Taproom Artifact: Mayflower Survivors

On September 16,1620,102 passengers and 30 sailors left behind religious persecution in England on board the Mayflower. Bound for America, the ship spent ten grueling weeks plodding across the Atlantic Ocean before landing near present day Cape Code on November 19,1620. During the crossing, William Button, a servant of Samuel Fuller passed away. The passengers disembarked and began building a home in the new world. In April of 1621, the Mayflower set sail for England leaving the pilgrims to fend for themselves. From the start, they suffered being ill-prepared for the harshness of winter. If not for the assistance of the Native Americans, they would have suffered a fate like the colonists of Jamestown where in 1607, 440 of the 500 settlers perished within six months. The pilgrims suffered mightily that first year – with many succumbing to starvation, pneumonia, scurvy, and tuberculosis. The Governor and his wife passed in late April of 1621. By the time they celebrated the feast which later became known as Thanksgiving, only 50 of the original pilgrims were still living. 

This taproom artifact is tied to our Squanto’s Pumpkin Ale. It celebrates the kindness and compassion shown by Squanto and his Native American friends to aid the pilgrims in their acclimation to the new world.