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Definition:
Pilgrims were members of English separatist congregations who fled what they
regarded as religious persecution and settled in North America in 1620. English
separatists were Protestants who believed that the Anglican church still contained too
much which was still Roman Catholic in nature. They wanted to reform the church
to make it better, but no longer believed that to be possible and so "separated"
from it, creating their own congregations where they could believe and worship as
they felt proper.
The Pilgrims eventually tried to emigrate to Holland which, after some difficulties, they managed to do. They tried to make a life there, but feared further hostilities between Holland and Spain and were not at all happy with the morals of the Dutch, and on September 6, 1620, the left England for North America on the ship Mayflower.
The arrived off of Cap Cod on November 21 and settlted near Plymouth three weeks later. The first winter was harsh, with almost half their members dying, but they received aid from Native Americans which allowed them to more easily survive. Their colony never grew very large and was eventually absorbed by the larger Massachusetts Bay Colony, but the symbolism of the Pilgrims fleeing persecution has remained strong in American history and mythology.
What is interesting about this, however, is the fact that they were not seeking religious freedom as it is ideally considered in modern America. They were, instead, seeking to establish their own church which would be supported and enforced by their own state. They were, in essence, trying to do unto others what they did not want done unto themselves. This desire for "religious freedom" which ultimately meant the freedom to impose one's own religion on others has been a common theme in American history.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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