When they reached Cape Cod, five died on board the ship in the harbor. Fierce winds providentially blew them far north of Virginia to Cape Cod, an empty and uninhabited land. They embarked and were on the ship for 66 days surviving treacherous storms. Among the Mayflower’s most-distinguished voyagers was William Bradford, who would become the governor of Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. By September 16, the Mayflower set out alone from Plymouth, England, after taking on more supplies and some people from the Speedwell. But the ship returned twice to port because it structurally couldn’t make the voyage. Separatists had booked passage on a second ship, the Speedwell, to set sail from Holland. The Mayflower initially departed from Southampton, England, on August 15, 1620 and docked in Plymouth, England. Pilgrim Monument – High Pole Hill Road, ProvincetownĬhris Setterlund, who lives in Yarmouth, is a lifelong Cape Codder and the author of In My Footsteps, a guide to historical sites on Cape Cod.Some fled to Holland, thinking they would find religious freedom there. If You Go: Pilgrim First Landing Park – Rotary which intersects Province Lands Road and Commercial Street. The Pilgrim Monument, First Landing Park, and several other historic Pilgrim-related sites are reminders that the Pilgrims left their first footprints on Cape Cod.įor more on the Pilgrims’ time on Cape Cod check out this YouTube Video below: But the Pilgrims first steps in the New World and the signing of The Mayflower Compact took place in Provincetown. The history of the New World, the colonies, and the United States might usually begin with a mention of the Mayflower docking at Plymouth Harbor. The spot where Plymouth Rock currently sits under a beautiful Italian-style portico is purported to be only a few hundred feet from where the original Pilgrim settlement was created. They left Provincetown and landed at Plymouth on December 16, 1620. But inside set into the walls of the tower, there are many stone markers celebrating the towns of Massachusetts and mentioning the Mayflower Compact.Īfter five weeks exploring Cape Cod from Provincetown to Eastham, historians report that the Pilgrims got into a skirmish with the Nauset tribe of Native Americans and decided they might be better off settling in another location. Ironically the Pilgrim Monument bears no resemblance on the outside to anything to do with the famous English colonists. This tower was built in the mid-14 th century and is made from stone, brick, and marble.įirst Landing Park in Provincetown overlooks the West End Breakwater, Long Point and Provincetown Harbor. The architecture of the monument is modeled after the Torre del Mangia, built in Siena in the Tuscany region of Italy. Looking southwest are the coastlines of Truro, Wellfleet and beyond. There are Provincetown’s many historic homes, churches and shops. From that height it feels as though one is looking down from a cloud. To the southeast sits the very harbor where the Mayflower docked nearly 400 years ago. Inside the monument are 116 steps and sixty ramps leading to the observation deck and possibly the best view on Cape Cod. The monument was completed in 1910 and dedicated by President William Taft on August 5 of that year. He gave a rousing speech before returning to his home on Long Island aboard the presidential yacht which was also named Mayflower. In addition it stands atop the nearly one hundred foot High Pole Hill bringing it to a grand total of approximately 350 feet above sea level.Ĭonstruction of the monument was begun in 1907 with the cornerstone being laid under the watch of President Theodore Roosevelt. Pilgrim Monument stands 252 feet tall and is made of solid granite. The view from the top of the Pilgrim Monument. It is no wonder why many visitors have no idea that such an important piece of history stands before them.Īlthough First Landing Park is a somewhat understated tribute to the Pilgrims’ landing at Provincetown, there is another, much larger, tribute which is one of the most well known landmarks on the entire Cape. Nearby, there is a view of the West End Breakwater stretching out across the harbor to Long Point. It is partially obscured by bushes and trees. On a typical drive through the packed streets of Provincetown today it is very easy to miss this spot. It is appropriately called ‘Pilgrims’ First Landing Park.’ The landing place is commemorated with a plaque and a small park located in the middle of the rotary at the end of Commercial Street. The booklet, Mourt’s Relation, written mostly by Edward Winslow who would become the third governor of Plymouth Colony, shows a map of where the first steps on land were supposed to have taken place. On November 11, 1620, the Pilgrims came ashore on land that is now in Provincetown on Cape Cod. The Provincetown Monument commemorates the Pilgrim’s first landing place at the Cape’s tip.
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