| Plymouth Rock is a deserving American shrine, | | | | supposed, fit for situation. "At least, it was the |
| but the legends surrounding it - and the so-called | | | | best we could find. The season and our present |
| Pilgrims who stepped on it - are not as interesting | | | | necessity made us glad to accept of it. So, we |
| as the facts.Contrary to popular belief, the coast | | | | returned to our ship with the news to the rest of |
| of North America was well known to Spanish, | | | | our people, which did much comfort their hearts." |
| French, Dutch and other English colonists prior to | | | | In addition to the landings on Nov. 21, there were |
| the arrival of a reformist religious sect we | | | | other exploratory landings on the 28th, 29th and |
| associate with Thanksgiving.George Weymouth | | | | 30th.Abandoned cornfields and Indian villages were |
| explored Maine in 1605 and brought back five | | | | found on the mainland. A smallpox epidemic and |
| Indians to London. Three of them were turned | | | | Indian warfare had wiped out the coastal |
| over to Sir Ferdinando Gorges, harbormaster at | | | | Pawtuxit. This was a fateful stroke for the |
| Plymouth, England.Contact with these pleasant and | | | | Pilgrims. They were too exhausted and few in |
| dignified Native Americans so intrigued Gorges | | | | number to contest hostile natives or clear forest |
| that he spent the rest of his life promoting | | | | in winter.Upon returning to the ship, the entire |
| colonization among them.Largely through Gorges' | | | | company voted to build at Plymouth Harbor. The |
| enthusiasm, two colonies were launched in 1607 - | | | | "Mayflower" weighed anchor and sailed across |
| one at Jamestown, Virginia; the other at | | | | Massachusetts Bay.So anxious were some of the |
| Sagadahoc, Maine. Jamestown survived, but | | | | men to get started, ten of them disembarked |
| Sagadahoc gave up a year later when its leader, | | | | during the night and were waiting the next |
| George Popham, died.Fishing expeditions to New | | | | morning when the main party came ashore.THEN |
| England continued, however. If the haul was | | | | the Pilgrims stepped onto the great rock at the |
| sparse, Indians often were kidnapped and sold in | | | | end of a channel through the oyster flats. The |
| Spain as slaves. One of these was a Pawtuxit | | | | date was Dec. 22, 1620.A few women remained |
| brave named Tsquantum. He was to play a | | | | aboard the "Mayflower" until March 31 when the |
| decisive role in the Pilgrims survival.It should be | | | | ship began the voyage home. The ship returned |
| remembered that the religious folks we call | | | | the following year with supplies and then sailed out |
| Pilgrims today were known then as "Separatists" | | | | of American history. First WinterMany Pilgrims died |
| for their determination to break away from the | | | | that first, terrible winter. Bodies were buried |
| Church of England. They called themselves | | | | secretly so the Indians would not detect the plight. |
| "Gathered Saints" and their other companions | | | | Survivors need not have worried. An unknown |
| "Strangers."The name "Pilgrim" did not come into | | | | friend was restraining the nearest Indians 40 miles |
| use until 1792 - 172 years later - when a local | | | | away.Tsquantum, who was sold into Spanish |
| poet so termed all Plymouth Colony members | | | | slavery, managed to escape and make his way to |
| whether Saints or Strangers.Nor should Pilgrims be | | | | Plymouth, England. There he found safety with Sir |
| confused with Puritans - today's Congregationalists | | | | Gorges who returned him to America on a fishing |
| -- who colonized Boston in 1629. The latter were | | | | vessel.It was this Indian, called Squanto by the |
| reformists of the Church of England and disdained | | | | Pilgrims, who now sat in the lodge of the |
| the Gathered Saints.Stylized paintings of New | | | | Wampanoak and advised friendship with the |
| England settlers in black clothing, broad-brim hats | | | | colonists.The Pilgrims were alarmed in March when |
| for men and starched bonnets for women, depict | | | | Squanto, Massasoit and 60 warriors lined up on a |
| Puritans. Plymouth colonists wore individual, rough | | | | rise overlooking the colony. Imagine the colonists' |
| dress. Just 37 members of the "Mayflower" | | | | surprise when Squanto hailed them: "Welcome |
| voyagers were Gathered Saints. The other 65 | | | | Englishmen!"Edward Carver, secretary of the |
| were workmen seeking opportunity.A young boy, | | | | colony, walked slowly to the entourage, his arms |
| servant to Samuel Fuller, died on the 66-day | | | | extended to show he carried no weapon.Said |
| voyage across the Atlantic. However, Elizabeth | | | | Squanto: "Do you dare to walk among us |
| Hopkins gave birth to a son; so the ship's | | | | alone?"Carver replied, "Where there is love, there |
| manifest of 102 passengers was maintained.The | | | | is no fear."So began a lasting friendship between |
| famous "Mayflower Compact" was signed en | | | | the Pilgrims and the Wampanoak. Squanto made |
| route only by the Saints minority to govern | | | | frequent visits to the colony to teach the Pilgrims |
| themselves - not to plant democracy, as is so | | | | how to hunt, fish, plant corn with a herring for |
| often thought. Pilgrims ArriveBy the time the | | | | fertilizer, make popcorn balls with maple syrup and |
| Pilgrims landed, there were thriving colonies at St. | | | | play a dice game called hubdub.By Fall, the Pilgrims |
| Augustine, Fla. (1565); Jamestown, Va. (1607); Port | | | | had built homes and gathered in a "goodly" crop |
| Royal, Nova Scotia (1613); Quebec, Canada (1613); | | | | of corn. In gratitude, they invited Massoit and |
