They were known by many names: Separatists, Brownists, Pilgrims.

For 400 years we have honored their sacrifice, praised their determination and hard work, and marveled at their miraculous story.

Who were they and why did they choose to face death by coming to the new world?

The Pilgrim’s beliefs on government and religion influenced the Puritans, all of New England and the new nation.

Their stories were studied by school children for over 300 years. Their principles set the standard of success for a colony, a nation and hemisphere. Eventually all Western civilization embraced concepts pioneered by the Pilgrims.

In December of 1620 a single ship dropped anchor in Plymouth harbor and a small group rowed to shore and stepped out of their skiff onto a large rock. The Pilgrim’s determination, rooted in their faith, saw them through countless trials and struggles. Their success in Plymouth inspired a mass migration that eventually resulted in the colonization of America. Plymouth’s history is memorialized in its many monuments.