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IT
CAME ON THE MAYFLOWER?
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Most items brought on the Mayflower were practical.
The Pilgrims probably relied on the advise in "Provisions
lists" written by earlier settlers to Virginia. These lists
gave the amount of clothing, tools, household implements and food that
each colonist needed to survive for a year in America. Ironware,
such as the Standish pot, is mentioned, as are swords and
muskets. A sturdy chest, like the Brewster chest, would be a
practical means of storage. |
The Standish iron pot
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| "Bring
good store of clothes and bedding with you. Bring every man a
musket... Bring paper and linseed oil for your windows, with cotton
yard for your lamps." |
Edward
Winslow
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Mayflower passengers had little space for purely
personal possessions. They had to make hard choices. The
Peregrine White cradle, the Brown tankard, the Allerton-Cushman cup, the
Warren napkin - these are among the very few, but highly prized, private
belongings that came on the Mayflower.
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The
Peregrine White cradle, c1620
According to tradition, Susanna and William White brought this cradle
from Holland in anticipation of the birth of their child. Their
son Peregrine, meaning "traveler" or "Pilgrim,"
was born on board the Mayflower in Provincetown Harbor in November of
1620. He was the first child born to the Pilgrims in America
(Oceanus Hopkins was born during the Atlantic crossing).
The hooded wicker cradle is typical of those made in Holland.
Similar cradles can be seen in period paintings by Dutch artists.
This cradle is a symbol of the Pilgrims' commitment to staying in
America and raising their families.
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What would you
have brought? |
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