American History Tellers The Mayflower | Cutthroats | 4
9 snips
Nov 26, 2025 In 1622, the Pilgrims faced dire hunger as they contended with Thomas Weston's rival settlement draining their supplies. Tensions escalated with rumors of Indian plots, prompting Governor Bradford to fortify Plymouth. The situation spiraled into violence when Miles Standish led a brutal raid on Weston's colony, earning the Pilgrims a fearsome reputation. Amid this chaos, familial agricultural reforms helped end the famine, yet the colony's struggles foreshadowed its decline as the Puritan migration to Boston began.
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Newcomers Devastate Plymouth Food Supply
- Weston's advance party arrived in Plymouth and immediately strained its meager food supplies.
- The newcomers ate immature corn stalks and ruined the Pilgrims' spring crops, pushing the colony toward starvation.
Security Choices Sacrifice Harvest
- Bradford prioritized building a fortified fort over immediate food production due to fear of Indian attacks.
- This choice diverted labor from fields and contributed to a poor corn harvest that autumn.
Wessagusset's Descent Into Desperation
- Weston's men at Wessagusset refused to gather shellfish and peanuts, staying inside their fort despite hunger.
- John Sanders and others contemplated stealing Indian corn, alarming Bradford and threatening regional peace.
