Histories

The General Society of Mayflower Descendants has been dedicated to preserving both the genealogies and histories of our Pilgrim ancestors for over one hundred years. From the foundations of American religious freedom, to Thanksgiving, to early Colonial history itself, the individuals from whom our members descend played a vital role in the development of our national identity.

The histories are intended to give the reader a brief survey of Pilgrim history, as well as the histories of numerous traditions, and our hereditary society itself. We hope that the information here inspires you to research further into the diverse and rich history our Pilgrim forefathers left us.

History of the Pilgrims – The Mayflower – History of Thanksgiving – Gen. Society of Mayflower Decendents – Colorado Society

The Pilgrims

The Pilgrims were a group of English people who came to America seeking religious freedom during the reign of King James I. After two attempts to leave England and move to Holland, a Separatist group was finally relocated to Amsterdam where they stayed for about one year. From there the group moved to the town…

The Mayflower

The Mayflower is first recorded in 1609, at which time it was a merchant ship traveling to Baltic ports, most notably Norway1. It was at that time owned by Christopher Nichols, Richard Child, Thomas Short, and Christopher Jones2. The ship was about 180 tons3, and rested in Harwich. In its early years it was employed in the…

Thanksgiving

The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They had earlier fled their home in England and sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life, thinking…

The General Society

The first organization of Mayflower Descendants was founded in 1894 in New York City. The founders were influenced by efforts to return the original manuscript of William Bradford’s Of Plimoth Plantation to the United States. The first Annual Meeting of the New York Society was held November 22, 1895. During 1896 similar State Societies were formed in…

The Colorado Society

First State Society in the West Organization Begun November 1904 Chartered 31 January 1906 Organized 21 April 1906 Incorporated 27 April 1906 Charter Members* CO No. Name Transferred From 1 Mrs. W. S. Cheesman NY (1897) 2 Mrs. C. B. Kountze NY (1900) 3 Mrs. F. L. Woodward NY (1897) 4 Mrs. J. L. Garner…

The Colorado Mayflower Society

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