The Story of the ship called Mayflower is deeply woven into the fabric of American history. This is how it goes: Intrepid passengers called Pilgrims sailed a stormy sea to find religious freedom in a new world. Against harsh odds, they carved a little cradle of civilization that gave birth to a great democracy. Well, that's how it happened, wasn't it? Or was it? Actually, that's the myth. The real history of Mayflower is a lot more complicated. Taking a new look at Mayflower means learning that these seafarers were not a unified group, that not all of them came to America for religious reasons, and that their new land was not an empty paradise for the taking. They did not call themselves Pilgrims. That name, which traditionally refers to wayfarers in foreign lands, was given them by later historians. Plimoth Plantation brings this critical and compelling period of history to life by using careful research of primary sources as the basis of a richly informative text and scenes recreated by costumed interpreters. Fascinating details reveal what Mayflower passengers ate, how they passed their time on the long voyage, and what they hoped and dreamed. Imagine what it must have been like to set forth on a journey to an unfamiliar land on the other side of a vast, mysterious ocean few had ever crossed. Now come along. Book jacket.

Peter Arenstam and John Kemp both work on the Mayflower II at Plimoth Plantation. They are seasoned sailors and expert costumed interpreters of the early colonial period. Both men live in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Catherine O’Neill Grace has written several children’s books, including 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving. She lives in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Plimoth Plantation is a living history museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts that includes a recreated colonial village and Wampanoag Indian site as well as the Mayflower II, a wooden replica of the original Mayflower ship.