Nov. 21, 2006
The Mayflower - What really was their mission?
We've all grown up hearing the story about the voyage of the Mayflower, their arrival at Plymouth Rock and their first Thanksgiving with the Indians......and they all lived happily ever after......right?
No.
That's not even close except to say that YES, the Mayflower was a ship carrying settlers to the new world and YES at some point they did feast with the Native Americans that they had made peace with to offers thanks to God for their arrival in this new land and to pray for His will and guidance in their lives ahead of them.
But the significant details of their mission (key word) have been largely omitted in text books - especially in the public school arena - so much so that only until recently, hearing a cry for the truth, have historians returned to the truth and genuine documentation of why the Mayflower sailed, who the passengers were and what the purpose of their voyage was truthfully about.
The pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower were missionaries. They were coming to the new world to share the Gospel of Christ. There were some who did not survive the journey, those who did not survive the first winter and there were those who did not survive conflicts between the settlers and the Native Americans. Much has been distorted over the centuries about the first Thanksgiving as well. The Mayflower voyage, the mission of the passengers, the work and lives after arriving and establishing a settlement is not a fairy tale. It is significant to Christian history and the history of what would later become the United States of America.
As with all historical events - seek the truth. Research a variety of sources; don't just accept one text that narrates a limited narration of an event. Especially if it sounds too sweet and syrupy to be true.
Here is one of my favorite online resources about the Mayflower Compact, the pilgrims who journeyed here and life in the New World:
http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/index.php
Do your own Internet search on the Mayflower Compact, the Pilgrims of the Mayflower and the Plymouth Colony. Be sure to read a variety of materials. You may also be surprised to find a few ancestors among the early settlers of the new colonies.
Our family has thoroughly enjoyed "the First Thanksgiving" project that Scholastic established this year that I posted a couple of weeks back. I hope that some of you have already joined in this as well.
I wish everyone a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving - we have so much to be thankful for each and every day of the year.
Blessings and Safe Holiday Travels,
