Packing2

Since 1620, immigrants have come to the Plymouth area, seeking a better life for themselves and their families. What did they bring with them to get started in their new homes?

*17th-century Immigration*

The Pilgrims were the leading edge of the Great Migration. Tens of thousands of people left England in the second and third quarters of the 17th century. England was facing a population explosion and jobs were scarce. In order to live as English people, the colonists had to establish a European settlement in this Native American homeland. The colonists brought religious books as well as tools, supplies and livestock along with them. They relied on advice books and provisions lists.

What did the Pilgrims and other 17th century English settlers bring with them? Click here for a description of Mayflower artifacts at Pilgrim Hall, as well as for Pilgrim Edward Winslow's 1622 advice on "Packing for America," a 1630 provisions list, a 1639 description of suggested provisions, and a 1675 provisions list with prices! (Most of the early settlers of Plymouth were from England. A few settlers originated in other European countries or were of African origin.)

Some early English immigrants brought prized possessions, as well as practical items. One such family treasure is the carved "Allerton-Cushman cup." Made in England, it is dated 1608.

After its original 17th century journey across the Atlantic, the cup traveled even farther afield. It moved westward after the Civil War, first to Illinois and then to Texas, before returning to Plymouth as a donation to Pilgrim Hall Museum in 1998. For more information about the Allerton-Cushman Cup, click HERE.