The arrival of the Mayflower Pilgrims memorialized in American history centers on the famous landing at Plymouth in the winter of 1620. That’s not the only Pilgrim landing that occurred!  The colonists first came ashore weeks earlier at Cape Cod. They also arrived on Clark’s Island in Plymouth Harbor before setting foot in Plymouth itself. Primary sources provide a detailed chronology and descriptions.

Landing at Cape Cod

After crossing the Atlantic, the Mayflower sighted Cape Cod on November 9th, headed south towards her intended destination of Northern Virginia, encountered shoals and rough seas, and turned back to anchor in Cape Cod Bay on November 11, 1620. That day, after framing a civil government while still aboard ship, a group came ashore at the area of modern-day Provincetown.

“And upon the 11th of November we came to anchor in the bay, which is a good harbor and pleasant bay, circled round, except in the entrance which is about four miles over from land to land, compassed about to the very sea with oaks, pines, juniper, sassafras, and other sweet wood. It is a harbor wherein a thousand sail of ships may safely ride. There we relieved ourselves with wood and water, and refreshed our people.”
– Mourt’s Relation (London, 1622)

“Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of Heaven, who had brought them over the vast, and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils, and miseries thereof; again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element.”
– William Bradford, Of Plimoth Plantation

More passengers came ashore a couple of days later, including women and likely some of the children. A shallop, stowed in pieces during the voyage, was reassembled to explore the coast.

“Monday, the 13th of November. We unshipped our shallop, and drew her on land, to mend and repair her, having been forced to cut her down in bestowing her betwixt the decks, and she was much opened with the people’s lying in her; which kept us long there, for it was sixteen or seventeen days before the carpenter had finished her. Our people went on shore to refresh themselves, and our women to wash, as they had great need.”
– Mourt’s Relation (London, 1622)

Exploring Cape Cod

The colonists decided that their best chance of survival would be to establish a settlement in the immediate area. There were several short expeditions. A party of 16 armed men set out on November 15th to explore on foot. They went barely a mile before they saw a half-dozen Indigenous people with dogs. The English pursued them but were hindered by the deep brush. Coming on a place where Native People had stored corn underground, they took the precious food supplies to use for seed. This was theft, though Bradford and Winslow, who wrote about the act, noted their intent to repay the owners in the future.

A second expedition of 24 armed men with Master Jones and several sailors was organized to retrieve more corn. On this venture, some of the group disturbed Native graves and went into unoccupied summer homes and took “[s]ome of the best things.”

Expedition By Shallop

The Mayflower’s pilot, Robert Coppin, remembered Plymouth Harbor from a previous visit. On December 6th, ten passengers, with Coppin and six sailors, set out in the shallop to investigate to the north. During this expedition, the English party encountered a company of 30 to 40 Indigenous men at (First Encounter Beach) and the groups exchanged arrow and musket fire. After both sides withdrew, the English set out again in the shallop towards Plymouth.

First Arrival at Plymouth Harbor

William Bradford described in his journal how the shallop crew careened into Plymouth Harbor during a storm:

“From hence they departed, & co[a]sted all along, but discerned no place likely for harbor; & therfore hasted to a place that their pillote, (one Mr. Coppin who had bine in ye cuntrie before) did assure them was a good harbor, which he had been in, and they might fetch it before night; of which they were glad, for it begane to be foule weather.

After some houres sailing, it begane to snow & raine, & about ye midle of ye afternoone, ye wind increased, & ye sea became very rough, and they broake their ruder, & it was as much as 2 men could doe to steere her with a cupple of oares. But their pillott bad them be of good cheere, for he saw ye harbor; but ye storme increasing, & night drawing on, they bore what saile they could to gett in, while they could see. But herwith they broake their mast in 3 peeces, & their saill fell over bord, in a very grown sea, so as they had like to have been cast away; yet by Gods mercie they recovered them selves, & having ye floud with them, struck into ye harbore.

Barely able to navigate in the rough conditions, they had to shelter offshore a small island through the night:

But when it came too, ye pillott was deceived in ye place, and said, ye Lord be mercifull unto them, for his eys never saw yt place before; & he & the mr. mate would have rune her ashore, in a cove full of breakers, before ye winde. But a lusty seaman which steered, bad those which rowed, if they were men, about with her, or ells they were all cast away; the which they did with speed. So he bid them be of good cheere & row lustly, for ther was a faire sound before them, & he doubted not but they should find one place or other wher they might ride in saftie. And though it was very darke, and rained sore, yet in ye end they gott under ye lee of a smale iland, and remained ther all yt night in saftie. But they knew not this to be an iland till morning, but were devided in their minds; some would keepe ye boate for fear they might be amongst ye Indians; others were so weake and cold, they could not endure, but got a shore, & with much adoe got fire, (all things being so wett,) and ye rest were glad to come to them; for after midnight ye wind shifted to the north-west, & it frose hard.

The Landing at Plymouth

After spending the Sabbath on Clark’s Island, the exploring party went ashore at Plymouth on December 11, 1620 (Old Style):

But though this had been a day & night of much trouble & danger unto them, yet God gave them a morning of comforte & refreshing (as usually he doth to his children), for ye next day was a faire sunshinig day, and they found them sellvs to be on an iland secure from ye Indeans, wher they might drie their stufe, fixe their peeces, & rest them selves, and gave God thanks for his mercies, in their manifould deliverances. And this being the last day of ye weeke, they prepared there to keepe ye Sabath.”

“On Munday they sounded ye harbor, and founde it fitt for shipping; and marched into ye land [Plymouth], & found diverse cornfeilds, & litle runing brooks, a place (as they supposed) fitt for situation; at least it was ye best they could find, and ye season, & their presente necessitie, made them glad to accepte of it. So they returned to their shipp againe with this news to ye rest of their people, which did much comforte their harts.”
– William Bradford, Of Plimoth Plantation

Shortly after the shallop’s return, the Mayflower sailed with the rest of the passengers and crew from Cape Cod to anchor in Plymouth Harbor. There was constant coming and going ashore as the colonists explored for water and supplies, and began building houses.

Bradford noted of their chosen location, “it was the best they could find, and the season and present necessity made them glad to accept of it.” Finding the place “very good for situation,” they resolved to stay. Soon, however, the little band began to suffer from cold and disease. Of the 102 Mayflower passengers, only half remained alive by spring.

The Mayflower sailed back to England in the spring of 1621. Despite the hardships of the winter, none of the Pilgrims returned with the ship. 

Where’s Plymouth Rock?

The 17th-century records do not mention Plymouth Rock. Nevertheless, Plymouth Rock has become one of the most enduring symbols of the Pilgrims. There is more information about Plymouth Rock in Plymouth Rock & Pilgrim Myths.