Mayflower II
Frequently Asked Questions

• WAMPANOAG HOMESITE
• MAYFLOWER II
• VILLAGE
• CRAFTS CENTER
• NYE BARN

What to Expect, How to Prepare:

1. What will I see at Mayflower II?
2. Who will I meet at Mayflower II?
3. Is there any special way to talk to the role players on board Mayflower II?
4. What else do I need to know about the role players?
5. How large is Mayflower II?
6. Does Mayflower II really sail?
7. I am a Mayflower descendant. Will I meet my ancestor when I visit Mayflower II?
8. How accessible is Mayflower II to people in wheelchairs and those with difficulty walking?
9. Can I bring my child's stroller on board Mayflower II?
10. Can I take pictures of Mayflower II?

Frequently Asked Historical Questions about the original Mayflower and the arrival of the English colonists:

1. What happened to the original ship Mayflower?
2. Where did Mayflower first arrive?
3. How long were the English colonists on board Mayflower?
4. Did anyone die on the 1620 voyage of Mayflower? Was anyone born?
5. Did the English colonists name Plymouth?
6. Why did the English colonists feel they could move into the middle of the Wampanoag homeland?
7. Did the Mayflower passengers step on “Plymouth Rock”?
8. Was the "Mayflower Compact" signed on board Mayflower?

Frequently Asked Questions about Mayflower II:

1. When was Mayflower II built?
2. Who paid for the construction of Mayflower II?
3. How is Mayflower II different from the original ship?

What to Expect, How to Prepare:

1. What will I see at Mayflower II?

You will encounter costumed role players, modern-day staff and maritime artisans, all eager to talk with you. On the seaward side of the ship, there are reproductions of the two boats that came to America with the original Mayflower. The smaller vessel is a ship's boat and the larger is a shallop (coastal working vessel). In 1621, the ship's boat returned with Mayflower to England while the shallop remained as the colonist's first sailing craft.

Next to Mayflower II, a dockside exhibit traces the history and origins of the ship's passengers, and describes the navigation techniques the crew used to find their way at sea. As you leave the ship, a collection of vintage photographs documents the construction of Mayflower II in England and her 1957 Atlantic crossing.

2. Who will I meet at Mayflower II?

You will meet costumed role players, modern-day staff and maritime artisans. The range of staff on the ship will provide you with a broad picture of the history of Mayflower and Mayflower II. The role players, who are portraying English colonists (popularly called “Pilgrims”), will give you a personal, intimate view of 17th-century shipboard life and their reasons for leaving England. The modern-day staff, including the maritime artisans, can provide background on many historical topics, from the English view of Native People to the history of maritime navigation. They can also talk about the construction and sailing of Mayflower II from England to America in 1957, a fascinating story in its own right.

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3. Is there any special way to talk to the role players on board Mayflower II?

The most important thing to know is that the role players you meet stay "in character" and that for them, the year is 1621. Just say "hello" and enjoy your conversations with Mayflower role players, keeping in mind that they will not recognize any events after 1621. In addition, although many people call them “Pilgrims” today, the English colonists didn’t identify themselves by that term (coined in the 19th century), so our role players will be understandably confused if you ask them “Are you a real Pilgrim?”

HELPFUL HINTS:

• Ask lots of questions!
• Listen to other visitors' conversations (it's OK to eavesdrop here.)
• Don't be shy about asking the role players to repeat something or to explain a word or idea.

4. What else do I need to know about the role players?

Though the role players speak in 17th-century English dialects, you will probably have little difficulty understanding the words they use. What is much more challenging is listening to some of the opinions of people from the past. The role players express 17th-century English viewpoints are not their own modern ones. Some of what you will hear will be unusual or quaint. Some of what you hear will even be distasteful to modern sensibilities. Modern concepts of equality, freedom and respect for different cultures were not part of the way a 17th-century Englishman understood the world. The English at the time were intolerant of foreigners, Catholics, Jews, and even the "wrong" sort of Protestants.

Given this background of intolerance, it is no wonder that many of the documents left behind by the Plymouth colonists show a lack of respect for Native People and their culture. Although the English write of their admiration for Massasoit and other Wampanoag leaders, there are also passages that betray a deep cultural prejudice against the Wampanoag and other Native People. You may hear this common 17th-century perspective reflected in comments made by role players. Please remember that these comments are made "in character" as a means of teaching you about English colonial attitudes.

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5. How large is Mayflower II?

Mayflower II is a square rigged-vessel that is about 25 feet wide and 106 feet long, displacing 236 tons of water. She has 4 masts, including a mainmast, foremast, mizzen and sprit, with a total of 6 sails. You may walk around the main deck, orlop deck, and half deck.

6. Does Mayflower II really sail?

Yes, Mayflower II is a seaworthy sailing vessel. In the past few years, she has traveled to Providence, RI (2002), Boston, MA (2001) and Provincetown, MA (2000).  Mayflower II has also visited several other places on the East Coast since she first arrived in America in 1957.

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7. I am a Mayflower descendant. Will I meet my ancestor when I visit Mayflower II?

Maybe. Although it is possible that you will meet a role-player portraying your ancestor, there were many more Mayflower passengers on board the original ship than we have role-players. Even though your ancestor may not be portrayed, you might find that our staff, both those in costume and in modern-day clothing (many of whom have worked in costume before), can often provide you with the scoop on your great-great-great-great-grandmother or grandfather!

