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Pilgrim Fathers: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As Forefathers • Old Comers
Areas Of Involvement Western colonialism • Today in History—March 16: The Day Samoset Walked into Plymouth Colony • Today in History—August 15: The Mayflower’s First Attempt
Related People John Alden • John Robinson • William Bradford • William Brewster • Edward Winslow • Myles Standish • John Carver

Photos

Painting by Bernard Gribble showing Pilgrim Fathers and families boarding small boats at a busy harbor to board the Mayflower, with the large ship anchored nearby.
Pilgrims signing the Mayflower Compact
Map showing the present-day state of Massachusetts with colonial boundaries highlighted for the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629) and Plymouth Colony (1630). Indigenous groups such as the Mohican, Pocumtuc, Nipmuc, Pennacook, Wampanoag, and Nauset are labeled in their respective regions. Key colonial settlements like Boston, Salem, and Plymouth are marked, and a red arrow indicates the Pilgrims' 1620 route to Cape Cod Bay. The map is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and features major bays including
Massasoit meeting English settlers
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