Mayflower Day is celebrated annually on September 16 in the US to remember about the history of the journey that set the precedent for the modern-day United States!
Mayflower was an English ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620.
And this event was very important as it laid the foundation of the modern United States as these first some British families only later turned as Americans when they became independent from the British Empire. So it is taken as an important part of history of the United States and as well as the whole world.
| Event | Mayflower Day |
|---|---|
| Date | September 16, 2022 |
| Day | Friday |
| Significance | The day commemorates the journey that established the precedent for the modern-day United States! |
| Observed by | United States |
Mayflower Day History:
Mayflower Day is the day which is celebrated to commemorate the history of the journey that saw travelers from England who were seeking refuge, sail through the ocean to create a new colony in the ‘Promised Land’ which is the territory of the modern-day United States in the 1620s.
Although the ship reached and eventually ducked at present-day Cape Cod, Massachusetts, but it was originally intended to reach a destination which was a region in present-day territory of the U.S. state of Virginia. According to historical accounts, harsh sea conditions and storms prevented it from reaching its final destination in Virginia.
Arriving in November, they had to survive unprepared through a harsh winter. As a result, only half of the original Pilgrims survived the first winter at Plymouth. If not for the help of local indigenous peoples to teach them food gathering and other survival skills, all of the colonists might have perished. The following year, those 53 who survived, celebrated the colony's first fall harvest along with 90 Wampanoag Native American people, an occasion declared in centuries later the first American Thanksgiving.
One of the travelers on the Mayflower ship, William Bradford is considered to have helped establish the traditions of self-government that would later set the pattern for national political development in years to come with his introduction of franchise and town meetings as the 30-year governor of the Plymouth colony where the travelers of Mayflower settled and is also one of thirteen colonies that formed the present United States.
Mayflower Day Significance:
This event in history is so important in history which led to the formation of the United States as a country as it is today. And who knows without this event United States might be never founded or founded much later in the recent history.
And if that happens we couldn't also imagine that how our world would be as United States played a so important role in shaping the world in the modern human history and still it is considered as a sole superpower of today's world with the largest economy and strongest military.
Even today most of us will agree that US makes most of he headlines in the world amd everyone in the world is aware of American culture and its politics. Although some might argue that US is losing its grip in recent times but still it is the most dominant force now and is expected to remain for many years to come.
Whatever you think about American creation like it was forceful immigration by displacing and killing native americans or you consider US politics dangerous for the world but still you gotta admit that without US the world would have been very different and who knows maybe even worse we can't literally say anything about it. So this incident is very important for Americans as it laid their foundation as Americans.
Mayflower Day Celebrations:
There are several free documentaries about the Mayflower’s journey from England on the internet, Watch it. Or, go to your favorite library to learn from the interesting accounts about it by various authors.
Plimoth Plantation Museum and Pilgrim Hall Museums in Massachusetts are two of the museums dedicated to housing the Mayflower ship’s relics and teaching visitors about the journey that led to the creation of one of the colonies that led to modern-day America. So definitely visit them to mark this day!
Discussing about the 66-day long journey and making people aware about it is an another very important to mark this day celebrating the history of the United States as it was a very historic event ever to take place. Hence everyone must be aware about it.
Most Searched FAQs on Mayflower Day:
1. When is Mayflower Day is celebrated?
Mayflower Day is annually celebrated on 16th September.
2. How long did the Mayflower voyage take?
66 days or 10 weeks was how long it took the Mayflower to journey from England to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
3. How many survived the Mayflower voyage?
Only 53 of Mayflower’s passengers and half the crew survived their first winter in New England.