8. How accessible is Mayflower II to people in wheelchairs and those with difficulty walking?

The ship Mayflower II is not accessible to people in wheelchairs. People with difficulty walking should be aware that there are ramps that can be steep according to the rise and fall of the tides. On the ship, there are also several flights of stairs to climb. However, those unable to board the ship may enjoy a close up view of the ship from the dock, visit the dockside exhibit area, talk to modern crewmembers, and look at pictures of the interior of the ship.

9. Can I bring my child's stroller on board Mayflower II?

No. For safety and accessibility reasons, strollers are not permitted on board. Strollers may be left in the dockside exhibit while you tour the ship.

10.Can I take pictures of Mayflower II?

Yes. We encourage you to take photographs or use video cameras for your own use. You need not ask permission of the staff to take pictures of the Mayflower. However, please do not ask our costumed staff to pose as this may interfere with the experience of other guests. Commercial use of photographs or videotape is prohibited without permission from our Public Relations office.

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Frequently Asked Historical Questions about the original Mayflower:

1. What happened to the original ship Mayflower?

Nobody knows for sure what happened to the original Mayflower. The last record of the ship was an assessment of her value in 1624. After that, she disappeared from maritime records. Several places in England claim to have a piece of the original ship, but there is no historical proof to support these claims.

2. Where did Mayflower first arrive?

On November 9, 1620, Mayflower's crew first sighted land off Cape Cod near the Wampanoag village of Pamet. The next day, the ship attempted to travel south around the Cape to the colonists' intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River (present-day New York). Bad weather and dangerous shoals forced Mayflower's master to turn back. The ship made landfall on November 11 at the tip of Cape Cod (present-day Provincetown). After exploring the Cape Cod area for several weeks, the colonists finally decided to settle at present-day Plymouth.

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3. How long were the English colonists on board Mayflower?

Mayflower passengers "lived" on board anywhere from seven to nine months depending on when they joined the voyage and how soon they left the ship for shelter on land!

4. Did anyone die on the 1620 voyage of Mayflower? Was anyone born?

Two people died during the 1620 voyage of Mayflower. The first was a sailor whose name was not recorded. The second was a passenger, a young servant named William Butten. After the ship arrived many other passengers and sailors died of illness.

Three babies were born on Mayflower. While at sea, a boy aptly named Oceanus was born to the Hopkins family. After the ship had arrived at Cape Cod, Susanna White gave birth to a son, Peregrine. Shortly thereafter, Mary Allerton gave birth to a stillborn son.

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5. Did the English colonists name Plymouth?

No. Captain John Smith explored the New England coast in 1614 and gave his map to Prince Charles (who became King in 1625). Charles put English names on the map, such as Plymouth and the Charles River.

For thousands of years before the English colonists built their town, the Wampanoag village of Patuxet had been there. From 1616-1618, many of the Wampanoag People who lived in Patuxet died in an epidemic most likely spread by European fishermen and traders. The few survivors of the sickness left Patuxet for other villages. This made it easy for the English to lay claim to the hillside in the midst of the Wampanoag homeland.

6. Why did the English colonists feel they could move into the middle of the Wampanoag homeland?

The English colonists shared the English/European belief that the "New World" was an undeveloped wilderness brimming with commercial possibilities, and peopled by backward "heathens" in need of Christianity and other "civilized" ways. This viewpoint allowed the English and other Europeans countries to boldly claim ownership of a land peopled by vital and thriving Native communities.

7. Did the Mayflower passengers step on “Plymouth Rock”?

In fact, the tradition of “Plymouth Rock” was started over 100 years after the 1620 voyage of the Mayflower. In 1741, a local Plymouth man by the name of Elder William Faunce pointed out the rock that his father told him was the landing place of the “Pilgrims”. The Rock’s reputation only grew after the American Revolution, when it became a powerful symbol of liberty for a young nation looking for historical precedent.

As for the English colonists who were really there during the ship Mayflower’s arrival in New Plymouth, they never mention a “Plymouth rock” in their writings.

8. Was the "Mayflower Compact" signed on board Mayflower?

Yes. On November 11, 1620, before they came ashore on Cape Cod, the Mayflower passengers made an agreement to join together as a “civil body politic.” They also agreed to submit to the government which would be chosen by common consent, and to obey all laws made for the common good of the colony.

However, this agreement was not called the “Mayflower Compact” until many years later (so our role players will not recognize it by that name if you ask them!) The document only became famous at the time of the American Revolution. Politicians from the two major parties used the Plymouth colonists and their agreement to support their own beliefs about government. To read more about the Mayflower Compact and view the original text of the document, go to our historical background section.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Mayflower II:

1. When was Mayflower II built?

Mayflower II was built from 1955-57 in the town of Brixham, in Devon, England by the skilled shipwrights at the Upham Shipyard.

2. Who paid for the construction of Mayflower II?

Donations from the English people financed the construction of Mayflower II. The project was the brainchild of Englishman Warwick Charlton. Mr. Charlton wanted to commemorate the historic ties between England and America, which were strengthened during World War II. Plimoth Plantation agreed to maintain and exhibit Mayflower II once she reached the United States.

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3. How is Mayflower II different from a real 17th-century ship?

One of the most notable differences is the large modern staircase between the main deck and the lower decks. (In the 17th century, ladders were used). Electric lights illuminating the dark corners of the lower deck were also not standard in the 1600s! There were other minor modifications made to Mayflower II to make sure that she would be more accessible, safe and comfortable for the visiting public.

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hours: Plimoth Plantation's Administrative offices, Education Department and Creative Gourmet are open 9 AM to 5 PM, M-F
address: 137 Warren Avenue, Plymouth, MA 02360 USA
telephone: 1 + 508 746 1622