My Road Trip to Plimoth Plantation

Chatting with Some 17th Century Pilgrims

Captain Miles Standish at Plimoth Plantation. Photo by author.

In 1620, the Pilgrims opened a new beachhead of European colonization in North America; however, unlike the expansionist Spaniards in New Spain or the entrepreneurial English in Virginia, the Pilgrims of New England came to America seeking novel freedom. They founded their colony to worship freely and, by doing so, helped establish a fundamental right in America.

So I drove to Plimouth Plantation to chat with some Pilgrims about their colony.

The Pilgrims

For years, I had heard about a living history park called Plimoth Plantation dedicated to the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth (same place, different spelling). I used to teach living history, and with my university students, we had “Time Traveled” to the past with thousands of people over the years. On my road trips, I visited living history parks at Jamestown Settlement and Colonial Williamsburg to understand better what happened in the Virginia colony during the 17th century. So, I eagerly looked forward to visiting Plimoth Plantation and interacting with Pilgrims.

Before we arrive at Plimoth Plantation, here’s some background about the Pilgrims. Even though King Henry VIII broke away from Catholicism in 1534 and created the Church of England, some people…