The Pilgrims departed from Plymouth, England in September of 1620 aboard the Mayflower with 102 passengers plus crew and arrived at the tip of Cape Cod during mid November with the purpose of establishing a colony in North america. Because it was already winter the settlers made a fateful decision to stay aboard ship until spring. That winter many suffered an outbreak of a contagious disease which took the lives of almost half of the Pilgrims, only 53 survived. In the spring the remaining colonists built huts ashore and in mid March all passengers went ashore. Many of the Mayflower passengers were Pilgrims fleeing persistent religious persecution, but some were hired hands, servants, or farmers recruited by London merchants for the originally intended destination in Virginia.

These "Pilgrims" were the earliest permanent European settlers in New England, and the second English settlement in North America.

Today the landing of the pilgrims is part of the tradition of American celebration of Thanksgiving, and celebrates the freedom Americans have to practice the religion of their own choice.