WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE MAYFLOWER The Mayflower was about 100 feet 30 meters long and 25 feet 7 6 meters across at its widest point It was modeled on a type of Dutch trading ship called a fluyt pronounced flight with space for cargo below decks We know from William Bradford’s account that it had a capacity of 180 tons this means that it could fit at least 180 barrels of wine in its hold Fluyts were built to sail easily at sea with only a small crew They were however not designed to take cargoes of human passengers LIVING CONDITIONS The Mayflower had a tween or gun deck between the upper deck and its cargo hold The tween carried cannon and guns for defense This cramped space was where the Pilgrim passengers lived during the voyage There were no cabins no bathroom facilities and there was nowhere to cook and eat The height of the gun deck has been estimated at about 5 feet 6 inches 1 6 meters so tall people were not able to stand up straight The passengers put up makeshift wooden partitions to give families privacy They used buckets for toilets and for vomiting when seasickness struck which was frequent in the stormy Atlantic seas The foul-smelling air can only be imagined even though the Pilgrims made every effort to scrub their living quarters and air their bedding For the sake of their health they went on deck whenever they could frequently getting in the way
GOD S PROVIDENCE William Bradford tells of a sailor who was hostile to the Pilgrims He would always be condemning the poor people in their sickness If he were by any gently reproved he would curse and swear most bitterly Bradford goes on to relate how this sailor was punished for his behavior But it pleased God to smite this young man with a grevious disease of which he dyed in a desperate manner and so was himself the first that was thrown overboard For Bradford this was evidence of the just hand of God helping the Pilgrims in their time of need Foremast Mainmast Mizzenmast Poop house living quarters for the ship's officers Forecastle crew's food and supplies Crew's cabin Gun room Gun deck living quarters for the Pilgrims Cargo hold Rudder This diagram of the Mayflower shows the main areas of the ship It is based on accounts of the ship itself and on other similar ships of the time
WHAT DID THEY TAKE The cargo hold beneath the gun deck was packed full of the Pilgrims belongings and provisions There is no actual list of the things taken by the Pilgrims to North America But it is possible to look at other primary sources from the period to get a good idea of what they might have needed including items such as food and drink clothes bedding household objects tools and guns The Pilgrims would have gotten some information about the land they were going to from publications by people who had already been to North America The best known of these people was Captain John Smith an adventurer and soldier who made several voyages across the Atlantic He published books such as A Description of New England 1616 to inform and encourage possible settlers
This document from 1622 sets out what a well-equipped colonist should pack for a new life in North America Many people arrived without the necessary food clothing and other supplies to survive
