Mayflower Pilgrims Part III: Winter, 1620-1621 | Plymouth houses | William Bradford, Leyden Street

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The Mayflower Pilgrims are at Plymouth Harbor on Christmas Day, 1620. They now have to build the settlement, Plymouth or Plimoth. The area is between modern Cole's Hill and Burial Hill along Leyden Street.

The women and children remain on the Mayflower for shelter during the winter. But able-bodied men board the shallop and gather timber, thatch, and daub for building materials.

The Pilgrims will build wattle and daub houses with clapboard siding. House frames are built, and wattle, or sticks, are woven along the side like a basket. Daub, or plaster, is used to make the wall. Finally, clapboard planks run along the side of the building like siding today. Thatch is used for roofing.

Sickness takes the Mayflower passengers. In the winter of 1620-1621, half of the Mayflower passengers will die. Victims include the wives of William Bradford and Miles Standish.

However, able-bodied men manage to build seven houses and a common storehouse. The first street, Leyden Street, is also prepared. Leyden Street may be the oldest-used street in English-speaking America.

Cannons, called minions, are brought from the Mayflower to Burial Hill.

John Goodman and Peter Browne get lost in the woods outside Plymouth Plantation. They encounter mountain lions. Goodman later has a close call with wolves.

Miles Standish is named military captain for the settlement. More wigwams from previous native dwellers are found. The colonists see natives on modern Watson's Hill, just south of the brook.

Finally, in March, 1621, an Indian warrior comes into the settlement. The men stop him at the rendezvous fort. Shockingly, the Indian speaks English, saying, "Welcome, Englishmen."

Plymouth, Massachusetts has been established, and the English now have two colonies in North America, Plymouth and Jamestown. Plymouth or Plimoth is critical in the development of American colonial history.

Music credit:
Mongrel Dance by Dan Bodan