The Pilgrims and Their Diverse Cohort

The Mayflower travelers consisted of a mix of individuals, with only about 30 to 40 percent identifying as Pilgrims, who were dissident English Protestants seeking to separate entirely from the Church of England. They initially moved to the Netherlands seeking a more suitable place for their religious beliefs but ultimately decided to search for a location where they could establish their vision of a godly community. The journey was perilous, taking approximately 40 to 50 days across the North Atlantic, with the passengers including both pious religious figures and a working-class group whom the Pilgrims considered culturally distinct. Ultimately, they formed the Mayflower Compact, establishing a foundational civil charter that emphasized a government intertwined with their religious convictions, thereby making cooperation essential for survival in the new land they aimed to settle in New England.