The Mayflower (or Fleur de Mai ) was a commercial vessel of 90 feet (27,4 meters) and 180 barrels of the 17th century.

In the year 1620, it transported 102 English immigrants (“The Pilgrim fathers” or “Fathers Pèlerin S”) between Plymouth, in England, and the Colonie of Plymouth, in the Massachusetts.

Although the North America was already known since nearly one century by the Spanish , the English started to colonize it only in 1584 with the sending of ship towards famous the Colonie of Roanoke, the “Lost Colony”. This first attempt at durable installation having failed, the English returned ships in 1606 in Virginia, then recently bought with the Spain where they founded the fort of Jamestown (which was later destroyed by the Amerindian S, the Famine, the Paludisme and the hard winters).

The Mayflower left Plymouth the September 6th 1620, to drop anchor with Cape Cod, on the east coast of the North America, the November 11th of the same year.

Among the occupants of the boat were thirty-five Pèlerin S Protesting S very pious, fleeing persecutions of Jacques Ier and in the search of a place to practice their religion freely; like 67 “foreigners”. The majority of the passengers came from modest milieus (small farmers, craftsmen…) and all adhered to the puritan principles.

The boat left London in July 1620, accompanied by another ship, the Speedwell , which turned back following a damage in the hull. After two stopovers (with Southampton the August 5th; with Dartmouth, the August 12th), the Mayflower left Plymouth the September 6th. After a halt to supply itself with Newfoundland near local fishermen, a storm threatened good progress of forwarding. The bad weather obliged the vessel to approach the shores of America very close to the Cape Cod in the Massachusetts, the November 21st, and not on the edges of the river Hudson, goal initial of the voyage.

These Europeans were the first colonists to be established durably in New England, where they decided to found the town of Plymouth.

A pact containing a certain number of laws, and governing the principles of the future colony (more known under the name of Compact Mayflower Act ), was signed aboard ship by the passengers.

The winter 1620 was particularly hard: 62 colonists