by Whitney Levon

Created on: October 22, 2009   Last Updated: January 02, 2010

When we think of the pilgrims of the Mayflower, we tend to think of their arrival here as an exciting, happy time, a time for new beginnings and exploration. In fact, the first winter that the pilgrims spent in the new world was a very harsh one, one that only about half survived. They faced starvation and disease, and they had very few resources to help them. Those that did survive did so through their determination and some luck.

The Mayflower settlement consisted of the 102 passengers of the ship and its 25 crew members. When they landed at what is now known as Cape Cod, the ground was covered with snow and it was bitterly cold. They had not originally intended to land there, but in Virginia, which would have provided a slightly more temperate climate. 

The pilgrims spent the first winter in America aboard the Mayflower. The weather was not forgiving enough for them to build shelter on land. The conditions on the ship were far less than ideal. The Mayflower was leaky, allowing cold air and water to seep into the vessel. The pilgrims had already spent two months on the ship while they were at sea, spending more time on it through the winter was not part of their original plan. Although the ship did provide protection from the harsh New England winter, the pilgrims had little desire to stay aboard.  It was viewed as an uncomfortable prison.  Regardless of how they felt about staying on the Mayflower, it was instrumental in their survival of their first winter in the New World.

The food that the Pilgrims had available was scarce. For the most part, they subsisted on the leftover provisions from their journey, which were stale. The men of the ship left the ship to embark on an expedition to find provisions. They came upon an abandoned Native American village (abandoned because earlier European expeditions wiped out the population with foreign disease) and found stored corn and beans. We can assume that the men were able to hunt some game, such as venison, during their travels.  The food that the pilgrims found was barely enough to keep them alive.

Disease was rampant among the pilgrims. They had already known disease during their ocean voyage, and illness only got worse through the winter. The suffered from Pneumonia, Scurvy, and Tuberculosis. The lack of food, medicine, and proper shelter contributed to the mortality rate of the pilgrims suffering from these diseases. 

To say that the pilgrims survived this winter may be an over-statement. With barely half of the original party alive at the onset of spring, the survival of the colony itself was a dismal prospect. The coming of spring was the biggest salvation for the pilgrims. The break in the weather allowed the pilgrims to leave the Mayflower and begin building shelters and plant crops. They met and partnered with the Wampanoag people, who helped them learn how to plant crops native to the land, such as corn and squash.

The pilgrims survived their first winter through tenacity and sheer will. They had no provisions, poor shelter, and rampant disease. It was a miserable time, but the promise of a new life in a new land helped to see them through to the spring when new alliances helped to ensure long-term success as a colony.  Surviving the long and arduous journey and the most difficult winter of their lives gave them much to be thankful for, and is the true reason that we celebrate Thanksgiving every year.

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