| and Albany, N.Y. (1614).The "Mayflower" voyage, | | | | Squanto to a Thanksgiving feast. The two invited |
| sponsored by the London Company, aimed for | | | | guests showed up with 60 Wampanoak braves |
| the Hudson River that was considered to be part | | | | and stayed three days.Squanto died a year later |
| of the Virginia territory. However, contrary winds | | | | while leading a trading trip for winter corn. He |
| drove the ship to the tip of Cape Cod, now | | | | shares with Pocahontas at Jamestown the |
| Provincetown, Mass., on Nov. 17, 1620.Several | | | | gratitude of English settlers who probably would |
| trips ashore were made to replenish water and | | | | have perished without Indian help. Rock |
| firewood while the Pilgrims assessed their | | | | SymbolPilgrims paid little attention at first to the |
| situation.The tangle of shoals, bad weather and | | | | shore-side rock on which they finally stepped |
| discontent among the Strangers led them all to | | | | ashore. It simply was a convenience used as such |
| gave up their original destination and opt for | | | | for many years.In 1741, it was decided to build a |
| immediate settlement. Eventually they replaced | | | | wharf at the channel. A crib-work of logs was |
| their unexecuted London Company charter with a | | | | constructed, and the landing rock covered to its |
| new one from Gorges' New England | | | | top surface. There the rock formed part of a |
| Company.After resting for a couple of seeks, a | | | | pavement to be ground down by wagons.It was |
| party of 18 men assembled a pre-fabricated boat | | | | during this construction that Elder Faunce, 95, |
| and set out to reconnoiter. The "Mayflower" | | | | asked to be carried to the site so he could see |
| captain claimed to have visited the bay once | | | | the boulder that his father had always described |
| before. He assured his passengers that good | | | | to him as the "Forefathers' Rock."A contemporary |
| colony sites were near by.The scouting party | | | | account related that the old gentleman "bedewed |
| camped overnight on Cape Cod where it | | | | it with his tears and bid to it an everlasting |
| discovered several bushels of buried corn and a | | | | adieu."The emotional scene impressed the |
| human skull with remnants of blond hair.On the | | | | Plymouth inhabitants to such an extent the rock |
| second day, the men beat off a dawn attack by | | | | achieved a lasting symbolism."Animated by the |
| five Indians then coasted along the shore. They | | | | glorious spirit of liberty," the citizens of Plymouth |
| were looking for a harbor which Coppin, the | | | | in 1744 determined to preserve Plymouth Rock. |
| "Mayflower's" pilot, said he had once visited. William | | | | The great stone was lifted from its bed by jacks |
| Bradford later recounted the search:"After some | | | | and 30 yoke of oxen.In the process, the rock |
| hours' sailing, it began to snow and rain. About the | | | | split. The larger, bottom part, fell back into its |
| middle of the afternoon, the wind increased. The | | | | socket. The top was moved to the foot of a |
| sea became very rough, and we broke our | | | | Liberty Pole in the public square.Independence Day |
| rudder. It was as much as two men could do to | | | | 1834 was celebrated at Plymouth by moving the |
| steer our shallop with a couple of oars. "The | | | | upper rock piece to a newly built Pilgrim Hall. |
| storm increasing, and night drawing on, we bore | | | | During the transfer, the rock fell from a wagon |
| what sail we could while we could see. Herewith, | | | | and broke into two pieces. It is this mended break |
| we broke our mast in three pieces, and our sail | | | | that is visible to visitors today.The Plymouth |
| fell overboard. Yet, by God's mercy, we | | | | Society bought the old wharf in 1859 and built a |
| recovered ourselves and struck into the harbor. | | | | marble canopy over the piece of Plymouth Rock |
| "However, the pilot was deceived in the place and | | | | imbedded there.Finally, in 1880, the upper parts of |
| said the Lord be merciful unto us, but his eyes | | | | the rock were cemented to the original base. The |
| never saw the place before; and that he and the | | | | rock was once more whole - in three sections but |
| master's mate would have run us ashore in a | | | | one-third smaller from loss of fragments chipped |
| cove full of breakers before the wind. "It was | | | | off over the years for souvenirs. The date 1620 |
| very dark, and rained sore. Yet, in the end, we | | | | was carved to replace painted numerals.The rock |
| got under the lee of a small island remained there | | | | was moved in 1925 to its present location under a |
| all that night in safety. "The next day was a fair, | | | | new canopy at the high-tide line. There the |
| sun-shining day. We found ourselves to be on an | | | | famous relic is once again washed by the sea |
| island, secure from the Indians, where we might | | | | twice a day.Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist |
| dry our stuff, fix our pieces and rest ourselves. | | | | who can be contacted at:Website: with several |
| This being the last day of the week, we prepared | | | | hundred of Lin's Editorial & At Large articles |
| there to keep the Sabbath."On Monday, we | | | | written over 40 years.Also featured in its entirety |
| sounded the harbor and found it fit for shipping. | | | | is Lin's groundbreaking book "Boldly Onward," that |
| We marched into the land and found divers | | | | critically analyzes and develops theories about the |
| cornfields and little running brooks - a place, we | | | | original Spanish explorers of America. |