What are some facts about Pilgrims?

It's Thanksgiving time in America, and families across the country will soon enjoy a meal that harkens back to the harvest feast held in 1621 by the residents of Plymouth Colony. But even as we remember the Pilgrims, our image of the English settlers remains largely based on myth rather than fact. read more

Quick Answer. The name "pilgrim" refers to one who journeys for religious reasons. Those first pilgrims who landed on Plymouth Rock on Dec. 11, 1620, were originally residents of England, but they left for the New World so they could have the freedom to practice their religion without interference from the king. read more

Compared with later groups who founded colonies in New England, such as the Puritans, the Pilgrims of Plymouth failed to achieve lasting economic success. After the early 1630s, some prominent members of the original group, including Brewster, Winslow and Standish, left the colony to found their own communities. read more

The Pilgrims didn’t name Plymouth, Massachusetts, for Plymouth, England. In fact, the Pilgrims didn’t name Plymouth, Massachusetts, at all. It had been dubbed that years earlier by previous explorers to the region, and was clearly marked as Plymouth (or Plimoth—spellings varied somewhat) on maps that the Mayflower’s captain surely had on hand. read more