ended up landing in Massachusetts in November.  That meant that they would have no time to grow any food of their own.  Because of this, and because they were weakened by the voyage, roughly of them starved.

Although there were some skirmishes with Indians early on, the Pilgrims probably owed their survival to people from the Wampanoag tribe.  These were the people who helped teach them how to farm in ways that would work in Massachusetts.  Because of the good quality of their relationship, the Pilgrims and the Indians shared the famous first Thanksgiving feast.